Mercedes Kilmer, the daughter of the late Hollywood star Val Kilmer, has paid a moving tribute to her father on what would have been his 66th birthday.
A Poignant Social Media Tribute
On December 31, the actress and singer took to Instagram to share a heartfelt collection of 20 photographs commemorating the Top Gun actor's life. Val Kilmer passed away on April 1 last year following a lengthy battle with throat cancer, which ultimately led to pneumonia.
"My dad would have been 66 today, born on the last day of the fifties," Mercedes wrote alongside the emotional photo montage, adding a heart emoji. She expressed her gratitude, stating, "so grateful to all my friends for getting me through 2025."
A Life in Pictures
The slideshow offered an intimate glimpse into Kilmer's journey, from childhood to his celebrated film career. The images included:
- A young Val clutching a baseball mitt.
- An early grade school portrait.
- A snapshot of him riding a horse as a youngster.
- A picture believed to be from his 1988 wedding to Mercedes' mother, English actress Joanne Whalley, 64.
- A tender photo of Kilmer hugging a young Mercedes and her brother, Jack, now 30.
The tribute also featured iconic shots from his film roles, including Top Gun, The Doors, and Willow – the 1988 fantasy film that sparked his romance with Whalley, to whom he was married from 1988 until 1996.
A Close-Knit Family Bond
Mercedes has often spoken about the profound bond she shared with her father. In a 2020 interview with People, she revealed, "My dad is such a smart and creative person that I love hanging out with, even if he wasn't my dad, too."
That same year, they starred as a father-daughter duo in the film Paydirt. This came three years after Kilmer publicly disclosed his throat cancer diagnosis. In the movie, Kilmer – whose voice was permanently altered following a tracheotomy – played a sheriff with a speech impediment.
"My dad is so talented, and he’s able to artfully circumvent the limitations of his speech," Mercedes told People. "I learned so much watching him, like how he communicated physically. It expanded what I thought acting was."
Kilmer was equally effusive about his children, telling the publication, "I am just madly, wildly entertained by them. My only gripe is that I never see them enough."
Despite his health struggles, which Kilmer reported were in remission in 2020, the family remained optimistic. Mercedes reflected on the positive aspects, saying, "Even just getting to meet all my dad's friends from before I was born — there are so many beautiful things that happen when you need help from people."
Kilmer's final film role was reprising his part as Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, starring opposite Tom Cruise. His last public appearance was in 2019, when he attended the Thespians Go Hollywood Gala in Hollywood with Mercedes as his plus-one.
