Val Kilmer
Birthdate: Dec 31, 1959
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Once pegged as a great hope for young American actors, and even a prodigy (he was at the time the youngest acting student to ever attend Julliard’s theater program), Val Kilmer (birthname: Val Edward Kilmer) has experienced dramatic highs and lows in an adventurous career. His life experiences have been enough to comprise perhaps the most personal, self-revealing, and accomplished documentary on an American actor’s life in recent decades, Val (2021).
Drawn to acting as a serious artist (Kilmer wrote and acted in a play, How It All Began, which transferred from Julliard workshops to the Public Theatre), Kilmer became a major movie star within a few years while retaining fairly radical method approaches, intentionally losing himself in the roles he took on.
After Julliard, Val Kilmer landed roles in comedies Top Secret! (1984) and, as a star, Real Genius (1985), but although he only joined the ensemble of Tony Scott’s Top Gun (1986), with Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis, because of contractual obligations, his role as Iceman established him as a global star. Kilmer co-starred with future wife Joanne Whalley back to back in Ron Howard’s Willow (1988) and in John Dahl’s very good noir, Kill Me Again (1989).
Kilmer’s profile rose even higher in the early 90s; first as an extremely convincing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991), then as an FBI agent in Michael Apted’s fine contemporary Western, Thunderheart (1992), with Sam Shepard and Graham Greene; as Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993) with Kurt Russell and Sam Elliott; and, to huge pre-release publicity, as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever (1995), with Nicole Kidman, Chris O’Donnell, Jim Carrey, and Tommy Lee Jones.
This interesting period for Kilmer also included a striking appearance as Elvis Presley (just two years after his Jim Morrison!) in Tony Scott’s/Quentin Tarantino’s stylish True Romance (1993), with Christian Slater, and another strong supporting turn opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in one of the decade’s key movies, Michael Mann’s Heat (1995).
Things took an unfortunate turn for Val Kilmer after this, with a disastrous collaboration with director John Frankenheimer and Marlon Brando on The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996); the critically lambasted The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) with Michael Douglas; a negligible attempt to revive The Saint (1997) as a hoped-for franchise, and the box-office bomb Red Planet (2000). It was enough to make a serious dent in Hollywood’s perception of Val Kilmer as a box-office name, along with some accounts of his “difficult” relationships with directors and actors: while Michael Mann reportedly loved Kilmer on Heat, John Frankenheimer vowed never to work with him again after Dr. Moreau.
Val Kilmer turned to noir for a modest career revival in the cult hit, The Salton Sea (2002) with Vincent D’Onofrio, and as porn star John Holmes in the effective true-crime Wonderland (2003), plus one of Ron Howard’s best movies, The Missing (2003) with Cate Blanchett, and David Mamet’s thriller, Spartan (2004), with William H. Macy and Kristen Bell. Kilmer reunited with Oliver Stone for one of the director’s uncharacteristic costume dramas, Alexander (2004) with Colin Farrell, and finished his major movie run with Shane Black’s crime drama-comedy, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) with Robert Downey, Jr.
With just a few exceptions—such as Tony Scott’s terrific Déjà Vu (2006), and Werner Herzog’s vivid Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) with Nicolas Cage—Val Kilmer and his movies after 2005 went generally nowhere commercially or artistically, and many of them went straight to video.
This included work with major directors like Francis Ford Coppola (the ignored Twixt in 2011), Terrence Malick (the endemic Song to Song in 2017), and Tomas Alfredson (the disappointing The Snowman in the same year). Val Kilmer notably continued working recovering from throat cancer from 2015 to 2017 and enduring severe damage to his voice, which was significantly repaired by 2021 due to new AI technology. Certainly, the arrival of the highly original autobiographical Val shifted the popular perception of Kilmer, and his return as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) marks his first wide-audience appearance in familiar surroundings in well over a decade.
Gallery
Personal Details
Val Kilmer was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Fernando Valley with parents Gladys and Eugene, a real estate developer who also worked in the aerospace industry, and brothers Mark and Wesley. His relatives include poet-writer Joyce Kilmer. His parents divorced when Kilmer was 8. The family experienced tragedy when Wesley drowned in their backyard pool as a teenager.
Kilmer had early ambitions to become a serious actor, and after graduating from Chatsworth High School trained as a teenager at Hollywood’s Professional School, and then for four years in Julliard’s theater studies (at the time, the youngest ever accepted), where he acted and wrote plays. His 1988 marriage to actor Joanne Whalley ended in divorce in 1996; the couple had two children, actors Jack and Mercedes. His height is 5’ 11¾”.
Filmography
actor
Previous (71)
- 2022 | Canyon Del Muertoas Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- 2022 | Top Gun: MaverickasAdm. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky
Top Gun: Maverick
The story involves Maverick confronting his past while training a group of younger Top Gun graduates, including the son of his deceased best friend, for a dangerous mission.
- 2021 | The Birthday CakeasUncle Angelo
The Birthday Cake
On the 10th anniversary of his father's death, Giovanni reluctantly accepts the task of bringing a cake to the home of his uncle, a mob boss, for a celebration. Just two hours into the night, Gio's life is forever changed.
- 2020 | Mark Twain and Mary Baker Eddyas Mark Twain
- 2020 | Paydirtas Sheriff Tucker
- 2019 | 1st Bornas Biden
- 2019 | Cinema Twainas Mark Twain
- 2019 | Jay and Silent Bob RebootasHimself / Reboot Bluntman
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Jay and Silent Bob inadvertently sign away their names and rights to the new Bluntman and Chronic movie. Now they head to Hollywood to stop the film from being made. Along the way Jay discovers that he is a father.
- 2019 | Batman Forever: 2019 Re-releaseasBatman/Bruce Wayne
Batman Forever: 2019 Re-release
Batman must battle former district attorney Harvey Dent, who is now Two-Face and Edward Nygma, The Riddler with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat who becomes his sidekick, Robin.
- 2017 | The Superas Walter
- 2017 | The SnowmanasRafto
The Snowman
Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.
- 2017 | Song to SongasDuane
Song to Song
Two intersecting love triangles. Obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.
- 2013 | Riddleas Sheriff Richards
- 2013 | Standing Upas Hofstadder
- 2013 | The Man-Eaters of Tsavo
- 2013 |
- 2012 | 7 Belowas Bill McCormick
- 2012 | Breathlessas Dale
- 2012 | Deep in the Heartas The Bearded Man
- 2012 | The Fourth Dimensionas Val Kilmer (segment "The Lotus Community Workshop")
- 2011 | Kill the Irishmanas Joe Manditski
- 2011 | Shakespeare High
- 2011 | Twixtas Hall Baltimore
- 2010 | Bloodworthas Warren Bloodworth
- 2010 | Gunas Angel
- 2010 | MacGruberas Cunth
- 2010 | The Traveleras Mr. Nobody
- 2009 | Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleansas Stevie Pruit
- 2009 | Double Identityas Dr. Nicholas Pinter
- 2009 | Hardwiredas Virgil
- 2009 | The Steam Experimentas Jimmy
- 2009 | The Thawas Dr. Kruipen
- 2008 | Columbus Dayas John Cologne
- 2008 | Conspiracyas MacPherson
- 2008 | Delgoas Bogardus
- 2006 | Deja Vuas Agent Pryzwarra
- 2006 | Moscow Zeroas Andrey
- 2006 | Playedas Dillon
- 2006 | Summer Loveas The Wanted Man
- 2006 | The Ten Commandments: The Musicalas Moses
- 2005 | Kiss Kiss Bang Bangas Gay Perry
- 2004 | Mindhuntersas Jake Harris
- 2004 | Spartanas Scott
- 2004 | Statesideas Staff Sergeant Skeer
- 2003 | Blind Horizonas Frank Kavanaugh
- 2003 | The Seventh Man
- 2003 | Wonderlandas John Holmes
- 2002 | Hard Cashas FBI Agent Mark C. Cornell
- 2002 | The Salton Seaas Danny ParkerTom Van Allen
- 2000 | Red Planetas Gallagher
- 2000 |
- 1999 | At First Sightas Virgil Adamson
- 1998 | The Prince of Egyptas Moses
- 1997 | The Saintas Simon Templar
- 1996 | The Ghost and the Darknessas Col. John Henry Patterson
- 1996 | The Island of Dr. Moreauas Montgomery
- 1995 | Heatas Chris Shiherlis
- 1995 | Wings of Courageas Jean Mermoz
- 1995 | Batman ForeverasBatman
Batman Forever
Batman must battle former district attorney Harvey Dent, who is now Two-Face and Edward Nygma, The Riddler with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat who becomes his sidekick, Robin.
- 1993 | The Real McCoyas J.T. Barker
- 1993 | Tombstoneas Doc Holliday
- 1993 | True Romanceas Mentor
- 1992 | Thunderheartas Ray Levoi
- 1991 | The Doorsas Jim Morrison
- 1989 | Kill Me Againas Jack Andrews
- 1988 | Willowas Madmartigan
- 1986 | Top Gunas Ice
- 1986 |
- 1985 | Real Geniusas Chris Knight
- 1984 | Top Secret!as Nick Rivers
- 1982 | Riptideas Michael Baldwin
self
Previous (1)
- 2021 | Val
Val
For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.
Some Facts About Val Kilmer
High School Pals: At Chatsworth High, Val Kilmer was classmates with future actors Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham, his first serious girlfriend.
Faith and Medicine: Kilmer is a devout follower of the Christian Science church, which adheres to metaphysical healing eschewing medical procedures. He claims that his faith cured him of throat cancer, but he did do surgery and chemo treatment. He then denied that he ever had cancer.
Directors Clashes and Crushes: Val Kilmer has had numerous clashes with some directors, including Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever), John Frankenheimer (The Island of Dr. Moreau), and Russell Mulcahy (The Real McCoy (1993)), but had durable relationships with the late Tony Scott, on Top Gun, True Romance, and Déjà Vu, and with Ron Howard, who hired Kilmer on a moment’s notice for a long scene in The Missing (2003).
Dragooned into Service: Kilmer rejected the offer for his role in Top Gun but his contractual obligations forced him to take the part, which he revives in Top Gun: Maverick.
High-Tech Voice: Using the latest AI technology to recreate his voice, Val Kilmer was able to recover his voice in 2021 after cancer surgery on his trachea severely limited his ability to talk.
Awards Free: Kilmer surprisingly has no major acting awards or nominations. His only significant award is a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album, for The Mark of Zorro.
