Actor Val Kilmer was expected to make an appearance at the Beverly Hills Film Festival on Tuesday night, right around the same time that news broke of his death at age 65.
“It was a shock to find this out. We had just confirmed Val to attend the West Coast premiere of ‘American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective‘ this past weekend,” the president of the festival, Nino Simone, said in a statement on Wednesday.
”He [Kilmer] was thrilled to come out in support of his friend [Madsen],” Simone added. “I know PR was on the phone, trying to get a hold of the driver, bringing Val for his 7:30 p.m. red carpet arrival. The story and news of his death were reported, literally at the same, exact time. Unbelievable, and so heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to his family.”
The “Top Gun” actor died due to complications from pneumonia, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to The New York Times.
Kilmer had previously been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent two tracheostomies before he eventually recovered. However, in 2017, he opened up on the “toll” the cancer had taken, saying he had difficulty breathing and speaking. He told The Hollywood Reporter that his once-iconic voice was reduced to a rasp by the pair of procedures, which had devastating effects on his vocal chords.
Kilmer’s health journey was later displayed in “Val,” a documentary about his life that premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2021.
Family sources told TMZ on Wednesday that even though Kilmer had beaten cancer, his health had significantly declined in the past few years, leaving him largely bed-ridden.
Kilmer is survived by his children Mercedes and Jack, whom he shares with ex-wife, British actress Joanne Whalley.
