Farewell to Iceman: Val Kilmer’s final flight

If you ask action movie fans whether they'd rather soar through the skies at supersonic speeds and take on enemy F-16s with Tom Cruise's "Maverick" or Val Kilmer's "Iceman" as their wingman, Top Gun never really gave a definitive answer. While you couldn't go wrong with either, let's be honest—no one's going to put you on trial if you picked Ice over the film's lead star, Maverick.

In many ways, Iceman—one of the earliest roles that cemented Val Kilmer's status as an action movie icon—reflected the essence of Kilmer himself as an actor- aggressive, ruthless, and always delivering on screen. The very face of such characters alongside the likes of  Batman, Jim Morrison and more, passed away at the age of 65 on 1 April in Los Angeles, USA.

The actor never confined himself to a single genre; instead, he embraced a diverse range of roles, excelling in comedies, westerns, crime dramas, musical biopics, and action-adventure films.

The actor had shown his exceptional talent from a very young age, becoming the youngest to enrol at the prestigious Juilliard School, in New York for his time.

Kilmer began his acting career in stage productions such as 'How It All Began', but received his first break for the big screen with the film, 'Top Secret!' with the role of Nick Rivers. Later on, he even released an album using the name of his character, bringing a bit of fiction to life. 

It wasn't until the 1990s, though, when filmmakers realised Kilmer's real talent with the biopic of The Doors with the role of singer Jim Morrison.

Though many actors were considered for the role, the filmmakers ended up landing on Kilmer because of his resemblance with Morrison. 

Kilmer did not take this role for granted either as he put in his whole heart into embodying the character, as he always did. 

Kilmer went through a physical transformation after he lost weight, and had learned The Doors' music by heart. By the end, James Riordan shared that the surviving members of the band had difficulty telling apart Kilmer's singing from the original songs. 

The actor had a knack for becoming so immersed in his characters. In fact, during the filming of 'Tombstone', he filled his bed with ice to replicate the sensation of dying from tuberculosis. Likewise, while preparing for his role in 'The Doors' biopic, he wore leather pants constantly and insisted that his castmates and crew address him only as Jim Morrison.

In 1995, Val Kilmer stepped in to replace Michael Keaton as Batman in Batman Forever, the third film in the franchise. However, he later admitted feeling uncomfortable in the role and chose not to return for the sequel, Batman & Robin.

Kilmer had already developed a reputation for being difficult on set, but tensions reportedly escalated into open conflict with director Joel Schumacher—typically known for his even temperament—who described Kilmer's behavior as "difficult and childish."

John Frankenheimer, who directed Kilmer in The Island of Dr. Moreau, was even more direct, stating, "I don't like Val Kilmer. I don't like his work ethic, and I don't want to be associated with him ever again."

In response, Kilmer dismissed such criticisms, arguing that they stemmed from others trying to cover up their own shortcomings. "When certain people criticize me for being demanding, I think it's a way of deflecting from what they didn't do well. I believe I'm challenging, not demanding, and I make no apologies for that," he told the Orange County Register in 2003.

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 after which the treatment had left him with breathing difficulty. The actor passed away from pneumonia. However, despite the underlying health problems, Kilmer would go on to reprise his iconic role as Ice in Top Gun: Maverick, albeit for a few short sequences. 

Kilmer had partnered with Sonantic to create an AI-powered speaking voice that sounds just like him. The company used algorithms to create a model of the actor's speaking voice, using hours of archival footage of the actor speaking. That would turn out to be his way to deliver a few dialogues in his scene with Maverick.

Val Kilmer is survived by two children.