Val Kilmer lost his voice to throat cancer. He was, by all account, a beautiful man and a talented actor. But, according to him, he was too outspoken and that got him blacklisted by Hollywood. He couldn’t work for 15 years, he said, and then learned the lesson all must if they want to work in tinseltown – they want you compliant and silent.
Either way, he seems to have changed his mind and understood by this interview that he needed to be more grateful and less outspoken. He realized too late that working was a privilege. How Hollywood could squander a talent like this is beyond me, though. Here is the last interview before he lost his voice:
Val Kilmer died at 65 years old of pneumonia. He leaves behind a legacy of memorable performances. The Juliard-trained actor was never given his proper due as an actor because his good looks kept getting in the way and, I suppose, his personality.
His Jim Morrison was next level:
He will always be forever embedded in American culture as the Iceman:
A character he revived in Top Gun Maverick.
Says the New York Times:
Rest in peace, Iceman.
Anyway, this is gossip. Good gossip. I think it may actually be true!
It came from someone I knew who was an entertainment writer for a well known Southern California newspaper. He contributed to many, many high level film publications. He was the author of several books, including one on Martin Scorsese. He was sued by Tom Cruise and eventually had to eliminate the chapter on him from his book about the gay history of Hollywood.
Anyway, he said that Val Kilmer wasn't able to get work in Hollywood because he had exceptionally odd demands. One of which is that there be someone on set at all times who could give him a blow job when he was in the mood. (No word if this person was Tom Cruise)
R.I.P., Val Kilmer!
And, Sasha, speaking of next level, check out this Restoration of The Doors! 🚪 🚪 🚪 🚪!
https://youtu.be/qJu9nfVCQmk?si=BDcu1FDd0KwrDrxw
Josh Brolin, star of American Gangster and the Goonies, also paid tribute.
“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those."
Let's emphasize to everyone's favourite 'ICEMAN' OF HOLLYWOOD in our time…for more than jus6 bring smart, creative and visionary in way he approached acting Val Kilmer was the the king of cool and style…to go with his astonishing range of acting… talent… he blended intelligence with style, both the capability to play hero ( Top Gun , Batman Forever), Villain ( Heat, Tombstone)…
https://screenrant.com/val-kilmer-most-iconic-characters-list/
You can make a case as per Roger Ebert's list, that Val Kilmer had amongst most distinguished listeners of memorable characters per these films out of ALL now deceased actors or his generation…evrn then at VERY LEAST Val Kilmer stacks up despite not being a oscar winner with the best of his similar age group of living actors…like Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington , Patrick Stewart, Pierce Brosnan, Morgan FreemanAnd so many more ( I could honestly pick any combination of established renowned oscar winner actors to contatrast to Val Kilmer body of work THAT IS HOW ACCOMPLISHED AND INCREDIBME VAL KILMERS BODY OF ACTING WORK IS HOW WELL IT STACKS UP NOW AS IT WILL LONG AFTER HIS DEATH…
Whereas Gene Hackman of the generation above Val Kilmers had signature roles of grit and personifying modern toughness…
Val Kilmer personified Intelligence ,evoking lines and in dealing wirh situations on screen in his role in a calm, cruisy ( kiss kiss bang bang ) yet calculated laid back or calculated cold ( heat) manner… but he just seamlessly blended yet via his own signature distinct cool and deeply popular profoundly so manner… his strength in his performances laud in his natural charm and calm yet focused all engaging cinematically performances …
heck of all the Batman movies in 'Batman Forever' we saw amongst most iconic celebrated superheroes of all time actually in his mask let out a cheeky smile!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Quhi25I1Ro&pp=ygUjVmFsIGtpbG1lcnMgc21pbGUgaW4gYmF0bWFuIGZvcmV2ZXI%3D
That is vintage Val on a plate right there! Always able to turn a colder role into a lighter affair!! And take EVERYTIME film goers on his own acting oddysey!..within each of his films.. he was one of very few actors in my life time with exception of very few who could evoke dramatic stakes in his roles on the silver screen without forcing the extra stakes..when the narrative at key point in films plot demanded it… he simply glided and built on his on screen swagger and drew in audiences with his wit n charm one or the other or both..depending wherher he played hero or villain..
Heck his roles had so many applications due his one if a kind level of cinematic acting talent he could even be cast in lesser action based roles more alternative fare like ' the saint' or ' willow'…
But above all for the MOST ENIGMATIC DYNAMIC AND COOLEST Actor of our generation, he was a team player of actor who defined and complemented but altogether ENHANCED the overall cast of a film..cos Kilmer was in it …. the thing about Batman Forever was the callibre of big time iconic popular Stars he was competing on screen with likes of Jim Carey, And Tommy Lee Jones .. and their own brand of charisma and distinguished acting characteristics n audience driven popularity n appeal… amd did Val Kilmer EVER HOLD HIS OWN!! in many ways he was not most bombastic out there or imposing actor but his screen presence throygh his mannerisms was indeed truly the GLUE to be the bridge between less prominent supp actors and bigger time movie stars…
My theory of reason Val Kilmer didn't win a oscar ( but did he ever get oscar nominated ?) Is that he was of more sophisticated savvy alternate range of actor who stood out more to film lovers globally than type of acting that oscars recognise in other words oscar couldn't look past their own bias whrn came nominated awarding best actor obsessing too much as they do to this day of awarding actors play against rheir own stereotype and not near enough on awarding Actors and actresses oscar nominated who exude have More expansive type roles that byild on their own acting legacy oscar simply not savvy of smart enough to think along lines of a ' val kilmer' type role be worh best picture win..no a ACTING OR ACTRESS OSCAR WIN DOES NOT SHOULD NOT ALWAYS BE ABOUT ACTORS GO AGAINST ROLE THEY MOST COMMONLY KNOWN FOR IN THEIR CAREER…IT CZN BE AWARDED SHOULD BE MORE TO BEST OF SAME RANGE OF ACTING THEY BEST KNOWN FOR !!
Maybe the death of Kilmer ar tragic age of obmy 65 y.o. might give AMPAS voters pause for thought before obsessing bout the ' award against actors own stereotype' type role being preferenced as oscar winners… that ONLY REASON LATE GREAT VAL KILMER DID NOT WIN A OSCAR…otherwise if he ever got nominated he least deserved to win one..
But really it fitting that his true break out big time role was as 'Iceman' in Top Gun and it Fitting too that however tragic as is case …that it was? His LAST BIG TIME BIG SCREEN ROLE however small it was poignant it was powerful and it only built from Top Gun Maverick on the acting legacy the role that catapultrd Kilmer to superstathom arguably THE MOST GLOBALLY FAMOUS ICONIC SUPPORTING ROLE IN MODERN CINEMA HISTORY THAT OF ICEMAN.. Cruises ' Maverick' biggest Rival, fierce competitor , colleague, ally then eventual friend … what people oUght to acknowledge that not been acknowledged is way 'Iceman's' character grew into being next most crucial supporting actor role AFTER Goose death. IN effect, Val Kilmer was like the ' 3rd man up' As far as prominrnce frequency roles in Top gun scenes..more a bavkground ovcassional flash to n from secondary actor to Cruises Pete Mitchell ' Maverick ' yet what most astonishing Was for the occassional at best screen time in original 'Top Gun' Val Kilmers character in terms of his intrigue in broader role he plays in interplay between himself, Cruise and Goose particularly, is that this intrigue on his character that audiences and critics has be said at time drawn to Kilmers character cos of distinguished unique edge Kilmer brought to his' ICEMAN ' character he CRAFTED A SUPPOET CHARACTER WHO EVOLVED AND GREW IN COURSE OF UNDER 2 HR ULTRA COOL BLITZ OF A MASTERPIECE IN TOP GUN..I ARGUE THE AUDIENCE YEARNED FOR MORE OF A REVEAL OF THIS ' BACKGROUND 3RD TIER TERMS SCREEN TIME SUPP CHARACTER INTO THE MAUN SUPP GUY OR ' WINGMAN' ALONGSIDE CRUISE…ONLY ACTORS OF PURE MAGENETISM FILM LOVERS APPEAL COULD PULL OFF SUCH GROWTH N EVOLUTION OF A SINGLE ROLE IN ONE FILM…there isOYNLY ONE VAL KILMER..ONE ' ICEMAN'
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/99d70195fb0b103b1d0dd4383d230f7d7a912788b23e8a6d60f38ee8197e831c.jpg
outside of ' The Dark KNIGHT he was the most intriguing yet unique doing full justice to the cowl and cape Batman…
But ICEMAN crystallised, established his reputation for cinematic acting king of being cruisy, natural charisma and flare, yet ability utter lines in away of conviction, imbued with a intelligence and calmness in it wisdom, hybrid part ' villain ' in terms of his Rivalry with Maverick AND evfntusl ally turned friend…
indeed Val Kilmer you were THE WORLDS AUDIENCE'S CHOICE of put willingness ask you to be our WINGMAN in cinemas globally… how fitting that in his final role in TopGun MAverick… he reprised the role that we fell in love with …
I have to say right now death of Gene Hackman and now Val Kilmer 2 of most gifted versatile loved populat actors of their resoected grneration who no longer wirh us..the soul essence and spirit of what made cinema and oscars for that matter worth remembering days whrn thry wrre at their best cinematic film experiences at their best well a gigantic swathe has been cut out of hollywoid oscars soul and true essence what once made it great worth us celebrating …in wake of death 2 titans of cinema all told death of Gene Hackman And Val Kilmer is a tremendous epic loss for us… for hollywood at it best ..across 3 DECADES OF CINEMA..now lost to memory…least hollywood and oscars can do going foreard for their sake and for us to find a wau to REVIVE BEST PARTS Of essence of films and stories that Hackman and Kilmer were part of over last 30 years …
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2abf4c4d8f162422ddbe9cd19f4dc80a15798e69faaaf325ee0b185e431d8e1a.jpg
I say this on Val Kilmer being blacklisted THE VERY FACT at dawn of next iteration of creative and artistic censorship ( curious how at the time the Academy hell bent on amplifying making a push for ' inclusivity and diversity ' in their awards season front and centre ..yet at same time all too willing to silence , censure those outside their narrow defined bubble who had diff line of thiught or verbal alternate viewpoints to awards season or Hollywood's direction )… in the end the censuring of such a deeply popular globally loved iconic actor as Val Kilmer THAT TYPE OF ACTION rotting culture in awards season it theese OPTICS in online media by Hollywood's own attitude ACTIONS AGAINST their once worshipped sons, that is core of the reason why people in DROVES who once tuned into oscars no longer do so or care.. th4y don't even respect right some their moat established actors right to have freedom if expression… so the silencing of Val Kilmer I argue what precipitated awards season fall from grace a symptom or part of the sum of awards season failings toappeal to the disenchanted … Val Kilmer is to br commended not falling for toxic internalised pretentious group thinkers… he had every right at tine in 2014 speak his mind… hollywood as a collective had NO RIGHT to derail his career for 15 yrs just cos he did t toe the politically infused advicacy of hollywoods own media and awards season…you see THIS IS ENTIRE REASON I NOT TUNED INTO OSCARS OR GLOBES OR BAFTAS OR GUILD PRESENTATIONS FOR A DECADE IT BIG PART OF IT THE CONTEMPT WITH WHICH MORE ESTABLISHED SIGNATURE ACTORS ACTRESSES, DIRECTOR PRODUCERS been ill treated in part cos they have diff view to current deluded fools run hollywoid media empire or the oscars their view just doesn't fit in with awards season politically infused advocacy line… and when to those LEGIONS MAJORITY US WHO ARE LONG DISILUSSIONED WITH AWARDS SEASON LEARN revelations of manner in which awards season hollywood seek to ' cleanse itself' in it eyes of it own past most celebrated reveredglobslly respected established actors filmmakers ..not just Val kilmer and they don't get oscar nominated and never win that simply becomes too toxic for people to bare and we like :" why should we tune into oscars broadcast when they dint even respect actors or actresses we love? Or filmmskers ??" IT a fukin compelling question don't u think?? Time awards seasons going forward esp oscars n baftas give pause for serious thought on the above point…
Tombstone. I will remember his Doc Holiday forever.