American actor Val Kilmer has died of pneumonia at the age of 65, leaving behind a filmography that has grossed over $3.7 billion, making him one of Hollywood’s most successful stars.
His acting career began when, at the age of just 17, he became the youngest person to be accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School and he quickly found success on stage, starring in a production of The Slab Boys alongside Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn.
His big screen break came in spy comedy Top Secret!, but global stardom came in 1986 when he starred as ‘Iceman’ alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun - a role he would later return to in Top Gun: Maverick.
His long career saw him star in a sting of blockbusters which grossed over $3.7 billion including Willow, The Doors, Tombstone, True Romance, Heat, Batman Forever, The Saint and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
5. Val Kilmer on...youth
"Youth is seen as everything. You don't know anything when you're young. It's great being older, just having a more balanced perspective. I wake up and realise that what seemed to be important last year no longer is. I'm increasingly grateful for every day." | Getty Images
6. Val Kilmer on...Hollywood
"Hollywood's like a warehouse. It's just a place that you go. What's interesting in the warehouse has to do with the creative people." | AFP via Getty Images
7. Val Kilmer on...reviews
"The good reviews that people have told me about through the years haven't really helped me do my job. So it's kind of like, if your hair turns out right you want to go out, you don't just want to stay in and look in the mirror. That's kind of what reading a review is like to me; it's like reveling in something that's just one night." | Getty Images
8. Val Kilmer on...David Bowie
"It's fun to look at people that are so good at acting that aren't actors, like David Bowie creating a mystique about rock n' roll. I've listened to 'Ziggy Stardust' as much as any rock n' roll fan - I don't really know what it's about, but it sure is fun to think about David Bowie as this mad creation." | Getty Images