Val Kilmer was one of the most untamed stars of 80s Hollywood. True to that spirit, his filmography is equally uncontrollable, filled with unforgettable roles and movies that were mixed with some absolutely disastrous ones. Forever remembered will be Batman, Jim Morrison, The Saint, Madmartigan, and a final appearance just as Val.
Because the actor, who passed away on Tuesday night, was a heartthrob, a thief, an exceptionally destructive musician, one of the most remembered superheroes of all time... And these are just some of the works that make up almost four decades of a not so absolute star.
Top Secret, the beginning of the myth (1984)
Val Kilmer, in Top Secret (1984)E. M.
The first role that fell into Val Kilmer's hands was given to him by Jim Abrahams because he had seen him in the play Slab Boys alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. That slender young man, barely 25 years old, showed up at the casting audition to play Nick Rivers dressed as Elvis Presley. Interestingly, all the music in the movie sounds like the King of Rock with hints of The Beach Boys and Little Richard to create a complete satire of the U.S. military system, Nazism, musicals... And at the center of it all, a famous rock star who claims to arrive in East Germany to participate in an important cultural festival but ends up on a mission for the French resistance.
Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky and the success of Top Gun
What would have become of the great role of Tom Cruise if he didn't have a rival like Tom Iceman Kazansky in front of him. As arrogant as talented, the pilot played by Val Kilmer was the perfect counterpart to Tom Cruise's hero during Navy training. Turned into an 80s myth with a sequel in 2022, there remains that final conversation where Kilmer tells Cruise: "You're still dangerous, but you can fly with me anytime."
A period heartthrob in Willow (1988)
Conceived under the guidance of George Lucas as a producer, who sought an alternative cinematic version of The Lord of the Rings even before it hit theaters, it was Ron Howard who ultimately positioned Val Kilmer as a period heartthrob like Madmartigan. A charismatic knight in a fairy tale that had much more darkness than a children's story for 80s kids as it was marketed. The pig transformation sequence is a clear example of this.
The authentic Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991)
The 90s arrived, and with them, the tribute to Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, on the twentieth anniversary of his death embodied in the same image of Val Kilmer. Nothing seemed to connect the actor to a disheveled musician wasted by excess. Yet, the physical resemblance of the protagonist of Oliver Stone's film to the band's singer is astonishing. Also, in the voice with which he performed some of their most remembered songs, acclaimed by critics but left out of award seasons that never recognized him.
Batman Forever. Simply, Batman (1995)
After Michael Keaton was Batman, Val Kilmer donned the superhero's black suit for the version created by Joel Schumacher in Batman Forever. With a lighter tone than his predecessor, his portrayal remains one of the most remembered versions of Bruce Wayne.
Heat and The Saint, hands up (1995-1997)
The mid-90s turned Val Kilmer into a top-notch thief. Michael Mann placed him alongside giants like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Heat, a classic police thriller. Not only did he not disappoint, but he was the perfect piece to assemble the trio of robbers. Who can forget the machine gun barrage during the bank heist.
Just two years later, The Saint allowed him to be another period thief. Although the movie received very poor reviews upon its release, Val Kilmer's role trying to steal the nuclear fusion secret from the scientist played by Elisabeth Sue deserves mention.
With just his name, everything is explained. In 2022, Val Kilmer was the protagonist of his own documentary, a monumental journey through his career. He himself documented it step by step with VHS tapes, Beta, 3/4 inch, or in digital format. "If I'm honest, there's only one reason for what I did: vanity," he stated in an interview with EL MUNDO after its release on the Filmin platform. There, all the roles mentioned above and the life of an actor that no one could tame are portrayed.