Val Kilmer, the Juilliard-trained actor with leading man looks known for taking on roles that transcended his appearance, has died. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to the New York Times that the actor had passed away after battling pneumonia. He was 65.
Kilmer’s early films included comedies like Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), as well as his breakout role as LT Tom “Iceman” Kazansky opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1986). That was followed by the fantasy film Willow (1988).
His big break as a leading man came with his swaying, leather-clad portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors.
After his outing as The Lizard King, Kilmer opted for scene-stealing co-starring roles in Tombstone (1993), True Romance (1993) and Heat (1995).
“Someone sent me a poll recently where Tombstone snuck into the top 10 Best Westerns of all time,” Kilmer later told Deadline. “I don’t know if that film is a classic, but it has some elements of a classic, like that cast and screenplay. I still can’t go thru an airport without hearing “I’m your huckleberry.’ “
Kilmer said the key to finding his Doc Holliday was the accent, a “dialect that didn’t exist anymore.”So he reached out to dialect and speech coach Tim Monich for help.
“Within days, there was a tape at my doorstep of a true Southern aristocrat who spoke so slowly and precisely about the theater he had restored. The film would have been 6 hours long he spoke so slowly…so I had to hit a balance. The dialect was key. It informs even the walk, the thought process… his condescension.”
The star’s next leading role came in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever (1995), which Kilmer originally hoped would be a “radical” take on the iconic superhero. That effort ultimately failed after Kilmer realized he would spend much of the film behind a mask and encased in foam padding.
“The trap was the suit,” he later said.
Wedged in there was the disastrous adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau, which saw the perfect storm of a difficult location shoot in Australia, Marlon Brando in kabuki-esque whiteface and the original director replaced by John Frankenheimer. Kilmer was often said to be difficult on the set.
“I got blamed for ruining he film, even though I died two-thirds of the way thru,” Kilmer told Deadline. “And the film is just as bad when I’m not in it. I always wondered how he could have made that claim with all the evidence against him, till I realized no one every saw the ending!!! And some very fine execs were tortured about the fiasco, and some blamed me without ever getting the true story. One exec in particular who is an amazing talent, used me as a party story for years. Oh well. Win some, lose some.”
The Saint (1997) was his next shot at a franchise. It was a modest box office success, but ultimately didn’t spawn any sequels.
In 2012, Kilmer poured himself into Citizen Twain, a one plan play which saw the actor transformed — in a white suit, wig and shaggy mustache — into America’s greatest satirist, Mark Twain. Kilmer not only starred, he also wrote and directed the play. He later toured the country with a film version of the play.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015. A procedure performed as part of his treatment damaged his vocal cords and thereafter he had difficulty speaking. That, in turn, made acting difficult.
At one point, there was a brouhaha over a comment the actor made that some interpreted as a denial he had cancer. There were also rumors that Kilmer, a lifelong Christian Scientist, was trying to pray the disease away.
He later explained later to Deadline, “I was accused of not being forthright. Well, if years ago I had broken a leg and I was asked today if I have any broken bones, I would answer just as I did the cancer question: ‘No, I don’t have any.’ Because I believe that the power of prayer is as potent today as it was in Jesus’ time. There tends to speculation I haven’t done all I can do to be as healthy as I have a right to be. Extraordinary assumptions are often made about others when one considers what a complete mystery our own bodies are to most of us. People are often afraid of what they don’t understand. I was. I’m so grateful I’ve experienced firsthand what consistent prayer and love can offer.”
RELATED: Val Kilmer Tells Great Stories From A Terrific Career – Q&A
In 2021, the intensely-private star opened up with a documentary that detailed his life and health struggle called Val. Deadline’s review calls it “an exhilarating, honest and raw look at the life of an actor, this actor, with all the trials and tribulations that go with a 40-year career in front of audiences…the victories and defeats, the will to carry on despite being dealt a devastating blow for any performer.”
Kilmer’s career was given a poignant coda when he reprised Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). His single scene opposite Cruise proved powerful and provided an emotional center to the film.
That was certainly the case for his superstar foil.
“I was crying, I got emotional,” Cruise later told Jimmy Kimmel about the scene. “For him to come back and play that character…he’s such a powerful actor, that he instantly became that character again…you’re looking at Iceman.”
Of his penchant for taking the road not travelled career-wise, Kilmer told Deadline, “I wouldn’t know what I know now spiritually without turning away from the success as often as I did. I did my ‘time in the wilderness’ in a very serious way, and today I know who I am, and can look any man on earth, in the face, with love, empathy and forgiveness.”
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