Kilmer memorized the lyrics to all of lead singer Morrison's songs prior to his audition and sent a video of himself performing some Doors songs to director Stone. Kilmer saw Morrison's story as one that could be told "a thousand different ways" and did not want to tell it by playing the role in the style of drugs, with which Oliver Stone agreed. Kilmer saw Jim Morrison as having picked the wrong heroes, who had different issues, which were not part of the creativity or inspiration. Kilmer spoke with Oliver Stone early on, concerned about what he might want to do with the story because Kilmer did not believe in or want to promote substance abuse. 1990s 1990–1995 Īfter several delays, director Oliver Stone finally started production on the film The Doors, based on the band of the same name. In 1989, Kilmer played the lead in both Kill Me Again, again opposite Whalley, and in TNT's Billy the Kid. Kilmer starred in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival production of Hamlet in 1988. Following roles in the television films The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, Kilmer played Madmartigan in the fantasy Willow he met his future wife, co-star Joanne Whalley, on the film's set. Top Gun grossed a total of over $344 million worldwide and made Kilmer a major star. He turned down a role in David Lynch's Blue Velvet before being cast as naval aviator "Iceman" in the action film Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise.
ĭuring a brief hiatus, he backpacked throughout Europe before going on to play the lead character in the 1985 comedy Real Genius. While garnering more substantial roles and prestige, he also gained a reputation as a ladies' man, dating numerous women. Kilmer sang all the songs in the film and released an album under the film character's name, "Nick Rivers".
His big break came when he received top billing in the comedy spoof of spy movies Top Secret!, in which he played an American rock and roll star. The book of poems is difficult to obtain and expensive even second-hand copies fetch $300 and up. Also in 1983, Kilmer self-published a collection of his own poetry entitled My Edens After Burns, that included poems inspired by his time with Pfeiffer. That same year, his first off-stage acting role (excluding television commercials) came in the form of an episode of ABC Afterschool Special called One Too Many, which was an educational drama on drinking and driving it also starred a young Michelle Pfeiffer. In 1983, he appeared off Broadway in The Slab Boys with Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, and Jackie Earle Haley. Kilmer turned down a role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film The Outsiders, as he had prior theatre commitments. He became the youngest person at the time to be accepted into the Juilliard School's Drama Division, where he was a member of Group 10. His high school girlfriend was Mare Winningham. He attended Chatsworth High School with Kevin Spacey. In 1977, Kilmer's younger brother Wesley, who had epilepsy, drowned in a jacuzzi at age 15. Kilmer's grandfather was a gold miner in New Mexico, near the border with Arizona. His mother later married William Bernard Leach in 1970. His parents divorced in 1968 when he was 8 years old. His other ancestry includes Irish, German and Cherokee roots. Kilmer was born December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, the second of three sons to Gladys Swanette ( née Ekstadt 1928–2019) and Eugene Dorris Kilmer (1921–1993). In 2021, Val, a documentary covering Kilmer's life, was released. Kilmer is also author of the book I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir, published in 2020. His performances as Chris in Heat (1995) and "Gay Perry" in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) earned him nominations for Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. Kilmer has also done voice acting on several projects most notably Moses in the animated film The Prince of Egypt (1998) and Walker Sloan in the video game Spider-Man: Edge of Time (2011). He is also known for his portrayals of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Forever (1995), and Simon Templar in The Saint (1997). Patterson in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), John Holmes in Wonderland (2003), and Philip II of Macedon in Alexander (2004) among others. Kilmer has played many real-life figures in movies, including Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991), an apparition of Elvis Presley in True Romance (1993), Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), John H. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), as well as the military action film Top Gun (1986) and the fantasy film Willow (1988). Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor.