Val Kilmer has had quite the career as an actor, and he certainly isn’t finished yet. Kilmer’s heyday was certainly in the late ’80s and early ’90s, with films like “Tombstone,” “Heat,” “The Doors” and “Top Gun” doing big box office numbers and making Kilmer one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood. Kilmer has shown remarkable versatility over the years, approaching goofy comedies, realistic action and everything in between with the same focus and gusto that he brings to every role.
One of Kilmer’s most anticipated “roles” in years comes from the documentary “Val.” That’s because it isn’t a role at all — for 40 years, Kilmer has been shooting home videos that document his life and work. “Val” is the culmination of that footage, granting audiences a rare look into Kilmer’s fascinating story. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews.
Kilmer’s success as an actor has always made him an intriguing public figure, and there are plenty of interesting facts out there about the man who played Batman, Iceman and Doc Holliday. This is the untold truth of Val Kilmer.
He was at the center of an infamous film shoot
There have been plenty of infamous film shoots over the years, but few have quite the legendary aura that 1996’s “The Island of Dr. Moreau” has gained. Going into shooting, many assumed that Marlon Brando, who starred in the film alongside Kilmer, would be the difficult one. It was one of Brando’s last film roles, and he had developed quite the reputation as a difficult actor. Brando did cause some problems, but he did not seem to be the main issue with “Dr. Moreau.”
Kilmer was going through a lot at the time. He and his first wife were going through a divorce. He was brought on to replace actor Bruce Willis, and immediately demanded several changes to the shoot and script. This caused a rift with director Richard Stanley, who was fired by the studio after only three days of shooting.
It seems that Kilmer had already developed a bit of a reputation as … “mercurial,” or whatever you want to dub a talented but difficult-to-work-with actor. That doesn’t excuse stories like him getting frustrated and burning a cameraman with a cigarette while filming a scene. “Dr. Moreau” became such an infamously terrible shoot that there’s even a documentary about it – one that’s much more interesting than the disastrous film it spotlights.
He gave unusual advice on getting into acting
Kilmer has rarely been afraid to speak his mind, a fact he’s made clear in recent years when hosting AMAs on Reddit. When one fan asked for Kilmer’s advice on breaking into the acting business, he gave a rather unusual answer that served as a backhanded compliment for a few other actors.
Kilmer told the fan that acting is “the best job on earth and worth it when you break thru.” He then transitioned to talking about a few actors who stuck with it and improved over their careers. He said, “Dustin Hoffman they say couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag, and I knew Kevin Spacey since he was like 15 and he was so bad it used to hurt my eyes. But boy did he work hard and deserves all his awards.”
At first glance, it appears he’s knocking those two actors, but he isn’t. Instead, it seems like Kilmer is suggesting that they were terrible at first, but gradually improved as they continued to hone their skills. Kilmer and Spacey went to the same high school, which is why they’ve known each other so long. It’s also important to note that this AMA surfaced before the sexual assault allegations against Spacey came to light.
He’s reportedly difficult to work with
It’s often par for the course for an actor to be dubbed “difficult,” especially when they start commanding huge amounts of money for roles. Acting is a cutthroat business, so it should come as no surprise that actors often have demands that make normies like us scoff. However, it’s rare that behind-the-scenes beef spills into public light, especially in the era before social media.
It was not rare for Val Kilmer. Despite proving both his talent and commercial viability, rumors and stories swirled about the actor’s difficult nature and bristling personality for a long time. “The Island of Dr. Moreau” was a special case, but original director Richard Stanley was allegedly fired so quickly because he couldn’t get Kilmer to do anything. Replacement director John Frankenheimer also blasted the actor, telling EW: “I don’t like Val Kilmer, I don’t like his work ethic, and I don’t want to be associated with him ever again.”
Joel Schumacher, who directed Kilmer in “Batman Forever,” called the actor “childish and impossible.” Other directors, even those who have worked well with him, have spoken about his temper and refusal to work, especially when the actor’s suggestions are ignored.