Top Gun star Val Kilmer dies aged 65 after lengthy health battle….see full articles here 👇

Top Gun star Val Kilmer dies aged 65 after lengthy health battle

Val passed away after suffering from pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes confirmed to The New York Times. He died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, and is survived by Mercedes and his son, Jack.

He drew great acclaim for his role in The Doors in 1991, which saw the star play iconic rocker Jim Morrison. Film critic Roger Ebert called his performance “the best thing in the movie”, adding that he “always had a remarkable talent, which until now has been largely overlooked.”

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Val lost his younger brother Wesley when he was just 17 years old, after he drowned in their swimming pool following an epileptic seizure. The actor was preparing to move to New York to attend Juilliard when the accident occurred.

It was quite an emotional time for me, and in a way, the extremely high standards and the activity of the school I’m sure were good for me, because I was forced to really challenge myself about my very life, you know — what I believe about life and death,” he shared in a 2005 interview.

Despite his heartbreak, he went on to become one of the biggest names in the industry thanks to his undeniable talent, until a shocking cancer diagnosis in 2014 changed everything.

Val did not want to undergo treatment at first; finally, his children convinced him to receive chemotherapy and radiation.

The treatment worked — however, he was forced to use a tracheostomy tube and a feeding tube as he entered remission, leaving him without his voice.

Rest in peace🕊️