Val Kilmer earned several fans over the years for his memorable roles in Top Gun, The Doors and Batman Forever, and he continued to work despite battling health issues for a decade. After he died in April 2025, fans are wondering what his cause of death was.

What Was Val Kilmer’s Cause of Death?

Val’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told The New York Times that her father died of pneumonia while confirming his death.

“Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty breathing,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi can cause pneumonia.”

Val’s cause of death was later confirmed as pneumonia on his death certificate, which was released by the Los Angeles County Department of Health and obtained by TMZ on April 10, 2025. The underlying causes were listed as acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue.

Additionally, malnutrition and a tracheocutaneous fistula, which is often a complication of tracheostomy, were listed as contributing factors.

TMZ reported that Val was cremated on April 7, 2025, one week after his death.

Val Kilmer Was Diagnosed With Throat Cancer in 2014

The Birthday Cake actor suffered from health issues in his final decade of life, and he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. However, he did not publicly reveal his diagnosis until 2017.

Mercedes said that Val recovered following his diagnosis and eventually became cancer-free, though the disease had a major impact on his health. After he underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments, his speaking voice was permanently damaged.

“I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel,” Val said about his voice during a 2021 interview with People. “I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat.”

He also reflected on needing to eat his meals with a feeding tube. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me,” Val said.

Val also opened up about his voice in his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry. “When I speak now, I sound like Marlon Brando after a couple of bottles of tequila,” he explained. “It isn’t a frog in my throat. More like a buffalo. Speaking, once my joy and lifeblood, has become an hourly struggle. The instrument over which I had complete mastery is now out of my control.”

Meanwhile, he also opened up about the difficulties of talking after he underwent a tracheotomy. “It’s just like any other language or dialect,” he told Good Morning America in August 2020. “You have to figure out a way to communicate that’s no different than any other acting challenge, but it’s just a very unique set of circumstances.”

The procedure creates an opening in the trachea, also known as the windpipe, that allows air to enter the lungs.

Val Kilmer Continued to Act Despite His Health Issues

Despite being diagnosed with cancer, Val continued to act in several films. When he reprised his role of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski explained how they made it possible to nearly use 100 percent of his voice for the role.

“[Kilmer’s] voice was digitally altered and blended a little bit just for clarity,” he told USA TODAY.

Val Kilmer Died in April 2025

Val died at the age of 65 on April 1, 2025, Mercedes confirmed that the time.

He was survived by Mercedes and his son, Jack Kilmer, whom he shared with ex-wife, Joanne Whalley.