Val Kilmer has died
60 comments
·April 2, 2025WalterBright
riffraff
Also "Willow", one of mine, and IMO one of the best fantasy movies Hollywood ever produced.
And of course the iconic role in "Top Gun", and the silly but classic "Top Secret"
As the article notices, he really had a wide range. Probably my favorite actor of his generation.
fuzzythinker
Willow is one of the most ignored, underrated movies ever.
autoexec
It did eventually did get a series, although I guess the series was let down and there are people who wish it had been ignored a little longer.
It's absolutely a classic though. It's a shame that the genre isn't as popular as it used to be.
kayge
And don't forget Doc Holliday in Tombstone, such a great role
WalterBright
Fun fact: Caltech wouldn't let the director film RG on campus, as they thought it showed Caltech in a poor light (quite wrong about that!).
But the director did hire Caltech students as extras, as the director put it, the costume director could not duplicate the look of them.
The student pranks and such in the movie actually happened, except the last one and the voice of god one.
abrkn
Amazing movie! His physical comedy acting was really special
null
28304283409234
"Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?"
xnx
An excellent prompt to test AI image generators
joefearnley
This quote has lived in my brain since I was 7.
Bluestein
"You are unsafe ..."
crossroadsguy
There are actors I developed an affinity towards. I don't know for sure whether it was their role or acting in that role. I don't think so. I just think I saw some of them when I started exploring cinema from the world, outside my country, and hence in the beginning that meant mostly from the USA. I think it is just early familiarity. Kilmer is one of them.
And - they never seem to age to me. Maybe it's the makeup or what not. I remember him from Heat and even in subsequent films somehow he stayed that old or young - like in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, or Salton Sea, there was this with Michael Douglas, and some more. don't remember Top Gun for Cruise, hell I don't remember any Tom Cruise film for Tom Cruise. If I noticed him in a film I'd just assume I'd like that film and that kinda seemed irrational but I did like the film. There was something about him. There are few more actors like him. It's sad. They never look older to me, they just die one day and that becomes more shocking. In a way it reminds me of my own mortality harder compared to maybe if I would have noticed them steadily growing and looking older. I will miss him.
swah
Me too, because of "The Saint" movie - I was a bit fascinated for some time. Like an alternative 007.
drewcoo
Check out the TV show, then. Brit 60s fun with Roger Moore, before he was a Bond!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055701/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8...
delichon
Same disease as Iceman. His scene in Maverick was transparent fan service to let us applaud the actor one more time. Manipulative as hell and not a dry eye on my couch. This news feels like a coda to his curtain call.
atonse
This is the thing about Top Gun and the mission impossible movies.
Tom Cruise still remembers that we go to the theater to be entertained. And he delivers on that above everything else.
And he knows how to give the fans what they want, all the way up to the gimmicky use of an F14 in Top Gun 2. Or seeing IceMan again.
jaredklewis
So sad to hear this. I never get tired of watching Val Kilmer play Doc Holliday in Tombstone. It was such a detailed performance. Go watch it now if you haven't seen it!
nntwozz
I'm Your Huckleberry.
and part 2:
Splendid performance!
wallabie
Heat, Ronin and the Ocean's series are the trinity of heist movies. "For me the sun rises and sets with her, man."
For any Heat fans reading this comment, Michael Mann co-wrote a novel, Heat 2, that focuses on his character, and the entire time I was reading it I imagined it being Val the entire time. It's very good - a worthy follow-up.
Gud
To me what sets Heat apart from any other action movie is the realistic sound of gun fire.
One of a kind movie.
speckx
Man’s movies tend to have great firearms display and sound. It’s one of the things he is known for, and I think Heat took it to the next level.
nntwozz
Yeah he did the same in Public Enemies, lots of early 1930s bang bangs.
BLKNSLVR
Heist and The Score, both from 2001, make it into the same list as Heat and Ronin for mine.
sonofhans
Yes, I love that line too. What a great character.
xnx
There's no movie I've watched more than Real Genius. It's easy to group it in with other 80's comedies, but the writing, acting, production, and even scientific plausibility are top notch.
WalterBright
The things the students did are for real, too. And they nailed the students.
The professor, though, was not based on anyone I knew of.
blindriver
He was fantastic in the Doors movie. RIP
jcims
Had to ctrl+f to find the Doors. He was absolutely incredible in that. I haven't watched it in 30 years.
He did all the singing, which blows me away.
lr1970
> He was fantastic in the Doors movie. RIP
In fact in the movie Val Kilmer did vocals himself and real members of the Doors said that they could hardly distinguish his singing from real Jim Morrison.
fl4tul4
He'll be highly missed, one great actor.
Loved him on "The Saint".
croes
Did his belief in “Christian Science” have anything to do with his relatively early demise?
glimshe
An actor I always liked but didn't think about often enough. Requiescat in pace.
The article doesn't mention his starring role in "Real Genius", a comedy about life at Caltech. One of my favorite movies.
He managed to outshine Tom Cruise in "Top Gun". I've enjoyed his movies. Well done.