Celebrating Val Kilmer: Michigan’s Link To An Iconic Actor

Like many across the country, most Michiganders woke up to the news today that actor Val Kilmer passed away on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, from pneumonia at the age of 65.

You may not know that the actor from 'Top Gun' and 'The Doors' had connections to Michigan.

The late actor made two movies in the Great Lakes State, which were filmed in Grand Rapids and Detroit.

The 2009 movie 'The Chaos Experiment' was filmed in Detroit and Grand Rapids, while the 2010 film 'Gun' was shot in Grand Rapids.

You can see trailers for both movies below.

Val Kilmer reprised his iconic role as Iceman in 'Top Gun: Maverick,' which was released in 2022.

Fans will also remember a very touching documentary he released addressing his throat cancer battle, and much more in 2021 titled 'Val'.

My personal favorite Val Kilmer role is his portrayal of Jim Morrison in 'The Doors'. Many years after seeing the movie, I had the privilege of interviewing Ray Manzarek from the band.

Ray Manzarek mentioned that, although he didn't agree with every aspect of the movie, he thought Val Kilmer portrayed Jim Morrison wonderfully. I have wished for many years that I still had the audio from our conversation.

Val Kilmer may be gone, but his spirit and talent continue to live on through his many movie roles.

If you have never watched 'The Doors,' you should. You'll be glad you did.