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The versatile star
Val Kilmer was a chameleon who could transform himself to play varied characters. Perhaps the most versatile actor of his generation, Kilmer’s rise to stardom was meteoric just like his fall. But actor, despite a few years of living a private life owing to illness and feuds in Hollywood, remained relevant for his iconic films. Here’s a look at 7 films of Val Kilmer that you must watch.
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The Doors
Kilmer’s most critically acclaimed performance had the actor playing iconic rocker Jim Morrison and tapping into the psyche of the rockstar. Kilmer transformed himself to look and sound the part in Oliver Stone’s directorial biopic. The film captured the counterculture of the 1960s, and the music scenes were one of the best shot - back at the time it was released.
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Batman Forever
For an entire generation, Kilmer’s performance as the caped superhero was the first introduction to Batman. He played the role at a time when Michael Keaton had already made the superhero memorable and so he had big boots to fill. Some say Keaton’s performance was hard to match up, and Kilmer was overshadowed by the performances of Tomy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey, but Kilmer’s restrained performance had a separate fan base.
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Top Gun
Val Kilmer rose to stardom playing the second lead in the iconic Top Gun. A film on the American fighter pilots, it had Kilmer playing ‘Iceman’, the antagonist and rival to Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Kilmer’s character was supposed to be arrogant- which the actor adapted in his performance well, but he also gave it a heroic spin throughout the film. Kilmer memorably reprised his role in the sequel Top Gun: Maverick- which turned out to be his last big screen outing as an actor.
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was a homage to neo-noir detective novels in a very cheeky way. The film also had characters often breaking the fourth wall, featured over-the-top scenarios and some great chemistry between the two leads- Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer. In the film, Robert Downey Jr. plays Harry Lockhart, a petty criminal who somehow manages to get an audition for a Hollywood film while being pursued by the police. Kilmer plays the detective who is tasked with training Lockhart, and his deadpan performance as a no-nonsense cop is a great foil to Downey Jr's antics.
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Heat
Acting in the same film as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro is no mean feat, but Val Kilmer manages to hold his own beside these stalwarts. Widely lauded as one of the best crime thrillers in history, Heat is filled with tension, intensity, and an intricate plot. While De Niro and Pacino play nemesis, Kilmer played a man part of criminal contingent led by De Niro who is a master marksman and plays a very important part in a very important shootout scene in the film.
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Tombstone
The iconic Western sees Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) take up his badge again and restore order in a troubled town. Filled with gun-slinging action Tombstone shows just how to blend real historical events with fun storytelling. The ensemble cast features some big names, including Charlton Heston, Bill Paxton, and Sam Elliott, along with Kilmer as the scene stealer Doc Holiday.
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Willow
Kilmer plays the charismatic and brave swordsman, Madmartigan in this sci-fi fantasy film. The film also starred Warrick Davis in the titular role of an aspiring sorcerer who teams up with some outlandish characters to topple the evil queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh).