Top Gun star Val Kilmer’s death certificate revealed his cancer had returned

He was surrounded by family and friends when he died earlier this month

Top Gun actor Val Kilmer died at the age of 65 earlier this month, with his death certificate now being shared.

The Hollywood star shot to fame in the 1986 hit film Top Gun, alongside Tom Cruise. He went on to play Batman in 1995’s Batman Forever, and also Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic The Doors.

Val’s death was announced by his daughter on April 2 – and she also revealed his preliminary cause of death. Now, his death certificate has been published online, revealing that his cancer had returned before his death.

The actor died earlier this month (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Val Kilmer death announced

Val died on April 1 aged 65, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, who he shared with ex-wife Joanne Whalley.

She told The New York Times that her beloved father had died from pneumonia in Los Angeles. She said that he was surrounded by his family and friends when he died.

Val was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and had to undergo surgery. He also had a tracheotomy which reduced his ability to speak. Val was later declared cancer-free. However, it’s now been revealed that Val did have cancer when he died.

Death certificate released

TMZ has shared a copy of the actor’s death certificate. It detailed underlying causes of “acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure, and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue” attributed to his death.

According to the NHS, squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer.

The actor revealed he had been cancer free for four years in 2020. Other contributing factors of his death included malnutrition and a tracheocutaneous fistula. This is an abnormal complication between the trachea and the skin, often occurring after a tracheostomy tube is removed.

He shot to fame in the 1980s (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Val’s movie career

Val rose to prominence in the 1980s thanks to appearances in comedies such as Top Secret! and Real Genius. But it was his role as Iceman in the 1986 box office smash Top Gun that propelled him into stardom.

Riding high, in 1988, Val appeared in the fantasy movie Willow – where he met his future wife – co-star, Joanne Whalley. The pair had two children and divorced in 1996.

Val then played Jim Morrison in biopic The Doors, and also Elvis Presley in True Romance. In 1995, he took on the biggest role of his career, playing Bruce Wayne aka Batman in Batman Forever.

Tom Cruise considered Val Kilmer one of his good friends (Credit: Cover Images)

Final acting role – and Tom’s tears

The star’s final acting role was a cameo in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick. Following his cancer battle, the actor’s voice in the film was recreated using AI technology that analysed hours of recordings to generate a version of his signature voice.

Speaking ahead of the film’s release, his co-star Tom Cruise revealed that the reunion – one of the final time the actors were together – was an emotional one.

Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, he said: “I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades, and for him to come back and play that character… he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again. I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional. He’s such a brilliant actor, I love his work.”

Tom pays tribute

Days after his death, during an appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Tom paid tribute to his late co-star.

The 62-year-old was there to promote his new movie, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.

During his time on stage, Tom led the crowd in a minutes silence for Val.

Tom has broken his silence (Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live / YouTube)
“I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” a visibly emotional Tom told the crowd at The Colosseum theatre.

“I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick,” he then continued.

“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him,” he then said.

The star then bowed his head as silence fell.

“Thank you, Val – wish you well on your next journey,” he said afterwards.

Val Kilmer tributes

Tributes have since poured in following the news of Val’s death.

On X, TV writer and comedian Mike Drucker wrote: “Val Kilmer felt like an actor who, no matter what the material, always understood the assignment.”

Acting legend Jennifer Tilly also recalled an encounter with Val during an audition.

“All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants. We all looked at each other like…” she recalled on X.

“Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King.”