'He was a genius actor': tributes paid to Top Gun star Val Kilmer, who has died aged 65

Val Kilmer, the actor best known for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors, has died at the age of 65.

- Alan Evans

His daughter Mercedes told the New York Times that the cause of death was pneumonia. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered, after treatment with chemotherapy and trachea surgery that had reduced his ability to speak and breathe.

Kilmer died on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, Mercedes confirmed.

Actors and directors paid tribute to Kilmer yesterday. Writing on X, Cher said she would miss her "great friend", whom she called "funny, crazy and a pain in the ass". Last year she told Howard Stern's SiriusXM show she had been "madly in love" with him when they were romantically involved in the 1980s.

Ron Howard said he was incredibly fortunate to collaborate with Kilmer, praising his "awesome range", a sentiment echoed by Heat director Michael Mann. "I always marvelled at the range," he said, "the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val's possessing and expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news."