Val Kilmer’s Children: Get to Know His Two Kids, Mercedes and Jack
- Celebrity
-
- UPDATED April 16, 2025
by Kristine Bowman
774 shares
Val Kilmer was more than just a Hollywood icon — he was a devoted father. The Top Gun star, who passed away at 65 from pneumonia on April 1, shared two children with his ex-wife, actress Joanne Whalley: daughter Mercedes and son Jack. Even at the height of his acting career, Val prioritized being present for his kids. “I can’t be a responsible parent and only be there three or four months a year,” he told Vanity Fair in 2012.
Val was open about his two-year battle with throat cancer, often speaking alongside his children in interviews. In 2020, he told how much joy his kids bring him. “They’re really brilliant. I’m just madly, wildly entertained by them,” he said. “My only gripe is that I never see them enough.”
Here’s everything to know about Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
Mercedes Kilmer, 33
Born October 29, 1991, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mercedes is Val’s first child with Joanne Whalley. She grew up acutely aware of her parents’ fame. “It was about navigating how other perceived us,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. Around the time of Val’s cancer diagnosis, Mercedes was also recovering from being hit by a car — and they found themselves in the same hospital.
Mercedes has described her dad as both a “good friend” and a creative force she enjoys spending time with. In 2020, the two even acted together in Paydirt, where she played his daughter onscreen. “My dad is such a smart and creative person that I love hanging out with, even if he wasn’t my dad,” she said.
Jack Kilmer, 29
Val and Joanne welcomed their son Jack in June 1995. Though Jack grew up mostly out of the spotlight, he’s followed his family into the film industry. He made his acting debut in Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto, despite having little experience before stepping onto set. He later said working with his dad brought them closer: “We could relate on a whole other level,” he shared with Interview magazine.
Jack’s other acting credits include The Pretenders, Josie, and Summer ’03. He also helped bring his father’s story to the screen as an associate producer of the 2021 documentary Val, alongside Mercedes.
Val Kilmer’s Love Life
Before settling down with Joanne Whalley in 1988, Val Kilmer had high-profile romances with stars like Cher, Cindy Crawford, and Angelina Jolie. Though his marriage to Whalley ended in 1995, he often spoke fondly of the experience. “It’s a lot of security and comfort,” he told The Guardian in 2005. “Would I get married again? Sure.”
In his 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry, Val revealed he hadn’t had a girlfriend in 20 years but held deep admiration for women. “We are big oafy elephants … and they are butterflies,” he wrote.
