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What the Hell Happened to Val Kilmer?
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Dec 6, 2012, 10:00:29 PM12/6/12
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Posted by lebeau
What the hell happened?
In the 80′s, Val Kilmer was Tom Cruise’s rival both on-screen and
off. Top Gun launched the actor to super stardom and Batman cemented
his status at the top of the A-list. But then, Kilmer’s career
spiraled out of control. Today, the former sex symbol is a bloated
tabloid joke and his movies go straight to video.
What the hell happened?
In the articles I have written so far, I have found one surprising
commonality. For the most part, all the subjects I have written about
started their careers strong right out of the gate. It may not have
looked that way at the time, but in retrospect Kilmer’s career
followed that trends as well.
Kilmer’s first big break came when he landed the lead role in the
Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker spoof, Top Secret. In 1984, the film got mixed
reviews and did so-so box office. But over time, Top Secret has
become a cult film. While it’s not a classic like Airplane!, it is
better than your average spoof with many genuinely funny moments.
The following year, Kilmer starred in another cult comedy classic,
1985′s Real Genius. Kilmer steals the show with a high-energy, punch-
line-a-minute delivery that has not been seen since. You have to
wonder where Kilmer’s career would have taken him if he had stuck to
doing these kinds of comedies. But instead, he veered off in a very
different direction.
Kilmer followed up lead roles in two quirky comedies with the 1986
smash, Top Gun. Although it was far from a critical darling, Top Gun
tapped into the nation’s swelling patriotism during the Reagan years
and became a smash at the box office.
Its success cemented Tom Cruise as a box office star and changed
Kilmer’s career forever. In the film, Kilmer plays Tom Cruise’s
rival, Iceman. Reportedly, the rivalry carried over into real life.
If rumor is to be believed, the real-life Iceman got into a fist fight
with Cruise over a charity volleyball game.
Kilmer came out on top in the short term. But who’s laughing now, Ice
Man?
Top Gun took Kilmer from quirky comedian into action hunk territory.
In 1988, he tried to cement his leading-man status in the George Lucas-
produced fantasy, Willow. Unfortunately, Willow was closer to Howard
the Duck than Star Wars.
The reviews were mixed, though most enjoyed Kilmer’s humorous take on
the reluctant hero. Willow failed to live up to expectations at the
box office. Despite the good notices, Kilmer was not yet a star.
Kilmer’s next significant role was as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s
biopic, The Doors. Kilmer reportedly spent several thousand dollars
of his own money to film a video of himself as Morrison in order to
land the role. Kilmer’s intense dedication to the role is evident on-
screen and in his musical performances.
While most critics praised Kilmer, the film itself got mostly negative
reviews and underperformed at the box office.
Kilmer followed up The Doors with Thunderheart in 1992. For once, the
reviews were mostly positive. But the Native American-themed mystery
didn’t catch on with audiences. Although it has generated a small
cult following over the years.
1993 was a busy year for Val Kilmer. It started off slow with the
utterly forgettable Kim Basinger heist movie, The Real McCoy. The
couple had so little chemistry on-screen that it caused Basinger’s
Vicki Vale to be written out of Batman Forever when Kilmer assumed the
role of Batman. No one wanted to see the two of them share the screen
ever again.
I’m your huckleberry…
Later that year, Kilmer appeared in an unlikely hit. Tombstone was
the first of two Wyatt Earp movies in 1993. And on paper, it had the
least amount of talent.
Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp starred Kevin Costner as Earp and Dennis
Quaid as Doc Holiday. Tombstone, on the other hand, was directed by
the guy who made Rambo and Cobra and it starred Kurt Russell.
Everyone expected Kasdan’s Earp to come out on top.
However, where Wyatt Earp was an over-long bore, Tombstone gave
audiences the kind of Western they wanted. And Kilmer stole the show
chewing scenery as Doc Holiday. The movie got mixed to positive
reviews and was a hit at the box office.
Meanwhile, Kasdan-s 3-hour-long, star-studded Wyatt Earp is mostly
forgotten.
While it’s really a footnote in his career, I would be remiss if I
didn’t mention Val Kilmer’s appearance as an Elvis-like apparition in
1993′s Quentin Tarrantino-written and Tony Scott-directed True
Romance.
True Romance starred Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. Kilmer’s
role is really just one of many cameos in the film. But it gave the
actor a certain amount of street cred among the film’s cult fans.
(Brad Pitt’s cameo was the best though!)
By now, Kilmer had paid his dues. With 1995′s Batman Forever, it was
finally time for him to make the A-list. When Michael Keaton decided
he was rich enough not to have to deal with any more shitty Batman
movies, Val Kilmer was picked to usher in the Age of Schumacher.
Opinions on Kilmer’s turn as Batman are divided. For my money, he
looked okay in the Batsuit. But he slept-walked through his scenes as
Bruce Wayne.
In recent interviews, Joel Schumacher picked Kilmer as the best screen
Batman. Over Keaton. Over Bale. Even over Adam West. You might
think this is unsurprising given that Schumacher cast Kilmer in the
role. But remember, Schumacher would go on to fire him before Batman
and Robin.
Despite the fact that nobody really liked it very much, Batman Forever
was a huge hit at the box office. It was lighter and more kid-
friendly than the previous Batman movie which gave Joel Schumacher a
lot of pull with Warner Brothers when it came time to make a sequel.
This was unfortunate for Kilmer. His on-set antics put him at odds
with Schumacher. Schumacher claimed that the fights escalated into a
shoving match. The end result was that Kilmer was out as Batman after
only one film.
In 1995, Kilmer also appeared in a supporting role in Michael Mann’s
Heat. The buzz on Heat was all about the pairing of Al Pacino and
Robert De Niro. To the degree that it’s actually easy to forget that
Kilmer’s in the film.
Much like True Romance, Heat adds to Kilmer’s street cred if nothing
else. And you know he had to love appearing in a film with two screen
icons.
In 1996 Kilmer appeared opposite another screen icon in the infamous
Island of Dr. Moreau. This turkey has to be seen to be believed. On
the level of a surreal piece of camp, it’s a hoot with Marlon Brando
under pounds of pancake make-up and Kilmer just being batshit crazy.
The legendary Brando was unimpressed with Kilmer’s on-set behavior and
told him so saying, “You are confusing your talent with the size of
your paycheck.”
Ouch.
Then again, Kilmer’s antics on Moreau are the stuff of legend. He was
going through a divorce from Willow co-star Joanne Whalley at the time
and decided he wanted his part reduced by 40%.
This forced director Richard Stanley to recast him in a smaller role
and to give the lead role to Rob Morrow. Kilmer then thanked Stanley
for his flexibility by getting him fired. Morrow realized he was on a
sinking ship and he bailed with the canned director.
Reportedly, Kilmer also burned a cameraman with a cigarette and drove
veteran director John Frankenheimer insane.
Frankenheimer told the press, “There are two things I will never ever
do in my whole life. The first is that I will never climb Mt. Everest.
The second is that I will never work with Val Kilmer ever again.”
When Kilmer filmed his last scene, Frankenheimer cried to the crew
“Now get that bastard off my set!”
Kilmer rebounded later that year with the Michael Douglas film, The
Ghost and the Darkness. Once again, Kilmer played a somewhat unstable
and unlikable foil. The film was a mild hit despite mixed reviews.
But after Dr. Moreau, it must have felt like a grand slam.
In 1997, Kilmer made an attempt to return to the spotlight with the
big screen adaptation of TV’s The Saint. The movie played like water-
down James Bond. Or worse, watered-down Mission Impossible. The
planned franchise stalled out after just one movie and also
contributed to the downfall of Oscar-nominee, Elisabeth Shue.
Man, somehow I wind up writing about The Saint a lot!
Kilmer followed-up The Saint with voice-over work as Moses in
Dreamwork’s pre-Shrek Old Testament cartoon, The Prince of Egypt in
1998.
And in 1999, he played a blind dude who found love with Mira Sorvino.
I’m just now realizing that Val Kilmer is like the Six Degrees of
Kevin Bacon when it comes to What the Hell Happened? Somehow, career
implosion is never far behind with this guy.
Kilmer’s next starring role was in the sci-fi dud, Red Planet. Sadly,
I know I’ve seen this movie. But for the life of me, I can’t remember
a damned thing about it. I keep getting it confused with the equally
forgettable Mission to Mars starring Lt. Dan.
The most notable thing about Red Planet was yet another Kilmer feud.
This time it was with co-star Tom Sizemore whom Kilmer refused to
address by name.
By this point, the main stream roles started to dry up for Kilmer.
The next movie of any note was probably 2003′s Wonderland in which
Kilmer played porn star John Holmes. Wonderland promised to be an
edgy art film. But reviews were mixed and audiences skipped it.
Kilmer’s career was entering free fall with many of his movies going
straight to video. Oliver Stone attempted a rescue by casting Kilmer
as the fat, one-eyed king of Macedon in 2004′s Alexander.
Unfortunately, Alexander was an infamous bomb which at best
contributed to Kilmer’s career spiral.
Thank god, Angelina Jolie escaped unharmed. Colin Farrell wasn’t so
lucky.
Kilmer got another shot at redemption in 2005′s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang co-
starring with future Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. Downey was rehabbing
his career after legal entanglements from years of drug use. In a
show of solidarity, Kilmer pledged not to drink during the entire 3-
month shoot.
Notice, he didn’t say anything about staying sober…
While the critics were kind to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, audiences were
not. Downey would go on to a remarkable rebound with box office hits
like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. Kilmer would go on to voice the
car in the Knight Rider re-do.
But Val Kilmer would not go silently into that good night (rider). He
still pops up from time to time in movies like The Bad Lieutenant and
MacGruber. Almost no one sees these movies, but he’s in them.
So, what the hell happened? Obviously, Kilmer burned a lot of
bridges. You’ll find some people who will defend Kilmer and his
dedication to his craft. But the reason they have to defend Kilmer is
that he has acted like a prima donna to such an extent that even
people in Hollywood who are used to dealing with prima donnas got sick
of his shit and decided they didn’t want to play with him anymore.
Also, there’s this:
There’s no other way to put this. Val Kilmer got fat. And not just
flabby. He got pregnant-man fat.
Now, I’m not one to make fun of a middle-aged guy putting on some
weight. Brother, I’ve been there. But when you make millions of
dollars in a job that is contingent on staying in shape, maybe you
should listen to the nutritionist and put the donuts down.
I mean, most of us sit behind a desk for 40+ hours a week and then
have to deal with kids and chores. Yeah, we let ourselves go. But
stars like Kilmer have resources that aren’t available to the common
man. Which makes it hard to believe that Ice Man can turn into a
beached whale.
Eventually, they just went ahead and made him King of Bacchus at
Mardis Gras for Fat Tuesday in 2009.
Just when it seemed like Kilmer couldn’t sink any lower, he did this
to Paris Hilton:
My eyes! My eyes! Make it stop!
What have I missed? Bad career choices, tabloid scandals, drug use,
alcoholism, weight gain, on-set temper tantrums, fist fights,
tonguining a hotel heiress, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. I think
that just about covers what the hell happened to Val Kilmer.
Posted by lebeau
What the hell happened?
In the 80′s, Val Kilmer was Tom Cruise’s rival both on-screen and
off. Top Gun launched the actor to super stardom and Batman cemented
his status at the top of the A-list. But then, Kilmer’s career
spiraled out of control. Today, the former sex symbol is a bloated
tabloid joke and his movies go straight to video.
What the hell happened?
In the articles I have written so far, I have found one surprising
commonality. For the most part, all the subjects I have written about
started their careers strong right out of the gate. It may not have
looked that way at the time, but in retrospect Kilmer’s career
followed that trends as well.
Kilmer’s first big break came when he landed the lead role in the
Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker spoof, Top Secret. In 1984, the film got mixed
reviews and did so-so box office. But over time, Top Secret has
become a cult film. While it’s not a classic like Airplane!, it is
better than your average spoof with many genuinely funny moments.
The following year, Kilmer starred in another cult comedy classic,
1985′s Real Genius. Kilmer steals the show with a high-energy, punch-
line-a-minute delivery that has not been seen since. You have to
wonder where Kilmer’s career would have taken him if he had stuck to
doing these kinds of comedies. But instead, he veered off in a very
different direction.
Kilmer followed up lead roles in two quirky comedies with the 1986
smash, Top Gun. Although it was far from a critical darling, Top Gun
tapped into the nation’s swelling patriotism during the Reagan years
and became a smash at the box office.
Its success cemented Tom Cruise as a box office star and changed
Kilmer’s career forever. In the film, Kilmer plays Tom Cruise’s
rival, Iceman. Reportedly, the rivalry carried over into real life.
If rumor is to be believed, the real-life Iceman got into a fist fight
with Cruise over a charity volleyball game.
Kilmer came out on top in the short term. But who’s laughing now, Ice
Man?
Top Gun took Kilmer from quirky comedian into action hunk territory.
In 1988, he tried to cement his leading-man status in the George Lucas-
produced fantasy, Willow. Unfortunately, Willow was closer to Howard
the Duck than Star Wars.
The reviews were mixed, though most enjoyed Kilmer’s humorous take on
the reluctant hero. Willow failed to live up to expectations at the
box office. Despite the good notices, Kilmer was not yet a star.
Kilmer’s next significant role was as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s
biopic, The Doors. Kilmer reportedly spent several thousand dollars
of his own money to film a video of himself as Morrison in order to
land the role. Kilmer’s intense dedication to the role is evident on-
screen and in his musical performances.
While most critics praised Kilmer, the film itself got mostly negative
reviews and underperformed at the box office.
Kilmer followed up The Doors with Thunderheart in 1992. For once, the
reviews were mostly positive. But the Native American-themed mystery
didn’t catch on with audiences. Although it has generated a small
cult following over the years.
1993 was a busy year for Val Kilmer. It started off slow with the
utterly forgettable Kim Basinger heist movie, The Real McCoy. The
couple had so little chemistry on-screen that it caused Basinger’s
Vicki Vale to be written out of Batman Forever when Kilmer assumed the
role of Batman. No one wanted to see the two of them share the screen
ever again.
I’m your huckleberry…
Later that year, Kilmer appeared in an unlikely hit. Tombstone was
the first of two Wyatt Earp movies in 1993. And on paper, it had the
least amount of talent.
Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp starred Kevin Costner as Earp and Dennis
Quaid as Doc Holiday. Tombstone, on the other hand, was directed by
the guy who made Rambo and Cobra and it starred Kurt Russell.
Everyone expected Kasdan’s Earp to come out on top.
However, where Wyatt Earp was an over-long bore, Tombstone gave
audiences the kind of Western they wanted. And Kilmer stole the show
chewing scenery as Doc Holiday. The movie got mixed to positive
reviews and was a hit at the box office.
Meanwhile, Kasdan-s 3-hour-long, star-studded Wyatt Earp is mostly
forgotten.
While it’s really a footnote in his career, I would be remiss if I
didn’t mention Val Kilmer’s appearance as an Elvis-like apparition in
1993′s Quentin Tarrantino-written and Tony Scott-directed True
Romance.
True Romance starred Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. Kilmer’s
role is really just one of many cameos in the film. But it gave the
actor a certain amount of street cred among the film’s cult fans.
(Brad Pitt’s cameo was the best though!)
By now, Kilmer had paid his dues. With 1995′s Batman Forever, it was
finally time for him to make the A-list. When Michael Keaton decided
he was rich enough not to have to deal with any more shitty Batman
movies, Val Kilmer was picked to usher in the Age of Schumacher.
Opinions on Kilmer’s turn as Batman are divided. For my money, he
looked okay in the Batsuit. But he slept-walked through his scenes as
Bruce Wayne.
In recent interviews, Joel Schumacher picked Kilmer as the best screen
Batman. Over Keaton. Over Bale. Even over Adam West. You might
think this is unsurprising given that Schumacher cast Kilmer in the
role. But remember, Schumacher would go on to fire him before Batman
and Robin.
Despite the fact that nobody really liked it very much, Batman Forever
was a huge hit at the box office. It was lighter and more kid-
friendly than the previous Batman movie which gave Joel Schumacher a
lot of pull with Warner Brothers when it came time to make a sequel.
This was unfortunate for Kilmer. His on-set antics put him at odds
with Schumacher. Schumacher claimed that the fights escalated into a
shoving match. The end result was that Kilmer was out as Batman after
only one film.
In 1995, Kilmer also appeared in a supporting role in Michael Mann’s
Heat. The buzz on Heat was all about the pairing of Al Pacino and
Robert De Niro. To the degree that it’s actually easy to forget that
Kilmer’s in the film.
Much like True Romance, Heat adds to Kilmer’s street cred if nothing
else. And you know he had to love appearing in a film with two screen
icons.
In 1996 Kilmer appeared opposite another screen icon in the infamous
Island of Dr. Moreau. This turkey has to be seen to be believed. On
the level of a surreal piece of camp, it’s a hoot with Marlon Brando
under pounds of pancake make-up and Kilmer just being batshit crazy.
The legendary Brando was unimpressed with Kilmer’s on-set behavior and
told him so saying, “You are confusing your talent with the size of
your paycheck.”
Ouch.
Then again, Kilmer’s antics on Moreau are the stuff of legend. He was
going through a divorce from Willow co-star Joanne Whalley at the time
and decided he wanted his part reduced by 40%.
This forced director Richard Stanley to recast him in a smaller role
and to give the lead role to Rob Morrow. Kilmer then thanked Stanley
for his flexibility by getting him fired. Morrow realized he was on a
sinking ship and he bailed with the canned director.
Reportedly, Kilmer also burned a cameraman with a cigarette and drove
veteran director John Frankenheimer insane.
Frankenheimer told the press, “There are two things I will never ever
do in my whole life. The first is that I will never climb Mt. Everest.
The second is that I will never work with Val Kilmer ever again.”
When Kilmer filmed his last scene, Frankenheimer cried to the crew
“Now get that bastard off my set!”
Kilmer rebounded later that year with the Michael Douglas film, The
Ghost and the Darkness. Once again, Kilmer played a somewhat unstable
and unlikable foil. The film was a mild hit despite mixed reviews.
But after Dr. Moreau, it must have felt like a grand slam.
In 1997, Kilmer made an attempt to return to the spotlight with the
big screen adaptation of TV’s The Saint. The movie played like water-
down James Bond. Or worse, watered-down Mission Impossible. The
planned franchise stalled out after just one movie and also
contributed to the downfall of Oscar-nominee, Elisabeth Shue.
Man, somehow I wind up writing about The Saint a lot!
Kilmer followed-up The Saint with voice-over work as Moses in
Dreamwork’s pre-Shrek Old Testament cartoon, The Prince of Egypt in
1998.
And in 1999, he played a blind dude who found love with Mira Sorvino.
I’m just now realizing that Val Kilmer is like the Six Degrees of
Kevin Bacon when it comes to What the Hell Happened? Somehow, career
implosion is never far behind with this guy.
Kilmer’s next starring role was in the sci-fi dud, Red Planet. Sadly,
I know I’ve seen this movie. But for the life of me, I can’t remember
a damned thing about it. I keep getting it confused with the equally
forgettable Mission to Mars starring Lt. Dan.
The most notable thing about Red Planet was yet another Kilmer feud.
This time it was with co-star Tom Sizemore whom Kilmer refused to
address by name.
By this point, the main stream roles started to dry up for Kilmer.
The next movie of any note was probably 2003′s Wonderland in which
Kilmer played porn star John Holmes. Wonderland promised to be an
edgy art film. But reviews were mixed and audiences skipped it.
Kilmer’s career was entering free fall with many of his movies going
straight to video. Oliver Stone attempted a rescue by casting Kilmer
as the fat, one-eyed king of Macedon in 2004′s Alexander.
Unfortunately, Alexander was an infamous bomb which at best
contributed to Kilmer’s career spiral.
Thank god, Angelina Jolie escaped unharmed. Colin Farrell wasn’t so
lucky.
Kilmer got another shot at redemption in 2005′s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang co-
starring with future Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. Downey was rehabbing
his career after legal entanglements from years of drug use. In a
show of solidarity, Kilmer pledged not to drink during the entire 3-
month shoot.
Notice, he didn’t say anything about staying sober…
While the critics were kind to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, audiences were
not. Downey would go on to a remarkable rebound with box office hits
like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. Kilmer would go on to voice the
car in the Knight Rider re-do.
But Val Kilmer would not go silently into that good night (rider). He
still pops up from time to time in movies like The Bad Lieutenant and
MacGruber. Almost no one sees these movies, but he’s in them.
So, what the hell happened? Obviously, Kilmer burned a lot of
bridges. You’ll find some people who will defend Kilmer and his
dedication to his craft. But the reason they have to defend Kilmer is
that he has acted like a prima donna to such an extent that even
people in Hollywood who are used to dealing with prima donnas got sick
of his shit and decided they didn’t want to play with him anymore.
Also, there’s this:
There’s no other way to put this. Val Kilmer got fat. And not just
flabby. He got pregnant-man fat.
Now, I’m not one to make fun of a middle-aged guy putting on some
weight. Brother, I’ve been there. But when you make millions of
dollars in a job that is contingent on staying in shape, maybe you
should listen to the nutritionist and put the donuts down.
I mean, most of us sit behind a desk for 40+ hours a week and then
have to deal with kids and chores. Yeah, we let ourselves go. But
stars like Kilmer have resources that aren’t available to the common
man. Which makes it hard to believe that Ice Man can turn into a
beached whale.
Eventually, they just went ahead and made him King of Bacchus at
Mardis Gras for Fat Tuesday in 2009.
Just when it seemed like Kilmer couldn’t sink any lower, he did this
to Paris Hilton:
My eyes! My eyes! Make it stop!
What have I missed? Bad career choices, tabloid scandals, drug use,
alcoholism, weight gain, on-set temper tantrums, fist fights,
tonguining a hotel heiress, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. I think
that just about covers what the hell happened to Val Kilmer.
Kerrison
Dec 7, 2012, 1:42:53 PM12/7/12
to
didn't include Kilmer but featured Omar Sharif talking to a blind man
selling party tricks and novelties in the street. Here it is on You
Tube, so prepare to have a giggle ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPB2g1y2VFk
Then there's the famous "backwards scene" where Kilmer and Peter
Cushing had to do everything in reverse. Working out the various moves
while walking backwards at the same time must have taken a hell of a
lot of rehearsing, especially as it's all done in one take ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYTVl0iOkk
Gonna have to watch this one again real soon.
Michael OConnor
Dec 8, 2012, 9:21:04 AM12/8/12
to
> Mention of 'Top Secret' reminded me of one of the funniest scenes that
> didn't include Kilmer but featured Omar Sharif talking to a blind man
> selling party tricks and novelties in the street. Here it is on You
> Tube, so prepare to have a giggle ...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPB2g1y2VFk
>
> Then there's the famous "backwards scene" where Kilmer and Peter
> Cushing had to do everything in reverse. Working out the various moves
> while walking backwards at the same time must have taken a hell of a
> lot of rehearsing, especially as it's all done in one take ...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYTVl0iOkk
>
> Gonna have to watch this one again real soon.
definitely had it's moments. The Cow suit sequence was one of the
funniest scenes I've ever seen. Watching Top Secret, I never would
have imagined Val Kilmer would go on to play Jim Morison. I always
felt he was an underrated actor, and one actor I would like to see a
comeback from.
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