Val Kilmer led an illustrious acting career from the 1980s through his final years. But his priority was spending time with his children, daughter Mercedes and son Jack. The late 65-year-old Top Gun star‘s legacy will carry on thanks to his kids, and Val previously opened up about Mercedes and Jack in a few interviews, particularly when he was battling throat cancer.
During an August 2020 interview with People, the late Batman Forever star called his children “brilliant” and said he was “just madly, wildly entertained by them.”
“My only gripe is that I never see them enough, so I never get enough of the wild entertainment that everyone else gets, but they’re really, really, entertaining,” Val added.
Below, learn more about Val’s two kids and their family.
How Many Kids Does Val Kilmer Have?
Val was a father to two children in total, Jack and Mercedes, whom he shared with his ex-wife, Joanne Whalley. Val and Joanne were married from 1988 until they divorced in 1996.
Mercedes Kilmer
Mercedes was born in October 1991. She and her late father got closer during his final years while Val battled throat cancer, which he recovered from. Like him, Mercedes became an actor, and she also worked as a producer on the documentary Val.
“The health challenges have been just that, challenging, but so many good things have come out of it,” Mercedes told People in 2020. “We all spend so much time together. Even just getting to meet all my dad’s friends from before I was born — there are so many beautiful things that happen when you need help from people.”
Calling her dad “such a smart and creative person,” Mercedes added that she loved “hanging out” with Val, “even if he wasn’t [her] dad.”
Mercedes was the one to confirm the news of Val’s death in April 2025. She told The New York Times that he died of pneumonia, and he had recovered from throat cancer before then.
Jack Kilmer
Val and Joanne welcomed their son, Jack, in June 1995. Like his dad, Jack followed through with the family business by becoming an actor and producer.
The youngest Kilmer child also opened up about Val’s vocal cord change during his cancer battle. In August 2021, Jack told People that he didn’t notice his dad’s raspier voice.
“I’m so familiar with his voice that maybe I hear his old voice when I’m talking to him,” Jack told the outlet. “But he doesn’t seem like he’s in pain when he speaks. Sometimes you can’t shut him up. It’s hard, but that’s life. We appreciate every day we get to see him and be around him.”
