Val Kilmer Then & Now: Photos Of The ‘Top Gun’ Actor From His Younger Years

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June 20, 2023 4:18PM EDT

Val Kilmer has transformed into pilots, rock stars, and more through the years. See photos of the actor from when he was young to today.

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Val Kilmer Through The Years

Val Kilmer Through The Years — Adventure time! Val Kilmer has played fighter pilots, cowboys, superheroes, and rock stars — it seems there is no character he can’t tackle.

The star, born Dec. 31, 1959, is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors. Though he had been in films like ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Top Secret!’, he became a staple of the late 1980s after in ‘Top Gun’ as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. From there, he continued his rise to fame by starring in ‘Willow’ and ‘Kill Me Again. In Oliver Stone’s biopic, ‘The Doors’ he played Jim Morrison. By transforming into the rocker and singing all the music throughout the movie, Val’s fame skyrocketed.

In 1993, he etched his place in the pop-culture history books with a role in ‘Tombstone’. Portraying Doc Holiday, Val’s line “I’m your huckleberry” became an iconic piece of Hollywood pop culture. After that, Val put on the cape and cowl for ‘Batman Forever.’ His take on the Caped Crusader was mixed, and his career took a few bumps.

In 2005, his role in ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ was well-received by critics despite its limited release. Val continued to act in the following decades, including appearances in ‘The Traveler’, ‘MacGruber’, and a cameo in Tenacious D’s video ‘To Be The Best.’ He was diagnosed with throat cancer later in life, permanently affecting his voice and his acting career.

Val Kilmer appears on stage at a screening of ‘Top Gun’ in Austin, Texas in Sep. 2019.

In honor of Val Kilmer’s birthday, click through and see photos of the star through the years.

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Val Kilmer In ‘Top Gun’

Val Kilmer In ‘Top Gun’ — Val Kilmer poses in promo shots for 1986’s ‘Top Gun’. The Julliard-trained actor admitted he wasn’t too keen on the role originally in his 2021 doc Val.

“Believe it or not, I didn’t want to do Top Gun at first,” he reveals. “I thought the script was silly, and I disliked warmongering in films. But I was under contract with the studio, so I didn’t really have a choice.”

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Val Kilmer At The Premiere Of ‘The Saint’ In 1997

Val Kilmer At The Premiere Of ‘The Saint’ In 1997 — Val Kilmer looks dapper in a suit, sandals, and red-tinted sunglasses at the premiere of ‘The Saint’ in April of 1997.

Val caught the acting bug early, growing up in Southern California. In his 2020 book ‘I’m Your Huckleberry’, he joked, “We lived next door to Roy Rogers and too close for comfort to Charles Manson.”

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Val Kilmer In 1995’s ‘Batman Forever’

Val Kilmer In 1995’s ‘Batman Forever’ — Val Kilmer is slick as Bruce Wayne AKA Batman in 1995’s ‘Batman Forever’, directed by Joel Schumacher.

Val was vocal about his disdain for the bulky bat-suit he wore during the film. Though he admitted the role was a dream for any little boy in his 2021 documentary ‘Val’, he said, “When you’re in [the bat suit], you can barely move and people have to help you stand up and sit down. You also can’t hear anything and after a while people stop talking to you. It’s very isolating.”

“It was a struggle for me to get a performance past the suit, and it was frustrating until I realized my performance was just to show up and stand where I was told to,” he added.

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Val Kilmer At The ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’ Premiere In 1996

Val Kilmer At The ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’ Premiere In 1996 — Val Kilmer is handsome in an olive suit at the premiere of ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’ on Oct. 13, 1996.

Val talked about fame with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, remarking, “Fame is sort of a mess. You get treated differently, but it doesn’t have anything to do with who you actually are.”

He also admitted to being “too serious” during the height of his success, saying “I’d get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way.”

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Val Kilmer At A 2013 Shakespeare Reading

Val Kilmer At A 2013 Shakespeare Reading — Val Kilmer smiles while gracing the 23rd Annual Simply Shakespeare benefit reading in LA on Sep. 25, 2013.

For his role as Jim Morrison in ‘The Doors’ Val went deep into character. He told Variety in 2018, “I wore those Jim Morrison leathers for a year. And recorded five entire albums… that was unusual.”

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Val Kilmer’s Kids At 2021 Cannes Film Festival

Val Kilmer’s Kids At 2021 Cannes Film Festival — Mercedes Kilmer and Jack Kilmer attend the ‘Val’ screening at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in France on July 7, 2021. Val Kilmer did not attend the screening of his documentary, which features footage he has taken himself throughout his life.

After spending some time out of the public eye and denying rumors he was sick, Val revealed he had “healed” from throat cancer in 2017. He had to undergo radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, leaving his voice permanently damaged.

Since, the star has opened up about his journey. “Now that it’s more difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever,” he says in his 2021 doc ‘Val’.

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Val Kilmer Attends Benefit For The Bard In 2013

Val Kilmer Attends Benefit For The Bard In 2013 — Val Kilmer poses while at the 23rd Annual Simply Shakespeare Benefit in 2013. Despite being huge in Hollywood, Val professes he’s a ‘shy guy’ who enjoys living out in New Mexico.

Joking about his success, Val once said, “I never had a business plan. I did, actually – I’m lying. My business plan was to get lucky, and I did; that was great. And then my second business plan was to get lucky again, and there, I faltered.”

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Val Kilmer Soaks In The Spotlight

Val Kilmer Soaks In The Spotlight — Val Kilmer dons a hat to the 23rd Annual “Simply Shakespeare’ festival in Santa Monica.

Val talked about learning to speak again after cancer with Good Morning America in Aug. 2020. “It’s just like any other language or dialect,” he said “You have to figure out a way to communicate that’s no different than any other acting challenge, but it’s just a very unique set of circumstances.”

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Val Kilmer Poses In 2016

Val Kilmer Poses In 2016 — Val Kilmer poses for a portrait in Nashville, Tennessee.

Looking back at his career with The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, the former ‘Batman’ said, “I don’t have any regrets, but there are two to three jobs, that if you do those action movies, you’re secured as a certain global stature.”

“It’s an adage, but it’s kind of true: Once you’re a star, you’re always a star; it’s just what level? And I was in some big, wonderful movies and enjoyed a lot of success, but I didn’t sort of secure that position.”

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Val Kilmer’s Kids Attend His Documentary Premiere In 2021

Val Kilmer’s Kids Attend His Documentary Premiere In 2021 — Val Kilmer’s kids Mercedes Kilmer and Jack Kilmer attend Amazon Studios “Val” Premiere in L.A. on Aug. 3, 2021. Val did not attend the event as he was recovering from throat cancer.

Val admitted to having trouble speaking in his doc. “I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel,” he says with a raspy voice. “I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” he adds, noting his feeding tube. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”

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Val Kilmer Is An Icon

Val Kilmer Is An Icon — Val Kilmer poses for a portrait in Nashville, Tennessee on Nov. 1, 2016. He looked at ease wearing a handsome suit and wristwatch.

Val reflected on his life and legacy in his doc, saying, “I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed. I am blessed.”

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