Val Kilmer, one of the 20th century’s finest actors and certainly one of my favourites, has passed away today at the age of 65.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, which is why we didn’t see him for so long, but it was pneumonia that took him from us today.
I was only a wee lad when Kilmer’s career kicked off in the ’80s, having been born at the dawn of the decade, but he has always been a star to me. He was held in very high regard by the industry, too, which really just goes to show that I have excellent taste…
I first saw him in Top Gun, as a VHS watch at home with dad, but of course I later saw him in The Doors (which, as an 11- or 12-year-old, wasn’t super appropriate), then Tombstone (again not ideal for a young teen, but damn I loved it) and of course Batman Forever.
I confess, many of his late ’90s and early 2000s films never made it to my screen, apart from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – but at least it means I now get to catch up on his work as a first-time viewer.
And, it’s time to confess, I never saw Willow! I’m not too sure what the deal was with my upbringing…
(I also never saw The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth or The Never Ending Story until many years later. I wish I’d had a chance to quiz my dad about that, because he certainly wasn’t overbearing when it came to responsible viewing!)
So. Vale, Val Kilmer. You were one of the best. You pissed people off, you were difficult, you screwed yourself a few times, but you were one of the best.
People have said some sour shit about you, but I’ll stick with Saint director Phillip Noyce’s words: “The real Val Kilmer is a lamb. And he is the hardest-working actor I’ve ever seen.”
And thank you so much for your documentary and all the footage you captured for it. What a legacy!
“I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed. And I am blessed.” – Val Kilmer, Val, 2021.
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