Val Kilmer official cause of death released following Hollywood actor’s funeral
The official cause of death of Hollywood actor, Val Kilmer, has been released.
The death certificate of Hollywood actor, Val Kilmer, has revealed the star’s official cause of death. Best known for his roles in Top Gun, The Doors and Batman Forever, the 65-year-old’s death was announced earlier this month.
Val’s daughter Mercedes told The New York Times that her father died on April 1 in Los Angeles. At the time pneumonia was believed to be the cause which has now been confirmed, however, additional have also emerged.
TMZ confirmed the news, saying a copy of the death certificate obtained by the outlet on Thursday (April 10) declared the "immediate cause" of his passing was the inflammatory condition of the lung, but also confirmed "acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure, and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue" were all underlying factors.
Other factors included "malnutrition, and a tracheocutaneous". The outlet claimed that the Hollywood star was cremated on Monday.
As Mercedes broke the news of her father’s passing, she also noted that Val had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, but later recovered from the disease. The actor’s treatment reportedly involved chemotherapy, two tracheotomies, and a tracheal procedure that severely damaged his vocal chords and gave him difficulty speaking.
Val made his movie debut in 1984 spy spoof 'Top Secret!' but was best known for his portrayals of the late rocker Jim Morrison in 1991 biopic 'The Doors', the Caped Crusader in 'Batman Forever', and Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in 1986's 'Top Gun'.
His last job on screen came in 2022, when he reprised his Top Gun role for the long-awaited and beloved sequel Top Gun: Maverick. Speaking about his return, Tom Cruise said: “I just want to say that was pretty emotional.
“I’ve known Val for decades, and for him to come back and play that character… he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again.”
Kilmer released a memoir in 2020 titled ‘I’m Huckleberry’ in which he discussed his cancer and treatment. He also released a documentary named ‘Val’ on Amazon Prime Video in 2021 after it received critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival.
In the documentary, Kilmer said: “I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel. I can’t speak without plugging this hole (in his throat). You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat. It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”