Entertainment
Legendary actor Val Kilmer dies at 65
Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, who was propelled to fame with “Top Gun” and went on to starring roles as Batman and Jim Morrison, has died at age 65, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The cause of death was pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer told the Times. He had battled throat cancer following a 2014 diagnosis, but later recovered, she said.
AFP has reached out to his representatives for comment.
Originally a stage actor, Kilmer burst onto the big screen full of charisma, cast as a rock star in Cold War spoof “Top Secret!” in 1984.
Two years later, he gained fame as the cocky, if mostly silent fighter pilot in training Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in box office smash hit “Top Gun,” playing a rival to Tom Cruise’s “Maverick.”
A versatile character actor whose career spanned decades, Kilmer toggled between blockbusters and smaller-budget independent films. He got a shot at leading man status in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors,” depicting Jim Morrison’s journey from a psychedelics-loving LA film student to 60s rock frontman.
After a cameo in Quentin Tarantino-written “True Romance,” Kilmer went on to star alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” and took a turn as the masked Gotham vigilante in “Batman Forever,” between the Bruce Wayne portrayals by Michael Keaton and George Clooney.
A 1996 Entertainment Weekly cover story dubbed Kilmer “The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate,” depicting him as a sometimes surly eccentric with exasperating work habits.
A New York Times interviewer in 2002 said Kilmer “hardly lives up to that reputation” and found the actor instead “friendly, buoyant and so open that he often volunteers personal details about his life and is quick to laugh at himself.”
“You have to learn to speak Val,” director D. J. Caruso told the newspaper.– ‘ Magical life’ –Born Val Edward Kilmer on New Year’s Eve 1959, he began acting in commercials as a child.
Kilmer was the youngest person ever accepted to the drama department at New York’s fabled Juilliard school, and made his Broadway debut in 1983 alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
In Hollywood, the Los Angeles native longed to make serious films but found himself in a series of schlocky blockbusters and expensive flops in the early 2000s.
Chastened by a decade or more of low-budget movies, he was mounting a comeback in the 2010s with a successful stage show about Mark Twain that he hoped to turn into a film when he was struck by cancer.
“Val,” an intimate documentary about Kilmer’s stratospheric rise and later fall in Hollywood, premiered at the Cannes film Festival in 2021 and showed him struggling for air after a tracheotomy.
Kilmer “has the aura of a man who was dealt his cosmic comeuppance and came through it,” US publication Variety wrote of the film.
“He fell from stardom, maybe from grace, but he did it his way.”When he reprised his role as “Iceman” in the long-awaited sequel “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer’s real-life health issues,and rasp of voice,were written into the character.“
Instead of treating Kilmer — and, indeed, the entire notion of Top Gun — as a throwaway nostalgia object, he’s given a celluloid swan song that’ll stand the test of time,” GQ wrote.
On his website, Kilmer said he had led a “magical life.”
“For more than half a century, I have been honing my art, no matter the medium. Be it literature, movies, poetry, painting, music, or tracking exotic and beautiful wildlife,” he wrote.
According to the Times, he is survived by two children, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
AFP
Entertainment
Davido honours deceased mother with new hostel at Clifford University Abia
The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chimezie Omeonu, commended Davido for his contribution to education and for inspiring young Africans.
Afrobeats superstar Davido has commissioned a female hostel at Clifford University, Abia State, named after his deceased mother, Dr. Veronica Adeleke.
The facility, Veronica Imade Adeleke Female Hostel, was unveiled during the university’s 6th Convocation Ceremony, where Davido also delivered a commencement speech to graduating students.
Davido urged graduates to lead purposeful lives, emphasising that true greatness is, not fame or wealth, but the lives one touches.
“When I looked into their faces, I saw the same fire that built me — that hunger to be seen, to make something out of nothing, to turn pain into power.
“I told them that talent might open the door, but purpose gives it meaning,” Davido said.
The hostel is a tribute to his late mother, an educationist and philanthropist who believed education and compassion could change lives.
“My mother, Dr. Veronica Adeleke, was a teacher and giver who believed education and compassion could change lives. This building is a continuation of her purpose — turning love into legacy,” he wrote.
Davido was joined at the event by his friend, Cubana Chief Priest, who pledged to sponsor 50 students’ school fees.
The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chimezie Omeonu, commended Davido for his contribution to education and for inspiring young Africans.
Entertainment
‘65 percent of my fans are Igbos, not Yorubas– Sir Shina Peters
Now 67, Sir Shina Peters dismissed the idea of returning to active music-making, stating that the current environment no longer supports his creative process.
Popular Nigerian Juju musician Oluwashina Akanbi Peters, widely known as Sir Shina Peters, has opened up about his personal life, revealing that he had his first child at the age of 14.
In a teaser for the upcoming episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, the Afrojuju legend reflected on his early beginnings in life and music, recounting how success came swiftly for him.
“I started my career at the age of 10. I had my first child at 14. I bought my first car at 13. I built my first house at 16,” he said.
Now 67, Sir Shina Peters dismissed the idea of returning to active music-making, stating that the current environment no longer supports his creative process.
“65 per cent of my fans are Igbos, not Yorubas. My fans are demanding that I give them new music but I don’t just go to the studio. I can’t go to the studio, the atmosphere is not conducive to me. I don’t know what to sing,” he added.
Entertainment
Imisi Wins Big Brother Naija Season 10
She won with 42.8% of the votes, followed by Dede with 15.94%, Koyin with 15.23%, Sultana with 7.94%, Kola with 5.48%, Jason Jae with 4.84%, Mensan with 3.54%, Isabella with 3.07%, and Kaybobo with 1.72%.
•BBNaija Season 10 Housemate, Imisi Ayanwale…Photo Credit: Africa Magic.
Africa Magic’s viewers pulling show- Big Brother Naija Season 10 ended yesterday with Imisi Ayanwale emerged as the winner of the competition.
She took home N80 million in cash as part of the N150 million grand prize, after an exciting finale that wrapped up months of drama, laughter, and unforgettable moments.
She won with 42.8% of the votes, followed by Dede with 15.94%, Koyin with 15.23%, Sultana with 7.94%, Kola with 5.48%, Jason Jae with 4.84%, Mensan with 3.54%, Isabella with 3.07%, and Kaybobo with 1.72%.
The humorous and outspoken housemate, who enjoyed massive support from her loyal fanbase known as “Ijoba 606,” beat strong contenders including Dede, who finished as first runner-up, as well as Koyin, Kola, Isabella, and Kaybobo
.Known for her witty remarks and playful personality, Imisi became a fan favourite for her comic timing, authenticity, and ability to lighten tense moments in the house.
Her humour, coupled with her resilience during tough tasks, made her one of the most relatable contestants this season.
This comes after Koyin was shockingly evicted, and Dede and Imisi were instructed to leave the house for the stage.
According to the tradition of the show, the lights were turned off in the house after their exit, an emotional moment for fans who had followed the housemates’ journey for weeks.
This edition of Big Brother Naija has been one of the most engaging yet, featuring unexpected twists, emotional evictions, and viral highlights that dominated social conversations for weeks.
With her win, Imisi joins the ranks of previous champions like Mercy Eke, Laycon, Whitemoney, Phyna, Ilebaye, among others.
All remembered for their unique imprint on the Big Brother legacy.
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