Val Kilmer’s first act of career self-sabotage: “Regret did rear its ugly head”
Sometimes, we find ourselves making decisions that haunt us forever. Often, our minds form an answer that doesn’t reflect our heart’s desire and leaves us in a permanent state of disbelief at our own stupidity. In the world of Hollywood, where the ‘what ifs’ and ‘could-have-beens’ can go on to make millions of dollars and be revered as cinematic masterpieces for decades to come, the decision to decline a project can linger on your mind forever.
From Matthew McConaughey’s almost starring in Titanic to John Travolta being considered for the role of Forrest Gump, there are many moments in time in which the course of history could have been almost entirely rewritten.
But while this can lead to the opportunity of a lifetime for one person, it can be a symbol of dismay for another, with Val Kilmer surprisingly having his fair share of regrets for turning down the opportunity to work with iconic directors like Robert Altman and rejecting one role that could have led him to have the time of his life.
Dirty Dancing was a star-making role for everyone involved, with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze’s electric chemistry and nostalgic summer romance capturing audiences alongside an enormous amount of heavy-lifting being done behind the scenes to make their connection believable. The pair famously did not get along very well, something that is hard to believe, besides the few unscripted moments that made it into the final cut that reveal some of the tensions behind the scenes.
However, this timeless romance was almost performed by someone else entirely, with Val Kilmer being offered the role of Johnny and him, surprisingly, turning it down. This would be a tough pill for anyone to swallow, with the film becoming a cult classic that took the world by storm through the iconic lake lift and final dance sequence.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Kilmer also found himself saying no to another one of the greats, with David Lynch offering him a role in Blue Velvet. For reasons that are completely unfathomable, Kilmer thought it best to sit this one out, later saying, “I had turned down David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Dirty Dancing. I had done so with little regret. Neither part spoke to me. In the aftermath of their success, though, regret did rear its ugly head—I am not, after all, immune to ‘could haves’ or ‘should haves’. We all have misgivings, yes, we do. I wish I had not said no to so many brilliant directors.”
Who knows why Kilmer had such a strong stance against working with these iconic filmmakers. Perhaps it was the pressure of working with such esteemed artists, or maybe he thought there was someone better for the job. Sometimes our own fears can get in the way of pursuing what we truly want, and maybe Kilmer didn’t quite have the guts to tackle such roles at that stage of his career. However, fate works in mysterious ways, and Kilmer forged a career path that reflected the true spirit of his creative identity, even if he experienced a few bumps along the way.
