'Batman' actor passes away

According to Reuters , he passed away on the evening of April 1 in Los Angeles (morning of April 2, Hanoi time). The actor's daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said he had been battling the disease.

The actor was hospitalized for two years in 2015-2016 due to nasopharyngeal cancer. The disease weakened his body and his voice was distorted due to the tracheostomy procedure after surgery to remove a tumor in his nasopharynx. At the time, Val Kilmer said that his faith in God and chemotherapy helped him recover.

Val Kilmer was born in 1959 and had an unhappy childhood because his parents divorced when he was nine years old and his younger brother Wesley drowned in 1977. He graduated from Juilliard School in New York (USA), and acted in many plays before moving to cinema.

Val Kilmer left an impression on audiences and filmmakers with his versatile acting style. He debuted in the film Top Secret! (1984), then rose to prominence as Jim Morrison in the film The Doors (1991) directed by Oliver Stone.

In The Doors , Val Kilmer plays the legendary singer Jim Morrison, the frontman of The Doors. He spent months preparing for the role, recording many soundtracks. Critic Roger Ebert commented that Kilmer's performance style made it difficult to distinguish between Jim Morrison's voice and the actor's. "Kilmer's appearance is uncannily similar to Jim Morrison. His performance is outstanding, every scene focuses on Morrison. Val Kilmer has an incredible talent, but some people don't realize it," said Ebert.

Director Oliver Stone once praised the actor: "Most actors realize that Val has something different from his appearance." Filmmaker Joel Schumacher said: "For me, Val Kilmer is the best Batman." And director George Cosmatos said the actor deserves to be one of the greatest actors in America, comparable to Al Pacino or Robert De Niro.

Val Kilmer in "Batman Forever" (1995). Photo: Warner Bros.

Some of his other notable films include True Romance (1993), written by Quentin Tarantino. Val Kilmer also starred in Thunderheart (1992) and The Saint (1997), and rose to fame in Batman Forever (1995) - replacing Michael Keaton as Batman. The film grossed $336 million at the global box office.

The actor played Iceman in the first part of the Top Gun franchise released in 1986. The character was Maverick's superior but did not like the talented young pilot's attitude and work style. The two later resolved their differences and became close friends.

Actor Val Kilmer during his lifetime. Photo: AP

Kilmer returned in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in a scene where Maverick visits his former teammate who is having serious health problems. Many critics and audiences praised the emotional scene. Along with Tom Cruise, Kilmer is one of the most successful movie stars in Hollywood in the late 20th century. Kilmer's films have earned more than $3.5 billion at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo .

In addition to film, he devoted his attention to literature. Kilmer was a fan of the great writer Mark Twain, and wrote and performed a one-man play, Citizen Twain .

In his personal life, Kilmer was married to actress Joanne Whalley from March 1988 to February 1996. The couple met on the set of Willow . In addition to Mercedes, they have a son named Jack, 30 years old.

In 1981, the actor agreed to date Cher after she asked a mutual friend to set him up. In her autobiography, the Top Gun star said she had admired the singer since she was young. The relationship lasted about two years. Cher said the relationship progressed so quickly and passionately that she was overwhelmed.

He also had a period of unrequited love for Angelina Jolie, which developed when the two played the king and queen in Alexander (2004). At that time, Jolie had just broken up with her ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton. However, the star fell in love with Brad Pitt while co-starring in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith .

Val Kilmer lived on a ranch near Santa Fe for many years, intending to run for governor of New Mexico. Despite being away from Hollywood for a long time, the actor has no regrets about his career. He once said: "Once a star, always a star."

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/tai-tu-batman-qua-doi-3351357.html