Top Secret! (1984) 

The late Val Kilmer was one of Hollywood’s most prominent leading men in the 1990s, famed for his iconic roles in Top Gun, Batman and The Doors.

However numerous spats with directors and co-stars and a series of flops dented his career.

Before finding fame, legend has it that aged 12 he walked out of the filming of a burger advert, saying that he couldn’t find his character’s motivation. 

Over the years, he gained a reputation as temperamental, intense, perfectionist and sometimes egotistical.

His last screen appearance came in Top Gun Maverick in 2022, after a long health battle significantly impacted his ability to speak. 

The actor, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent surgery, including a tracheotomy which permanently damaged his vocal cords and consequentially forever altered his speaking voice.

Here MailOnline looks back at his most iconic and memorable roles.  

A look back at Val Kilmer’s most iconic roles as Batman and Top Gun star pᴀsses away aged 65 after long health battle (pictured in Top Gun in 1986) 

Top Secret! (1984) 

Val achieved his first successful role when he made his debut in spoof spy comedy Top Secret! in 1984. 

The actor, aged 24 at the time, played Nick Rivers, an American rock star who travels to East Germany to perform at a cultural festival. 

However the festival secretly serves the East German government as a diversion for a military operation with the intent of reuniting Germany under their rule.

The film was considered a box office bomb, but it still earned $20 million and propelled Val into his next, and biggest role, in Top Gun.  

Val achieved his first successful role when he made his debut in spoof spy comedy Top Secret! in 1984 (pictured with co-star Lucy Gutteridge who played Hillary Flammond) 

Top Gun (1986) 

Val’s role in Top Gun catapulted him to the stratosphere career wise, after he took on the role of villain Iceman. 

He starred as Tom Cruise’s character Maverick’s cocky compeтιтion who wanted to get top place so badly that he cut off Maverick while flying, causing his R.I.O. Goose to die.

In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, Val wrote: ‘Tom was Maverick, but Maverick’s nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.’

Their bond from filming the original Top Gun film from 1986 has continued throughout the decades.

Speaking 36 years later after filming Top Gun Maverick Val said of his relationship with Tom: ‘We talked quite a bit about what was best for the story and I think they got it right at the end.

‘We are in touch and exchange Xmas gifts every year!’

Val added: ‘Tom and I get along really well. We giggled like little kids in school between takes. I consider him a real friend. We shared intimate stories and challenges about our different lifestyles!’ 

Val’s role in Top Gun catapulted him to the stratosphere career wise, after he took on the role of villain Iceman alongside Tom Cruise

Willow (1988) 

Val later starred in director Ron Howard’s fantasy Willow in 1988 and married his British co-star Joanne, with whom he had two children before their divorce. 

The fantasy adventure film from a story by George Lucas was about Willow Ufgood, a Nelwyn dwarf and aspiring sorcerer man (Warwick Davis), who has been tasked with protecting a young woman (Joanne). 

The actor played Madmartigan, a mercenary swordsman who helps Willow on his quest and falls in love with Sorsha (Joanne). 

Yet the film was not the blockbuster hit insiders had anticipated and received mixed reviews from critics. 

Meeting his wife on the set, Val and Joanne were married from 1988 until 1996 and together they share two children Mercedes and Jack. 

Val later starred in director Ron Howard’s fantasy Willow in 1988 and married his British co-star Joanne, with whom he had two children before their divorce (pictured)

The Doors (1991) 

One of his most challenging roles came in director Oliver Stone’s The Doors in which he played Jim Morrison, the charismatic and ultimately doomed lead singer of the influential rock band of the same name.

To try to persuade Stone to cast him, he put together an eight-minute video of himself singing and looking like Morrison at various points in his life. 

The Doors ushered in the highest-profile years of his career and even saw Val use his own singing voice in the film.

One of his most challenging roles came in director Oliver Stone’s The Doors in which he played Jim Morrison in 1991

Batman Forever (1995) 

Val was also best known for his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1995 Batman Forever.

However the film was received tepidly by critics, and Val was upstaged by co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey. 

Meanwhile director Joel Schumacher and Val clashed during the making of the film, with Joel describing the star as ‘childish and impossible’. 

He said at the time that Val fought with the crew and refused to speak to hi for too weeks. 

Joel later called Val: ‘The most psychologically troubled human being I’ve ever worked with.’

Val pulled out of the next Batman movie and George Clooney replaced his role as the superhero in the follow up Batman & Robin in 1997. 

Val was also best known for his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1995 Batman Forever in 1995

The Saint (1997)

Val led the big screen version of the action romance flick The Saint in 1997. 

Based on the 1920s novel series written by Leslie Charteris, the story later became a radio show and then a TV series starring Roger Moore in the 1960s. 

Finally in 1997, Val starred in the live-action film directed by Phillip Noyce alongside Elizabeth Shue.

In the film Val’s character The Saint was a thief for hire whose job is to steal the process for cold fusion leaving him at odds with a traitor bent on knocking over the Russian government. He was also at odds with the woman who holds its secret.

The film had a domestic gross of $61.3million and worldwide total of $169.4million.

Val led the big screen version of the action romance flick The Saint in 1997

Top Gun Maverick (2022) 

Val Kilmer was thrilled for the opportunity to reprise his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022 in what was his final big screen appearance. 

Movie magic happened when Maverick and Iceman meet as the latter communicates via typed words on a screen as the character has throat cancer like Val’s real life diagnosis.

He goes on to use his actual voice to communicate with his longtime pal in a moment which Val described to the publication as: ‘Very personal and moving.’

The actor previously admitted in a 2013 interview will that he had not been approached about appearing in a proposed Top Gun sequel so Tom reportedly rallied the troops to ensure his buddy was included.

In an interview with People, producer Jerry Bruckheimer declared, ‘Tom said he wasn’t going to make the movie without him.’

As such, once the final script was approved, it made allowances for Ice who had been promoted to Admiral to take part in the fun.

‘So the fact that he was able to do it and he worked with us on the script,’ explained the producer, ‘to have him there and be a part of it was a really emotional day when we filmed him. Because you want to see those two on the screen again, Iceman and Maverick going at it. And that’s what movie making and audiences love.’ 

Val Kilmer was thrilled for the opportunity to reprise his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022 in what was his final big screen appearance 

Movie magic happened when Maverick and Iceman meet as the latter communicates via typed words on a screen as the character has throat cancer like Val’s real life diagnosis 

It definitely seemed to be a rollercoaster of emotions for the two A-listers as director Joseph Kosinski described a touching moment between the longtime pals. 

He said: ‘After one of the takes (we only did a few) I noticed that both Tom and Val had tears in their eyes. It felt like a genuine moment between two old friends.’

Kosinski added that the two stars helped each other raise their acting performances in a show of true spirit.

He said: ‘You’ve got two masters at the top of their game playing the most iconic characters of their careers. I think there is a lot of Maverick in Tom, and Iceman in Val, so what you are seeing onscreen is an authentic friendship that has lasted over 36 years.’

Top Gun: Maverick opened number one at the box office, earning a whopping $124 million dollars in the US.