Requiescat in Pace Val Kilmer

Without a doubt his most famous and enduring role was as Georgia-born gunslinger "Doc" Holliday in Tombstone


However, I particularly loved the performances in Willow. He and his beautiful female opposite in this movie went on to marry in real life and had two children. 


I don't know what to say about a man who played many parts, but about whom I know nothing of himself. Fortunately, E. M. Burlingame -- a fellow Small Wars Journal alumnus --  wrote a poem about it that is worthy.

3 comments:

Texan99 said...

He was awfully funny in "Real Genius," too. I enjoyed him everyone I saw him in.

Thomas Doubting said...

I also liked him in Top Gun 2. He played an admiral dying of cancer. While the rest of the movie was just fun, there was one scene that was poignant because I knew going in that Kilmer was actually fighting cancer while the movie was being filmed.

douglas said...

He was, apparently, the consummate professional as an actor. It's hard to think of higher praise than that given him by Michael Biehn:
"Asked on a convention panel if Val Kilmer was difficult to work with, Michael Biehn replied, "I don't know."
Then, after a brief pause, he added.
"I never met Val Kilmer while filming Tombstone.
I only met Doc Holliday."
Source: https://x.com/RAZ0RFIST/status/1907401097288749306