RIP: Val Kilmer

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Val Kilmer died on April 1, 2025. The cause of death was pneumonia.  Mr. Kilmer was 65.

Val Kilmer graduated from Chatsworth High School.  He then became (up to that point) the youngest person accepted into the Juilliard School’s Drama Division.

Val Kilmer would go on to become a star of stage, television and feature films.

Some of the television projects that feature Val Kilmer include: ABC Afterschool Specials; The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains; Billy the Kid; Entourage; Numb3rs; Comanche Moon (3 episodes); XIII: The Conspiracy (3 episodes); Knight Rider (reboot – 18 episodes); Life’s Too Short; Ghost Girls (2 episodes); The Spoils of Babylon (4 episodes) and Psych.

Some of the feature films that Val Kilmer appeared in include: Top Secret!; Real Genius; Top Gun; Willow; Kill Me Again; The Doors; Thunderheart; True Romance; Tombstone; Batman Forever; Heat; The Island of Dr. Moreau; The Ghost and the Darkness; The Saint; The Prince of Egypt; Joe the King; Pollock; Red Planet; The Salton Sea; Wonderland; The Missing; Spartan; Mindhunters; Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; Deja Vu; Felon; Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans; Bloodworth; Kill the Irishman; Standing Up; Cinema Twain and Top Gun: Maverick.

Naming my favorite Val Kilmer role is easy.  I think Mr. Kilmer turned in one of the all-time greatest acting performances with his portrayal of Doc Holiday in Tombstone.  It is a shame that Val Kilmer didn’t win an Academy Award for that performance, and a disgrace he wasn’t even nominated.  Other Val Kilmer films that I recommend are Top Secret! (Sadly it took a long time for me to give it a go.  Don’t make the same mistake.  It is funny,), Top Gun (10 minutes of screen time and it made him a star), Willow, True Romance, Heat (a classic!), The Salton Sea (very underrated), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Top Gun: Maverick.

Val Kilmer was an actor’s actor.  Mr. Kilmer’s health cut his career short and he left us far too soon, but what a legacy he created while he was here.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Val Kilmer’s family, friends and fans.