Look back at Val Kilmer's best-known roles

Actor Val Kilmer attends the "Fourth Dimension" premiere during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival at the AMC Lowes Village on April 24, 2012 in New York CityImage source, Getty Images
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Val Kilmer pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2012

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Ask a group of film fans which role they will most remember actor Val Kilmer for, and each person will probably give you a different answer.

His performances in films like The Doors, Heat and Batman Forever are all likely to come up, while Willow and True Romance have their own dedicated fans.

One of his biggest films, Top Gun, is not only beloved by people old enough to have seen it when it was released in 1986, but also a much younger generation who are familiar with the much-memed scene of Kilmer's Iceman playing volleyball.

Here are some of his most memorable roles from his wide-ranging stage and screen career.

Kilmer's first screen role was opposite Michelle Pfeiffer in an ABC Afterschool Special. He played her character's boyfriend, who drives drunk with devastating results.

Walt Disney Television via Getty Images AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL - "One Too Many" - 5/1/85, Michelle Pfeiffer played Annie, one of four high school friends whose lives changed forever when her boyfriend Eric (Val Kilmer) drives drunk with devastating results, in the 1985 Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Afterschool Special, "One Too Many"Image source, Getty Images

Another of his earliest film roles was in 1985 comedy film Real Genius, in which he starred opposite Gabriel Jarret.

Gabriel Jarret and Val Kilmer in publicity portrait for the film 'Real Genius', 1985.Image source, Getty Images

Kilmer's real career breakthrough came the following year, when he appeared in Top Gun, one of the biggest box office hits of the 1980s.

Val Kilmer pictured in the movie Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott, in 1986Image source, Getty Images/Paramount Pictures

Kilmer played Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, the arrogant rival to Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in Top GunImage source, Alamy

Two years later, Kilmer starred as a mercenary swordsman in Willow, the fantasy adventure directed by Ron Howard.

Val Kilmer in 1988's WillowImage source, Alamy

Kilmer and Joanne Whalley starred together in films including Willow and Twixt, and in 1989 they played a couple who rob a pair of Las Vegas mobsters in Kill Me Again. They got married in 1988.

Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, film Kill Me Again in a casino in Las Vegas February 12, 1989 Las Vegas, NevadaImage source, Getty Images

Kilmer channelled the spirit of singer Jim Morrison in director Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic of US rock band The Doors.

Val Kilmer at the microphone in a scene from the film 'The Doors', 1991.Image source, Getty Images

In 1993's True Romance, Kilmer played a version of Elvis Presley who is a figment of Christian Slater's imagination. The film was written by Quentin Tarantino and saw Kilmer reunited with Top Gun director Tony Scott.

Val Kilmer and Christian Slater in True RomanceImage source, Alamy

In 1995, Kilmer delivered a memorable and chilling performance in Michael Mann's Heat, as the right-hand man of a criminal played by Robert De Niro.

Val Kilmer in HeatImage source, Alamy

In the same year, Kilmer played one of his most defining roles as Bruce Wayne, the titular superhero in Batman Forever, opposite Nicole Kidman.

Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman in Batman ForeverImage source, Getty Images/Warner Bros

In 1997, Kilmer appeared in The Saint as a high-tech thief and master of disguise who uses the moniker of various saints.

Val Kilmer reclines on a bench in a scene from the film 'The Saint', 1997Image source, Getty Images

Not all of Kilmer's films were box office hits, however. The Island Of Dr Moreau, released in 1996, was a critical and commercial flop.

Val Kilmer in a scene from the film 'The Island Of Dr. Moreau', 1996Image source, Getty Images

Red Planet, which was set on Mars, earned $33m on a budget of $80m in 2000.

Val Kilmer in 2000's Red PlanetImage source, Alamy

In 2004, Kilmer played King Philip in Alexander, which co-starred Colin Farrell as Alexander the Great.

Val Kilmer as King Philip and Colin Farrel as Alexander the Great in 2004's AlexanderImage source, Alamy

Kilmer's stage roles included a 2005 stint in London's West End in The Postman Always Rings Twice at the Playhouse Theatre.

Val Kilmer during "The Postman Always Rings Twice" London Photocall at Playhouse Theatre in LondonImage source, Getty Images

Later that year, he appeared with Robert Downey Jr (right) and Michelle Monoghan (centre) in the crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr, Michelle Monaghan pose at "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" photocall during the 31st American Deauville Film FestivalImage source, Getty Images

In 2006, he appeared in CBS mini-series Comanche Moon, pictured with Troy Baker as Pea Eye Parker (left) and Keith Robinson as Joshua Deets (right).

Captain Inish Scull, (Val Kilmer, center, seen here with Troy Baker as Pea Eye Parker (left) and Keith Robinson as Joshua Deets (right) in the CBS mini-series, "Comanche Moon." Image source, Getty Images

Kilmer again reunited with Top Gun director Tony Scott for hit 2006 action sci-fi film Deja Vu, also starring Denzel Washington (left) and Adam Goldberg (right).

American actors Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer and Adam Goldberg on the set of Deja Vu, directed by Tony Scott.Image source, Getty Images

Kilmer starred in two films opposite rapper 50 Cent - 2009's Streets of Blood and 2010's Gun, both of which were released directly to video and DVD.

Actor Val Kilmer (L) and rapper 50 Cent (R) arrive for the 2009 American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, California on November 22, 2009Image source, Getty Images

Kilmer was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for best spoken word album, for voicing Zorro in an audio drama adaptation of The Mark of Zorro.

Val Kilmer arrives at the Staples Center for the 54th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 12, 2012Image source, Getty Images

Kilmer played writer Mark Twain in a one-man stage show called Citizen Twain in California in 2012.

Actor Val Kilmer performs on stage during the opening night of his one man show "Citizen Twain" at Hollywood Forever on March 30, 2012 in Hollywood, California.Image source, Getty Images

Later that year, Kilmer filmed scenes for Terrence Malick's film Song To Song at a Texas music festival. The film was released five years later, in 2017.

Val Kilmer performs onstage while filming a new Terrence Malick film as part of the Fun Fun Fun Festival at Auditorium Shores on November 2, 2012 in Austin, TexasImage source, Getty Images

In 2013, Kilmer appeared as himself in Life's Too Short, the comedy series created by Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Kilmer and Davis had previously appeared together in Willow.

Life's Too Short : 2013 : Easter Special - Picture shows (L-R) Picture shows (L-R) Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer

Kilmer was pictured with Al Pacino at a live reading of Shakespeare's Live Read of The Merchant Of Venice in 2019, more than two decades after starring together in Heat.

Val Kilmer (L) and Al Pacino attend the Simply Shakespeare's Live Read of "The Merchant Of Venice" at Walt Disney Concert Hall on October 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaImage source, Getty Images

Off screen, Kilmer dated a number of high-profile women over the years, including Cher, Angelina Jolie, Daryl Hannah and Cindy Crawford.

Cher and actor Val Kilmer attend the 36th Annual Tony Awards After Party on June 6, 1982 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York CityImage source, Getty Images

Kilmer launched his movie Twixt at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011.

Actor Val Kilmer speaks onstage at the "Twixt" press conference during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 12, 2011 in Toronto, Canada.Image source, Getty Images

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