One of Kilmer’s best roles was as dentist-turned-gunslinger Doc Holliday in the 1993 western Tombstone.
He starred in the film opposite Kurt Russell who played American lawman and folk hero Wyatt Earp.
Speaking to GQ in 2024 Russell recalled that Kilmer had bought him an acre of land after filming had wrapped.
“When you’re working with people, you’d get them, sometimes at the end of the show, you get them trade gifts,” said Russell.
The Death Proof actor revealed that he had bought Kilmer a burial plot in Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone, Arizona. Unknown to Russell, was that the acre of land Kilmer had bought for him directly overlooked Boothill.
“Doc Holliday was all about death, but Wyatt’s all about life,” he said. “I guess that pretty much says it all.”
Russell added: “If you’re asking me if it was great working with Val Kilmer… the answer is absolutely.”
(Getty Images for TCM)
Greg Evans2 April 2025 10:00
Throughout his four-decade career in Hollywood, Val Kilmer starred in a number of beloved films – from action thriller (Top Gun) to fantasy adventures (Willow) to screwball comedies (Top Secret!).
But Kilmer also turned down a role that may have defined his career – a lead part in the 1986 noir Blue Velvet, directed by David Lynch.
Blue Velvet follows a young man named Jeffrey, whose discovery of a severed human ear leads him down a disturbing path of crime, voyeurism, sadism, and sexual violence.
Kilmer turned down the project due to the explicit subject matter involved, and is said to have described the script as “pornography”.
However, he later opened up about his regret at the decision, telling Attitude: “Blue Velvet is a wonderful film. I had a crazy, crazy crush on [Isabella Rosselini, the film’s female lead], so I would have done it for free.
“I was very naive when I was younger. I said ‘no’ to a ton of really wonderful directors and looking back now, I can’t remember the reasons why.”
Greg Evans2 April 2025 09:45
Kilmer’s final post on Instagram – which was a picture of one of his paintings – has been flooded with emotional tributes from his fans.
In the post, which Kilmer shared just one week ago, he wrote: “It’s got that late-night glow.Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake.”
Fans have since used the post to share their tributes and memories of the star in the comments.
One person wrote: “Rest in peace, Val. Thank you for your art, your heart, your spirit, your boldness, your depth, your humanity.”
A second said: “RIP thank you for making my childhood so much fun with Real Genius, Thunderheart, The Ghost and the Darkness, and of course Top Gun and Batman.”
A third added: “Rest in Peace, you amazing artist and human!”
Greg Evans2 April 2025 09:30
Val Kilmer’s cause of death has been revealed by his daughter in an emotional tribute to the actor.
Mercedes Kilmer confirmed to press that her father, whose other credits included True Romance and Heat, died of pneumonia. He was 65.
Kilmer’s death comes after health struggles, documented in 2021 film Val. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and lost his voice after undergoing a tracheotomy.
He initially kept the diagnosis private, but came forward with his story to spread awareness of the disease.
Jacob Stolworthy reports:
Greg Evans2 April 2025 09:15
Following the release of the 2021 documentary Val, about the actor’s life and career, Kevin E G Perry looked back on the actor’s idiosyncratic career and his refusal to be silenced by throat cancer.
Greg Evans2 April 2025 09:00
Kilmer’s last ever performance was reprising his iconic role as Lt Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick alongside his friend Tom Cruise.
At the time producer Jerry Bruckheimer told People that Cruise “really wanted” Kilmer to appear in the film.
“He said, ‘We have to have Val, we have to have him back. We have to have him in the film,'” Bruckheimer said. “And he was the driving force. We all wanted him, but Tom was really adamant that if he’s going to make another Top Gun, Val had to be in it.”
Continuing, Bruckheimer said of Kilmer: “He’s such a fine actor, and he’s such a good individual. We had such a good time on the first one and wanted to bring some of the gang back together again.”
He also noted that the reunion between Cruise and Kilmer “was a really emotional experience for all of us. It was a long time getting there, but we did.”
(Getty Images)
Greg Evans2 April 2025 08:57
The American author Don Winslow, best known for his novels The Power of the Dog and Savages, wrote on X/Twitter: “Rest in peace Val Kilmer. A brilliant actor and a good man.”
Greg Evans2 April 2025 08:45
Bride of Chucky actor Jennifer Tilly has shared her tribute to Kilmer, recalling a chance encounter with the star when auditioning for a role in The Doors.
She wrote on X/Twitter: “A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie The Doors It was kind of a cattle call. They paired together potential Jims with potential Pamela‘s. And they were running behind so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn, and the driveway. All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants. We all looked at each other like… Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King.”
Val Kilmer in ‘The Doors’ (Tristar)
Greg Evans2 April 2025 08:37
Kilmer, who appeared alongside Cruise in the 1986 original Top Gun, was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. After successfully undergoing chemotherapy and two tracheotomies, Kilmer spoke using a voice box.
When he reunited with Cruise in Maverick, his character, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, is seen speaking through a computer, due to an unspecified illness.
“I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades,” Cruise said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“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.”
“I was crying. I got emotional,” Cruise admitted.
Greg Evans2 April 2025 08:30
Francis Ford Coppola who directed Kilmer on the 2011 horror film Twixt shared an image of him with the actor on Instagram.
In the caption, The Godfather director wrote: “Val Kilmer was the most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life. He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him.”
Greg Evans2 April 2025 08:21
