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

As well as his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors, he starred in True Romance, Heat and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

After playing Iceman in "Top Gun," Val Kilmer’s career peaked in the early ‘90s with starring roles in “The Doors,” “Tombstone,” “True Romance,” “Batman Forever” and “Heat.”

Charismatic actor Val Kilmer, handsome star of "Top Gun" and "Batman Forever," who played Jim Morrison in "The Doors," has died at age 65.

Val Kilmer once proclaimed that he’s almost been fired from all his movies. Thankfully for us, he wasn’t. Though he might have frustrated more than a few directors, they too knew the headaches were ultimately worth it.