Val Kilmer may be gone, but his spirit still throws one epic Hollywood encore through the people who loved him most. On Dec. 31, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer shared a deeply personal Instagram tribute honoring what would have been her father’s 66th birthday. The post arrived with 20 photos that felt like a cinematic scrapbook, sweeping from his childhood to his Top Gun era and beyond. It was tender, nostalgic, and quietly powerful, like a final scene that refuses to fade.
“My dad would have been 66 today, born on the last day of the fifties,” Mercedes, now 34, wrote. “So grateful to all my friends for getting me through 2025.” The words were simple but loaded with feeling. They carried the weight of a daughter still finding her footing after losing a parent who also happened to be one of Hollywood’s most magnetic leading men.
Kilmer died of pneumonia on April 1, 2025, leaving behind a filmography that spans swagger, vulnerability, and everything in between. To many fans, he was the cool and confident Iceman in “Top Gun.” To Mercedes, he was just Dad, the guy who made her laugh, taught her about creativity, and showed her how to tell stories with more than just words.
The Photos That Told a Lifetime of Stories
Mercedes carefully chose images that captured Val Kilmer at every chapter of his life. There were childhood snapshots, glossy movie stills from “Batman Forever” and “Top Gun,” and quieter moments that revealed the man behind the movie star.
© Getty ImagesSome of the most moving photos showed Kilmer with Mercedes’ mother, English actress Joanne Whalley. The two met on the set of the 1988 fantasy film “Willow,” and the tribute included images from that time, along with what appears to be a photo from their wedding day. Kilmer and Whalley were married from 1988 to 1996 and welcomed two children together, Mercedes and son Jack, now 30.
Seeing those photos felt like flipping through a family album that just happened to include a few red carpet moments and blockbuster posters. It was intimate and honest, which is exactly why it hit so hard.
A Bond Built on Art and Love
Mercedes and her father shared more than just DNA. They shared a love for creativity. She is a singer and actress, and in 2020, the two even worked together on the movie “Paydirt.” That project came after Kilmer publicly revealed he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. “My dad is such a smart and creative person that I love hanging out with, even if he wasn’t my dad, too,” she told PEOPLE in 2020. “My dad is so talented, and he’s able to artfully circumvent the limitations of his speech,” Mercedes added. “I learned so much watching him, like how he communicated physically. It expanded what I thought acting was.”
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyKilmer was just as proud of his kids. He called Mercedes and Jack brilliant and said he was wildly entertained by them. His only complaint was not seeing them enough. It was the kind of dad joke that carries a hint of longing and a whole lot of love.
© Mike Marsland/WireImageThe Final Bow of a Hollywood Icon
Kilmer’s last on-screen appearance came in 2022 with “Top Gun: Maverick,” when he reprised his iconic role as Tom Iceman Kazansky. The scene was brief but unforgettable, a moment that bridged the past and present of a character and a career. It was a fitting farewell for an actor who had always brought heart and humanity to even the coolest of roles.
© Getty ImagesHis final public appearance was in 2019, when he attended the Thespians Go Hollywood Gala at Avalon Hollywood alongside Mercedes. It was a snapshot of a father and daughter standing together, both artists, both beaming.
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