Val Kilmer, the actor who played Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever, Doc Holliday in Tombstone and most recently reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kozansky in Top Gun: Maverick in what would be his final role, has died. Kilmer was 65 and had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. His daughter confirmed his death to The New York Times.
From a traumatic childhood to early fame, tragic health problems to an inspiring comeback, we’re remembering the troubled genius with a look at Val Kilmer’s net worth and career.
How much is Val Kilmer’s net worth in 2025?
In 2025, Val Kilmer’s net worth is estimated to be around $10 million. Though his acting career was derailed in recent years due to a devastating health setback, Kilmer was one of the most recognizable and sought-after acting talents of the ’90s. In addition to extraordinarily high salaries for high-profile projects like Batman Foreverand The Saint at the height of his career, Kilmer has made much of his fortune through side projects, theater and selling a vast New Mexican property.
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How did Val Kilmer become famous?
Born on New Year’s Eve 1959, Val Kilmer is a Los Angeles native, the son of Gladys Swanette and Eugene Dorris Kilmer. Val’s parents divorced when he was just 8 years old. Even greater tragedy struck in 1977, when Val’s epileptic younger brother Wesley drowned in a jacuzzi at age 15. Until his tragic death, Wesley had been Val’s partner in regularly making home movies and plays.
Val continued to feed his creative side, and he eventually became the youngest-ever person to be accepted into Juilliard School for drama at the time. Though Kilmer’s heart always remained on the stage (he turned down a role in Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Outsiders due to theater commitments), he eventually broke out on the big screen in mid-’80s comedies Top Secret! and Real Genius.
Tony Scott‘s blockbuster Top Gun proved a turning point. The classically trained actor actually didn’t want to take the role that turned out to be his mainstream breakthrough. The Tom Cruise-led action romance was a zeitgeist-ruling, endlessly quoted mega-hit, the highest-grossing movie of 1986.
Related: 50 Best Original Top Gun Quotes
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How much did Val Kilmer make for Batman?
Kilmer was paid $6 million (about $12.1 million today) to play the title role in Joel Schumacher‘s Batman Forever after Michael Keaton hung up the cowl. Campier in tone than Tim Burton‘s previous films, Batman Forever received mixed reviews but was a considerable box-office hit. Kilmer famously declined to appear in the next installment, and he was replaced with George Clooney in the maligned Batman & Robin.
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What are Val Kilmer’s most iconic roles?
Though “Iceman” in Top Gun was a major Hollywood break, Kilmer would achieve even greater heights of fame in the ’90s playing the iconic roles of Doc Holliday in Tombstone, Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever and Chris Shiherlis in Heat.
Massive paydays at the zenith of Kilmer’s fame include a $7 million check for spy TV series adaptation The Saint and $6 million for The Island of Dr. Moreau opposite Kilmer’s acting idol Marlon Brando. Both films—especially the latter, which had an infamously bitter and rocky production—tanked with critics, though The Saint turned a profit at the box office. Kilmer’s screen career never again reached the highs of the mid-’90s, though he often earned critical praise, notably as “Gay Perry” in Shane Black‘s 2005 crime comedy Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
What happened to Val Kilmer’s voice?
Kilmer lost his voice to throat cancer in 2015, after two tracheotomies and chemotherapy. It was a terrible setback for the acclaimed actor also known for voice work in The Prince of Egypt, video game credits and more. However, in 2021 Kilmer teamed with UK-based software firm Sonantic to emulate his speech via artificial intelligence, through a process using existing footage and old recordings.
Related: Iceman Returns! How Top Gun: Maverick Star Val Kilmer Was Able to Speak Again With the Help of Artificial Intelligence
Is Val Kilmer still acting?
Though the tragic impairment of his commanding, distinctive voice was a major blow to Kilmer’s career, the actor has still tackled various recent projects, only increasing the admiration among his fanbase. In fall 2021, Kilmer was the subject, star and writer of Leo Scott and Ting Poo‘s acclaimed documentary Val, which premiered at Cannes 2021 and is now streaming on Prime Video.
Then, of course, there’s Top Gun: Maverick. In Kilmer’s 2020 autobiography, the actor admits to “begging” producers to include him in the mega-budgeted follow-up and praises Cruise for playing a significant part in making it happen. Top Gun: Maverick received rapturous reviews from critics, and dominated the box office in 2022.
How did Val Kilmer earn money?
In addition to acting on screen and stage (he was famously performing and further developing a project as Mark Twain when his health started failing), Kilmer penned a book (I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir) in 2020. In 2011, Kilmer sold the majority of his 5,300-acre Pecos River, New Mexico, ranch for an incredible $18.5 million. He reportedly kept about 14 acres of the property for himself.
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Does Val Kilmer have kids?
Val Kilmer has two kids with ex-wife Joanne Whalley: Mercedes Kilmer, 33, and Jack Kilmer, 29. Both appeared in the 2021 doc. One of the most touching bits of the revealing, brutally honest doc was in the final moments, where it was revealed Jack (who sounds uncannily like his father) narrated the film.
Val Kilmer’s philanthropy and charity work
Kilmer was active in the relief of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina disaster, making numerous trips to New Orleans in the wake of the devastation. Kilmer was a musician, and in 2007 released a CD with all proceeds benefiting the families of police killed in 9/11. Kilmer was also a supporter of Native American interests and environmental preservation.
Related: George Foreman’s Net Worth at the Time of His Death
