Val Kilmer posted his last message on Instagram a few weeks prior to his passing.
The actor, known for his roles in Top Gun and Batman Forever, passed away yesterday (April 1) due to pneumonia at 65.
After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer underwent treatment and a tracheostomy, which affected his vocal cords, but he eventually recovered.
Due to his health challenges, Kilmer shifted his focus from acting to pursuing art as a means of creative expression.
His final film appearance was in Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2022, where he returned as the iconic Iceman.
In his later years, Kilmer concentrated on art, often sharing his artistic endeavors on Instagram.
His last Instagram post featured a painting. Alongside the image, Kilmer captioned, “It’s got that late-night glow. Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake.”
He included details about the painting’s size and directed interested buyers to his website.
This final post was made on March 22, shortly before his death.
The last image of Kilmer on his Instagram was from February 23, alongside artist and musician David Choe, who also appeared in Beef.
In the post’s first video, Kilmer filmed Choe, then set up his phone to put on a modern Batman mask.
“It’s been a while,” Kilmer joked to Choe before donning the mask.
He then revealed some Batman artwork, believed to be created by Choe.
On his website, Kilmer discussed his shift towards art in a blog post written in April 2022.
“My name is Val Kilmer. I’m an artist. I’ve lived a magical life,” he expressed.
“For more than half a century, I have been honing my art, no matter the medium. Be it literature, movies, poetry, painting, music, or tracking exotic and beautiful wildlife in the most remote African bush, to capture ephemeral moments with a camera, I yearn to express my creative spirit.”
Kilmer mentioned that following the damage to his vocal cords from cancer treatment, he was ‘not able to be out in the world the same way I had become accustomed’.
Recognizing this, he redirected his creative talents to painting once more.
“I felt the art healing me,” Kilmer wrote.