Val Kilmer’s five greatest performances
In the wake of Val Kilmer’s sad death at the age of 65, tributes have been pouring in for an actor who was once one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. In the 1980s, Kilmer shot to fame in the spoof Top Secret! and became the ultimate sidekick in Top Gun before cementing his leading man status with a role in the beloved fantasy adventure Willow. Moving into the ’90s, he became an A-lister who led major blockbusters like Batman Forever and The Saint but would also show up for a scene-stealing cameo in a movie like True Romance.
Unfortunately for Kilmer, though, he was often his own worst enemy, and his notoriously temperamental behaviour rubbed plenty of directors and even fellow actors the wrong way over the years. His star therefore dimmed considerably after the ’90s, but he would still make gems like Wonderland, Felon, and MacGruber from time to time.
In later years, a battle with throat cancer left Kilmer unable to speak without a voice box. Ever the artist, though, he was able to turn his incredible life story into a poignant documentary entitled Val, which used extensive footage shot by the actor himself across decades. It was a true insight into the personal and professional life of a man who was often difficult but whose talent was never in question.
Over the years, Kilmer delivered a considerable number of very good performances, but he also left audiences with many genuine classics that have stood the test of time. These are, for our money, his five greatest ever, and they speak to the versatility of an actor who could deliver true greatness when he was given the opportunity.
Val Kilmer’s five greatest performances:
‘Gay’ Perry van Shrike – ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (Shane Black, 2005)
Kilmer’s career certainly took a nosedive in the ’00s, but he wasn’t without the occasional highlight. His turns in Werner Herzog’s nutty Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and Tony Scott’s Déjà Vu were both good value, but undoubtedly his best performance from that era came in Shane Black’s superb neo-noir black comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
As the snappily dressed, magnificently coiffed private investigator Perry van Shrike – known colloquially as ‘Gay’ Perry – Kilmer proved that he still had screen magnetism in spades. Perry’s relentlessly profane and dismissive banter with Robert Downey Jr’s hapless Harry Lockhart powered the film, and his delivery of some of the one-liners live long in the memory. Just try to think of a smug Perry quipping, “I shot him with a small revolver I keep near my balls,” without smiling like an idiot. It’s impossible.
Unfortunately, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang tanked at the box office and only resurrected one of its star’s careers. Within a year, Kilmer was stuck to a direct-to-video hell from which he rarely emerged, which was a crying shame because Perry proved without a shadow of a doubt that he still had a lot to give on the big screen.
Jim Morrison – ‘The Doors’ (Oliver Stone, 1991)
While Oliver Stone was criticised for taking some pretty substantial creative liberties with the real story of The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, one aspect of his 1991 biopic was universally praised. Kilmer’s performance as the iconic star was a revelation, and it even took Stone slightly by surprise. He was reportedly unconvinced by Kilmer’s audition tape until The Doors’ producer Paul Rothchild told him he was stunned by how closely the actor had captured Morrison’s tone while singing one of the band’s songs.
Kilmer went pretty damn method for the role, immersing himself in The Doors’ work and Morrison’s life. He lost a significant amount of weight and spent six months learning 50 of the group’s songs, 15 of which he actually performed in the film.
Amusingly, Kilmer also reportedly sent a memo that people on-set shouldn’t address him as “Val” or look him in the eye, which aggravated Stone, but Kilmer smoothed it over by saying he only meant it to apply to his team, not the crew. Whatever the case, Kilmer’s insane commitment to the role paid off, and he always counted it as one of his personal favourites.
Chris Shiherlis – ‘Heat’ (Michael Mann, 1995)
When Kilmer was asked in a Reddit AMA about his experience making Michael Mann‘s seminal heist thriller Heat, he responded with a genuine emotion that feels all the more powerful after his death. He spoke fondly of working with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Ashley Judd, and revealed how much it meant to him to be part of a film that is now considered an all-time classic.
“Well, imagine being able to say, ‘Al and Bob’ for the rest of your life,” Kilmer wrote. “Not many people can do that. I have seen Bob giggling like a schoolgirl in a van in the middle of the night, because we have to be quiet cause they are filming outside. I have been hugged by Al Pacino in the middle of downtown LA like he was my older brother.” He added, “I am in one of the greatest cops and robbers films in film history…I am on the poster for goodness sake. What an honour! Priceless experience.”
In truth, Kilmer’s performance in Heat is more critical to the movie than some viewers may remember. These days, we all remember Pacino and De Niro’s iconic diner conversation and the unbelievably intense shootout scene on the streets of LA. However, Kilmer’s character, Chris Shiherlis, is arguably the dark heart of the movie, and once again, his commitment to the reality of the performance was so complete that military experts praise his reloading technique to this day.
Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky – ‘Top Gun’ (Tony Scott, 1986)
When most people think of Kilmer on screen, they likely first picture the bleached blonde figure of Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky from Top Gun. Kilmer’s performance as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell’s archnemesis at the Naval Fighter Weapons School is pure screen presence, charisma, and star quality, elevating a fairly one-note character to iconic status within a fairly small amount of screentime.
By the time Kilmer and Tom Cruise share an emotional man hug at the end of the film when they realise they’re not so different after all, the strength of Kilmer’s performance ensures the moment is triumphant, instead of a cop-out. The audience wants Maverick and Iceman to be pals – in fact, they crave it – because they’re the two best pilots, and Iceman is just so darn cool.
Thankfully, Kilmer was able to return for a poignant role in the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick. His real-life illness added extra heft to the scenes with Cruise, which didn’t leave a dry eye in the house, and now play as a fitting screen farewell for one of the biggest stars of a bygone era.
Doc Holliday – ‘Tombstone’ (George P Cosmatos, 1993)
When it comes to naming the greatest Kilmer performance, it’s hard to look past the one he considered his personal favourite. When asked by Variety in 2018 to spotlight his best roles, the first one he namechecked was his brilliant turn as the tuberculosis-riddled outlaw Doc Holliday in the 1993 western Tombstone.
In truth, this wasn’t surprising in the least. You see, Kilmer’s sweaty, dangerous, and often hilarious performance as Holliday is the one most fans put at the top of his pile, too. Hell, Kilmer even used a line from the movie – “I’m your Huckleberry” – as the title of his 2021 memoir.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Holliday is once again an example of what Kilmer was capable of when he was dialled into a role. He was proud of how “completely immersed” he was in the part, and he credited a lot of that to how strong the script was. However, he also admitted to knowing that Holliday was a once-in-a-lifetime role because the character had all the best lines. Therefore, he could etch his place in cinema history if he nailed it. We’d say he did just that.
