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Val Kilmer Death: Know Family He's Survived By Including Ex-Wife Joanne Whalley, Children Mercedes and Jack, Carrying On His Legacy
A look at Val Kilmer’s marriage to Joanne Whalley and how their children, Mercedes and Jack, are following in his Hollywood footsteps while keeping his legacy alive.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual's death.
Hollywood star Val Kilmer, best known for Batman Forever and The Doors, was married to British actress Joanne Whalley. The couple met on the set of Willow (1988), a fantasy film directed by Ron Howard. They got married in 1988 but later divorced in 1996, citing irreconcilable differences. During their marriage, they welcomed two children: Mercedes and Jack.
Joanne Whalley made her Hollywood debut with Willow and built a successful acting career. She starred in Scandal (1989) and appeared in TV shows like The Borgias, Wolf Hall, and The White Princess. Her film credits include A Texas Funeral, 44 Inch Chest, and Twixt, as per National World.
Val and Joanne’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, was born on October 29, 1991, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She followed in her father’s footsteps and made her feature film debut in Paydirt (2020), where she played Val’s on-screen daughter.
Val Kilmer was involved in casting her for the role. "The producer called me up and asked me if I would play this role, and I said, 'I don't know if you've found anybody yet to play my daughter, but I might have someone for you. Her name is Mercedes Kilmer and perhaps you'd be interested in meeting with her'," he recalled in an interview with PEOPLE.
Mercedes also worked as an associate producer on Val, a 2021 documentary about her father’s life and career. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she shared that while nothing in the documentary surprised her about her father, as he had always been an open person, she was taken aback by seeing it with an audience.
She mentioned that she was used to people misunderstanding her father and viewing his public image differently from the playful and funny person she knew.
Jack Kilmer, the younger child of Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, was born in June 1995. Shortly after his birth, Whalley filed for divorce from Val. Like his sister and parents, Jack pursued acting and appeared in several films, including Palo Alto, Pretenders (2018), Josie, and Summer 03.
Jack was also involved in Val, serving as an associate producer and narrating the documentary. Since Val Kilmer’s voice was affected by radiation and chemotherapy for throat cancer, Jack helped tell his father’s story. "It was interesting doing the narration because our goal was to get me to sound as natural as possible," Jack told the Los Angeles Times.
ALSO READ: Who was Val Kilmer? Know about Top Gun and Batman Forever star who died at 65 from Pneumonia
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