Val Kilmer: The Man, The Bat, The Legend
A look back at hollywood actor Val Kilmer's most memorable roles
The Hollywood enigma, actor Val Kilmer, distinguished for his portrayal of Jim Morrison and Bruce Wayne has passed away at 65. A versatile, charismatic, and one of the most intriguing actors, Kilmer’s characters on-screen were transformative.
From playing the foil, Iceman Kazansky, to Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1968) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), to the proving his comedic chops in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang as private investigator Gay Perry, Kilmer never played it safe. Instead, he dived in straight into the mind and mannerisms of the characters to bring out authenticity of the characters.
Kilmer pulled back the curtain on his life and career in the documentary The Man Behind The Curtain: Val (2021) disclosing his battle with throat cancer that led him to lose his voice. The Man Behind The Curtain used old raw footage and narration by Kilmer’s son to narrate an honest, raw look at Kilmer, the artist.
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Whether a cowboy, a con artist, a rockstar, or a superhero, the actor always challenged himself and brought unforgettable roles to the big screen. According to critic Roger Ebert: "If there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Val Kilmer should get it.
"In movies as different as Real Genius, Top Gun, Top Secret!, he has shown a range of characters so convincing that it's likely most people, even now, don't realise they were looking at the same actor."
Revealing the cause of his death as Pneumonia, Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed the news with The New York Times on April 2. Val Kilmer first starred in a comedy titled Top Secret in 1984.
Val Kilmer’s Iconic Roles
Let’s take a closer look at the legend Val Kilmer through the roles that him unforgettable, enigmatic, and seriously versatile!
Batman (Batman Forever,1995)
Forever Batman, Kilmer’s portrayal of Gotham’s superhero is one of the most iconic interpretations of the comic hero. As Bruce Wayne is polished yet distant and detached, Kilmer perfectly captured the weight of double life that Wayne as orphaned billionaire and as Dark Knight. He is mysterious yet leans into a more colourful aesthetics presented in the comic-book, adding more gravitas and intrigue in Batman’s cinematic history.
Jim Morrison (Doors, 1991)
In the 1991 film Doors, Kilmer embodied the person of frontman Jim Morrison hauntingly. So much so that one could mistake him for Morrison. The voice, the body language, the mannerisms were eerily uncanny.
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Kilmer’s acting talent truly shined in the film as he was able to tap into Morrison’s psyche so well – exploring the self-loathing side as well as the tormented side –- that it felt like an authentic depiction that unsettled the surviving members of The Doors.
Doc Holliday (Tombstone,1993)
The iconic lines “I’m your huckleberry” shifted Doc Holliday as just another western cinema gunslinger into the most iconic gunslingers. As Doc Holliday, Kilmer depicted the tuberculosis-ridden gambler, who is always whiskey-soaked, into those characters that become etched in your memory. As much as he is deadly with his gun, so he is with his words.
Robert Scott (Spartan, 2004)
In David Mamet’s political thriller Spartan, Kilmer as Robert Scott, a hardened military operative, has a no-nonsense presence in the film. He is a man of few words but intelligent and dangerous, one that makes you wonder, do I trust him a little or a too much. An underrated performance must be on the must-watch list.
Simon Templar (The Saint, 1997)
Simon Templar is a thief and a con artist, who uses roguish humour and suave sophistication to slip in and out of crime scenes. He masters several accents and can switch personalities like he is changing his outfit. Kilmer’s effortlessly cool charm and ease has made the character one of the fan favourites.
Admiral Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky (Top Gun, 1986 and Top Gun: Maverick, 2022)
Iceman isn’t just Maverick’s rival but his mirror- disciplined, precision, and perfect embodiment of a man hitting the target under ice-cold pressure. Kilmer’s performance as Tom Kazansky exudes the steel-exterior, commitment to his team.
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Like in real-life in the 2022 film, Kilmer’s character, now a Navy Admiral is diagnosed with Throat cancer and communicates through typing in most of the scenes in the film. Nonetheless, his presence alone is enough to depict the rivalry-turned brotherhood.
An actor who refused to bx himself into a stereotypical roles, Kilmer's characters are masterclass in performance, craft and risk-taking. Rest in peace, Val Kilmer.