VAL Kilmer’s family have broken their silence to pay tribute to their ‘extraordinary father’ after his tragic death at the age of 65.
The Batman and Top Gun star passed away in Los Angeles on Tuesday after suffering from pneumonia.
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Kilmer became a household name when he played fighter pilot Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise.
And now his two children, Mercedes and Jack, have broken their silence on his death.
In a statement obtained by People magazine, they said: “Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory.
“We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated. At this time, we would like to grieve privately.”
Mercedes, 33, told the New York Times her father died surrounded by his family and friends.
She also said Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later managed to recover.
He underwent major surgery including a tracheotomy which significantly impacted his ability to speak.
After finding success on the beloved classic, Kilmer went on to play his biggest role as Batman in Batman Forever.
In the 1995 superhero flick he took on Jim Carrey as The Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face.
He also had huge roles playing musician Jim Morrison in The Doors as well as starring in True Romance, Heat and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Watch Val Kilmer’s final film scene as he reunited with Tom Cruise in Top Gun… but was so ill his voice was cloned by AI
The American’s incredible spell of Hollywood blockbusters in the 80s and 90s made him one of the highest paid stars of that generation.
Kilmer’s final career role saw him return to the Top Gun franchise where he first found global success.
Thirty six years after playing the “Iceman”, he made a brief cameo in the film’s 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
The successful film marked the last on screen performance for Kilmer who had to bravely fight to return to the big screen due to his ongoing health issues.
Opting not to shy away from his real-life health struggles, the film presented Iceman as facing a serious battle of his own with his condition and speech both rapidly deteriorating.
In a final brave scene he manages to say a few raspy lines to an emotional Maverick which was made possible due to a clever AI generated voice modelling system called Sonantic.
Kilmer led a quiet life since his cancer diagnosis over a decade ago with him rarely being pictured.
The final public picture before his death came in a photo-shoot released on April, 1, 2020 – exactly five years to the day of his passing.
It showed the long-haired star embrace his confident and fun side as he donned a red shirt and uniquely decorated jeans alongside plenty of creative jewellery.
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