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Val Kilmer, a dynamic and multifaceted actor best known for his roles as Doc Holliday in Tombstone and Iceman in Top Gun, died on Tuesday, at the age of 65, from pneumonia.
His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told The New York Times on April 1 that Kilmer spent his last moments in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends. He gained popularity for working with Tom Cruise as the competitive naval aviator Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Tony Scott’s 1986 blockbuster hit Top Gun.
The Top Gun program, created in 1969 for the best 1% of Navy pilots, welcomed Tom Kazansky, often known as "Iceman." Like his RIO, LTJG Ron "Slider" Kerner, he was notoriously conceited and always wanted to be at the top.
Val Kilmer is known for his iconic role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick
As Val Kilmer's character, Tom Kazansky, is ice-cold and never makes a mistake, he was given the nickname "Iceman." He fervently obeys commands and thinks that Top Gun regulations are in place to protect their squads.
He is quite strict, conceited, and determined. One of the most committed individuals, Iceman never gives up on anything. He carefully considers his risks and adheres to the Navy's best-practice rules. However, he lacks the courage and instinct that Maverick, his rival at the academy, possesses in plenty.
He has bleached hair tips and is "the best pilot" in the new batch of TOPGUN students. He served as both the primary antagonist in Top Gun.
In order to get their names on the plaque of the top pilots from each class, Maverick and Val Kilmer's character fought for first place throughout the movie.
His primary goal was to win the Top Gun award. Val Kilmer's character views Maverick as a careless person who is putting the other pilots in their program at risk. At one point in the movie, Tom says to Maverick:
"Maverick, it's not your flying, it's your attitude. The enemy's dangerous, but right now you're worse. Dangerous and foolish. You may not like who's flying with you, but whose side are you on?"
While Maverick almost dropped out, Iceman went on to graduate at the top of his class. On their first formal mission together, the two took to the skies once more, and when Tom Cruise's Maverick rescued Iceman from many hostile MiG-28s, Iceman was able to show Maverick his respect.
In Top Gun: Maverick, it is revealed that Iceman is dying of an unspecified cancer that has resurfaced and is now painful to talk about. When he and Maverick finally meet, he encourages Maverick to believe in his own teaching abilities and to keep trying.
However, even though Iceman was an iconic character, Kilmer had stated that he was not interested in the role in the beginning. Val Kilmer disclosed the same in his 2020 memoir, I'm Your Huckleberry. As per NBC's April 1 report, he added that when he received the part, he was taken aback. He further said:
“I didn’t care about the film. The story didn’t interest me. I read the lines indifferently and yet, amazingly, I was told I had the part… I felt more deflated than inflated..”
According to a Hollywood Reporter's April 1 report, in 2015, Kilmer received a throat cancer diagnosis. Val, a documentary on Val Kilmer's life that debuted at Cannes in July 2021, revealed that he required a breathing tube. This was also the reason he had to use an AI-generated voice for Top Gun: Maverick, which was released in 2022.
