At just 17, Kilmer became the youngest person ever accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School’s drama division.
Beyond acting, Kilmer was also a writer. He also had published a book of poetry titled My Edens After Burns.
Early in his career, he declined a role in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film The Outsiders to focus on a Broadway play.
Kilmer put his all into his roles. While playing rock star Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991), he performed all the singing himself.
The '80s classic Top Gun became one of Kilmer’s biggest hits, but surprisingly, he was initially reluctant to take the role.
Kilmer turned down not one but two major roles in The Matrix (1999)—Neo and Morpheus.
A devout Christian Scientist, Kilmer believed in the power of prayer over medical treatments. Speaking about his battle with cancer, he once said, “Many many people have been healed by prayer throughout recorded history. And many many people have died by whatever was modern medicine.”