Top 5 most famous movies of Val Kilmer, ranked

Val Kilmer was an actor who had a career spanning more than three decades. The actor started out in the mid-1980s with comedy films and later did films of different genres.

Kilmer tragically passed away on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65, of pneumonia. It can be a pivotal time to take a look at his career and talk about some of his most famous films of all time. We have curated a list of five such films from across different years and genres that star Kilmer. Keep on reading to find out about it.

---

5 most famous films of Val Kilmer

5) Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun was one of the earliest works of Val Kilmer, and it came out in 1986. Co-starring Tom Cruise, the film is about the naval aviators of the namesake naval fighter weapons school. Kilmer plays the role of Lt. Tom Kazansky, aka Iceman. It was a critical and commercial success. Directed by Tony Scott, the film was inspired by a namesake news article. It grossed $357.3 million and received a positive critical response.

---

4) The Doors (1991)

In The Doors, Val Kilmer portrays the frontman singer Jim Morrison. Oliver Stone directed the film and co-wrote the script with J. Randal Johnson. To get the role, Kilmer ended up recording a long audition video where he sang and looked like Morrison. Besides Kilmer, the film also stars Kevin Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Kathleen Quinlan, and Meg Ryan playing real-life characters.

---

3) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has been penned and helmed by Shane Black. The film managed to blend several genres like dark comedy, thriller, and neo-noir, among others. Besides Kilmer, the film also stars Robert Downey Jr. and Michelle Monaghan, as well as Corbin Bernsen. It is partly adapted from the 1941 novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them. The film came out in 2004 and was well-received, critically and commercially.

---

2) Heat (1995)

Heat is a crime film by Michael Mann and had Kilmer teaming up with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The film revolves around a group of criminals planning their last heist while a cop is trying to catch them. Several scenes and dialogues from the film have become a part of our popular culture.

---

1) Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Top Gun: Maverick was the final film of Kilmer. It had him reprise his role from the first film, Top Gun. The sequel is directed by Joseph Kosinski and follows Maverick, who, along with recent graduates, goes on a mission that is deemed dangerous. The film was a commercial success, grossing over a billion dollars at the box office.

Some of the honorable mentions that couldn't make it to the list are the 1993 western Tombstone and the crime drama True Romance, the 1995 superhero film Batman Forever, and the historical drama Alexander.

What's your favorite Val Kilmer film?

---

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more such stories.