40+ Photos to Justify Your Decades-Long Val Kilmer Crush

I spent many hours of my youth watching Top Gun — specifically, the volleyball scene, which was probably the first indication that I was into dudes. While many Top Gun viewers lusted after Tom Cruise's Maverick character (who, I'll admit, also filled out his jeans quite nicely), I always crushed harder on Val Kilmer, who played Iceman.

After that, I set out to familiarize myself with Kilmer's entire film catalog, starting with his role as a teen heartthrob in the comedy Top Secret. My crush deeply intensified at age 13, when Kilmer transformed himself to play Jim Morrison in The Doors, and I continued to admire his acting and his unconventional choice of roles over the years. (Side note: how hot is the name Val Kilmer?)

Sadly, 57-year-old Kilmer has been out of the public eye for a while; he acknowledged his battle with throat cancer publicly for the first time in May 2017. But he recently resurfaced to reassure fans that he's "still got it" should he be called up for the Top Gun sequel.

I've taken this as an opportunity to take a walk down memory lane with 40+ photos of Val Kilmer to remind myself that my decades-long crush is completely justified.

1984
Everett Collection

1984

As a teen-heartthrob in Top Secret.

1985
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1985

As a genius goofball in Real Genius (highly recommended).

1985
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1985

In Real Genius.

1985
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1985

In Real Genius.

1996
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1996

As "Iceman" in Top Gun.

1986
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1986

In Top Gun.

1986
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1986

In Top Gun.

1986
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1986

In Top Gun.

1986
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1986

In Top Gun.

1988
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1988

In the film Willow.

1988
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1988

In Willow.

1991
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1991

Playing Jim Morrison in The Doors.

1991
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1991

The Doors.

1991
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1991

The Doors.

1991
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1991

The Doors.

1992
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1992

In Thunderheart.

1993
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1993

In Tombstone.

1993
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1993

In Tombstone.

1993
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1993

In Tombstone.

1995
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1995

In Heat.

1995
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1995

In Batman Forever.

1996
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1996

In The Island of Dr. Moreau.

1996
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1996

In The Ghost and the Darkness.

1996
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1996

In The Ghost and the Darkness.

1997
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1997

In The Saint.

1997
Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images

1997

At the premiere of The Saint.

1999
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1999

In At First Sight.

1999
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1999

In At First Sight.

2002
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2002

In The Salton Sea.

2002
Albert L. Ortega/WireImage

2002

At The Salton Sea premiere.

2002
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

2002

At the Red Dragon premiere.

2003
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2003

In Wonderland.

2005
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2005

In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

2005
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2005

At the premiere of Batman Begins.

2005
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2005

At the Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang photocall in Cannes.

2006
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2006

In Deja Vu.