Val Kilmer death: Richard Wilkins’ tribute to ‘an actor’s actor’ and his ‘incredible body of work’ | Exclusive

Over his 65 years on Earth and four decades in Hollywood, Val Kilmer has certainly “left his mark”, Nine’s Entertainment Editor Richard Wilkins says.

Kilmer, the actor behind incredible roles including Top Gun, Heat and Batman Forever, has died aged 65 after a battle with pneumonia and the news has already sent shockwaves through Hollywood.

Wilkins tells 9honey Celebrity he “felt very sad” when he learned of Kilmer’s death. 

“Sixty-five is way too young,” he says.

Watch the video above.

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“I think he’ll be remembered for his work. He certainly leaves behind an incredible body of work.”

Wilkins notes Kilmer brought in billions of dollars at the box office, with the Top Gun movies alone being hugely successful blockbusters.

But, of course, there were many more, including The Doors biopic, Batman Returns, The Saint and The Heat. 

“He was in some big movies, there’s no doubt about that.”

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As for the role that stood out the most for Wilkins, he says “he was terrific as Batman”.

With each of his roles, Wilkins says, Kilmer took his craft very seriously. As a method actor he “would really immerse himself in the role. He was definitely an actor’s actor.”

“He was, to some degree, a blank canvas that he could really paint the characters on,” he said.

“Even though he was a handsome rascal and he was instantly identifiable, he certainly lost himself in the roles.”

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But it was perhaps this dedication to his method acting that may have left a strain on some of his working relationships.

Wilkins recalls meeting Kilmer through one of his friends, the late Batman Forever director Joel Schumacher, during the film’s press tour. 

According to Wilkins, the duo did not get on very well. 

“They didn’t get on, interestingly. Joel found Val very difficult. He described him as childish and impossible at one stage,” he says.

He adds that Kilmer and Hollywood icon Marlon Brando also had “an intense dislike of each other” when they made the movie The Island of Dr Moreau.

“So, you know, he might have been a great actor but he certainly rubbed a few people up the wrong way,” Wilkins says. 

“He was a bit of a prickly one, our Val Kilmer.”

Val Kilmer’s life and career in pictures

While he may not have got along well with everyone, Wilkins says he “didn’t have a problem” with the late actor when they met. 

“I found him quite pleasant.”

Kilmer’s death has come after a health battle that began over a decade ago when he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.

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He later recovered from the cancer but lost his voice to it. While it wasn’t the cause of his death, it had a toll on Kilmer’s final years.

That toll was evident when Kilmer made a brief appearance in the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick, in which his character had been written to have the same vocal struggles.

“It was an operation on his trachea that made his voice the way it was, and when we saw him in that cameo role, while it was great to see him there with Tom again, he had very little voice left,” Wilkins said.

“He’d been very sick, and it was pneumonia, sadly, that claims his life today.”

“I’m sure there were some difficult times there at the end,” he added.

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Kilmer’s death has sent ripples through Hollywood and the world as the news spreads. 

When something like this happens, Wilkins says it “sucks the oxygen out of everything else and it becomes the story”.

“I’m sure the tributes will be flowing and everyone who’s worked with him will have a story to tell.”

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