On Tuesday, the world learned of the passing of actor and artist Val Kilmer from pneumonia. He was 65.
Kilmer's acting career was in its heyday in the 1980s and '90s when he starred alongside Hollywood heavyweights in films like Top Gun, Willow, The Doors, Thunderheart, Tombstone, and Batman Forever.
Hollywood paid tribute to the man and his legacy after his death was announced.
In 2014, Kilmer began to experience problems with his voice and throat pain. Years later it was revealed he had undergone chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer that also required two tracheotomies.
After 2015, Kilmer appeared in only a few roles, dedicating most of his time to art.
Kilmer's final posts on Instagram were of his paintings.
His last on March 22 was captioned:
"It’s got that late-night glow. Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake."
The description ended with the size and technique used for the artwork in the post seen here.
People shared their feelings about Kilmer's life and legacy in the Instagram comments.
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In 2021, Kilmer appeared in the documentary Val for Amazon Studios alongside his children with Willow costar and ex-wife Joanne Whalley, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
You can watch the trailer here:
Rest in peace, Val. You will be missed.
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AMC
