When Hollywood Turns Its Back on You - Val Kilmer

In 1995 Val Kilmer was taking over Hollywood. With memorable performances in Top Gun, The Doors and Tombstone already under his belt, he really cemented himself as the young actor by teaming up with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Heat, and that same year in Batman Forever. But only a decade later and he's starring mostly in direct-to-DVD films.
2021's Val went over his love for acting, and the recent battle with losing his voice to cancer. However, the doc skimmed over a controversial part of his career - the time he was constantly labeled as a prima donna. So we wanted to take a deeper look at this part of his career. Like the reason for him never returning as Batman, or one of the most infamous movie productions ever and the final nail in the coffin that had Hollywood turn its back on him…
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:49 - Quick Rise to Fame
03:45 - Batman Forever
05:91 - The Worst of Kilmer (Dr. Moreau)
08:48 - More Drama
10:29 - Downhill (Did He Deserve It?)
Val Kilmer. Tom Cruise. Top Gun. Heat. Batman Forever. Tombstone. Robert De Niro. Al Pacino. The Doors. Jim Morrison. The Island of Dr. Moreau. Marlon Brando. On-set issues. 90s actors. Joel Schumacher. Doc Holliday. Iceman. Joanne Whalley. Razzie. Val 2021. The Ghost and the Darkness. The Saint. At First Sight. Red Planet. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. DVD actor. Problematic Actor.
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#valkilmer #controversial #90s

[@ray.shoesmith]

Dude should have won an Oscar for Tombstone tbh

[@stephengrigg5988]

The fact he wasn't nominated is something people will never let the academy live down

[@mrrootytooty5797]

Just a totally astonishing performance...absolute all time great tier

[@jamesfournier3458]

I watch Tombstone over and over just to see him. "I'll be your Huckleberry".

[@Matt..S]

lol wut a lame performance in a boring nonsensical movie

[@UrMomsChauffer]

@@Matt..Swho do you think is Oscar worthy, and in what movie? Specific to that era

[@simon0044]

Val Kilmer was huge, if you are aged 40 - 55 he’ll always be one of the biggest movie stars. He also should have won an Oscar for either the doors or tombstone. He was on another level in both of those movies

[@MattHobson-cr6xk]

Val is pretty big for people in their 30s as well dude is a legend always seemed slightly bat shit crazy in the right way like a hunter s Thompson

[@SStupendous]

​@@MattHobson-cr6xkTombstone is one of my favorite movies and I was born in this century

[@buttscarlton1490]

Hell yeah ​@@SStupendous

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

But who can forget that Oscar Winning performance with The Anal Intruder in Top Secret?

[@robertmaybeth3434]

I believe you're right, especially about his turn as Jim Morrison. Not to take anything from Rami Malek's brilliance as Freddy Mercury but for comparison, Kilmer's performance was every bit as inspired, perceptive and nuanced, in a very similar role and movie, and Kilmer by rights should have been a shoe-in for best actor (Jeremy Irons won instead for "Reversal of fortune").

[@amandaredd3057]

I don't think anybody else could have played Jim Morrison the way Kilmer did. He truly embraced that role and morphed into him somehow!! Amazing work

[@troy3456789]

That's method acting for you

[@cynthiahusband106]

He should have won the Oscar for doc Holliday in Tombstone , he became Doc Holliday.

[@showwhite7320]

Might have been easy part to play because that's he needed to act like a diva.

[@thedude7099]

He was the lizard King 🦎he could do Anything

[@ellaella5537]

My parents were big fans of the doors and Jim, so I liked his music but I became a fan because of the movie. This is how I actually really discovered Jim. I know, it was a movie, but still, Val did such an incredible job, it looked very real.

[@rockrocker100]

Even if he was an asshole sometimes I think we can all agree he didn’t deserve cancer and to lose his voice

[@FilmStack]

Oh 100%, no one deserves that

[@corndog3861]

@@FilmStack so why would you suggest it in the thumbnail?

[@kathleenvargovich9539]

​@@corndog3861to get your 13:17 attention. Which it obviously did.

[@maxt707]

Who deserves cancer????

[@peggypasson8794]

He is a great actor no doubt but ...he has bad behavior .it's very sad to hear he took sick though . prayers

[@jasonarcher7268]

His role in tombstone might be my favorite movie character of all time.

[@soonersciencenerd383]

mine was, and is real genius.

[@wilmeyer99]

I liked Tombstone very much. He actually had me believing he had TB.

[@soonersciencenerd383]

@@wilmeyer99 my favorite is "real genius"- they have inventions that weren't invented back then- flying drone balls, E-PROMs, mega-lasers, GPS, re-breathers...

[@michaelray3200]

you're a daisy

[@bronson1392]

Met Val K in London drinking a pint, bloody lovely person, very kind and considerate. Thanks Val!

[@JoeCostigan-be2dl]

the current Kilmer looks like a clone.

[@TheReasonableLiberal-hn2rs]

​@@JoeCostigan-be2dlenough with the clone crap. Everybody's a clone now a days? It's called aging dude.

[@Sunbreeze7]

lucky you

[@IncognitoChild]

I thought Vals depiction of Jim Morrison was stunning, but the biggest mystery to me, even to this day, is why Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was never a monster hit, It was such a great film

[@stephencarter7266]

Take a guess. KKBB came out long before the woke era.

[@natalianegritto]

I bet it was the name -A movie w a name like that?

[@AlWorth9738]

@@stephencarter7266 99% of people slinging around "woke" don't know what it means.... it means to recognize that everyone should have the same rights as anyone else. That's it. It isn't an agenda

[@metalbrainmextrememetalent6810]

Probably the title. Sounds like a baby came up with that.

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

Sucker.

[@IdealX-fr4eg]

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is criminally underrated..

[@tinaterry1280]

Great movie ❤

[@znmrtns]

Absolutely

[@JavierCastillo-vc8ih]

And the irony is that movie was RDJ comeback film after his fall from drugs and jail time.

[@raywalsh9152]

I not only agree, but I also see what you did there ... nicely done.

[@toastydanny9136]

Obviously not since it had great reviews.

[@XhoowieX]

Crazy that the final 'big' movie of his initial run, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, was actually very good. After a long series of awful movies that didn't end it.

[@FilmStack]

Yeah that one was super unfortunate!

[@user-rt9zq8rs9k]

Hey ! Just because some of his movies didn't do well at the box office doesn't mean they're bad . THUNDERHEART and SPARTAN are really good movies .

[@josephamato2031]

He killed that role

[@One21Jiggawatts]

He was very unlucky that he ended up in movies with potential that had terrible sets.

[@gordons-alive4940]

That was pretty good, but it didn't make money, which is the top priority for the studios.

[@casedistorted]

The Ghost and the Darkness was always one of my favorite Val Kilmer films as a kid growing up. Really miss those days I always loved him in The Doors and Willow as well. Kilmer was one of my fav actors growing up. I think Val Kilmer played Jim Morrison very well

[@lokisingularity3394]

Same

[@thewatcher4552]

Agree awsome film

[@terrimobley6067]

OMG yes... Ghost and the Darkness.. gripping movie. I can only watch it during the day

[@manofwar577]

Ghost and the Darkness, one of the best films ever!

[@CutiePie-hh3gg]

Val Killer is hugely talented his performance in The Doors, Tombstone and At First Sight is incredible

[@oscarstainton]

As a kid, I felt Val's voice lent a good combination of gravitas and humanity to Moses. Its surreal to me that The Prince of Egypt where the film was a decent hit and he put in solid work as the lead character. He shaped up his work ethic after his leading man status faded, but still it makes you wonder what could have been.

[@starwarsroo2448]

He had a lot of good ideas for his roles that just made a movie work. Interesting with The Doors he didn't want to do a movie that glorified drug use, so I think they kinda had to rewrite the script. It worked and it was a great performance

[@heathercontois4501]

Best role he ever played.

[@simon0044]

@@heathercontois4501 doc Holliday was better

[@heathercontois4501]

@@simon0044 I think Doc Holiday was awesome, but I always thought it took more skill to convey in voice alone, what he also did with facial expressions and body language with the role of Holiday.

[@PrinceAlhorian]

Val's voice was also the voice of God in Prince of Egypt. Reason being, as per the director, when God speaks to you directly, it will be familiar yet elevated. So val took a soft fatherly tone when speaking as God to Moses.

[@carpeimodiem]

Val's character in Real Genius was a whole way of life. Val turned the 80's into the 80's we know today, and brought it to life in that performance.

[@Charliehund100]

It’s really one of those underrated gems. Idealistic without being preachy; and just leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy.

[@carpeimodiem]

@@Charliehund100 best ending ever

[@Mr-Angelo0U812]

​@@carpeimodiemall that 🍿

[@Redmenace96]

I put my sunglasses on the back of my collar, instead of the front, to this day because of Val. Every 15 y I meet someone who remembers the laser lab scene.

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

He was fantastic in that movie. It's the kind of performance where you're not just enjoying it, but being amazed by the obvious talent.

[@RoverIAC]

I met Val on the set of Red Planet in Sydney. He was a nice guy. He was having a fight with Tom Siezmore at the time. Those two hated each other and all their scenes together where shot separately and composited.

[@RolandDeschain1]

Sizemore was a monster as well. Read William Butler's 'Tawdry Tales and Confessions from Horror's Boy Next Door' autobiography for a harrowing tale of trying to direct Sizemore in a low-budget horror picture.

[@RoverIAC]

@@RolandDeschain1 thanks for the tip, I enjoy a good non-fiction read sometimes.

[@lac8356]

Val is fairly pretentious and can treat crew members pretty bad. I'm going back to the filming of The Island of Dr. Moreau. He was a total twat. Polar opposite to Brando who enjoyed his cast and crew

[@RoverIAC]

@@lac8356 yeah, I had herd all those stories, that's why I was surprised he was nice to me.... also it seemed he had been doing a little self reflection.

[@EviMlcak]

I always thought Tom Sizemore to be scary, like he might have been a school bully when young. That movie 'Heat', I can watch often. It's that kind of movie, much like 'The Italian Job' (with Mark Whalberg)

[@jrobwoo688]

The Salton Sea is one of my favorite Val Kilmer films. Vincent D’Onofrio is also great in the movie.

[@veseyvonveitinghof]

...absolutely agree...

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

It's a hidden gem. I can't for the life of me understand why it didn't become bigger and wider known?

[@pegcity4eva]

It didn't get any promotion

[@mrrootytooty5797]

Never heard of this, i will watch it over the weekend ..thank you

[@veseyvonveitinghof]

...you won't regret it...

[@bigstackD]

I don’t know what it is, but The Saint is definitely in my top 10👍🏻

[@tinaterry1280]

I love that movie ❤

[@junosaxon4370]

I love the film The Saint too. I also really like him in Double Identity and Thunderheart.

[@selinakyle2368]

The soundtrack is one of the best

[@graceisamazing5493]

YES, me too, as well as Thunderheart!

[@usedscar]

Thank goodness there are other The Saint fans. I can't resist the guy and girl on the lamb! Thunder Heart was another.

[@allright]

How did this man not get an Oscar nomination, for his Performances of Jim Morrison and Doc Holliday.

[@thetruthchannel349]

Half of those awards are lobbied & throw aways. What remains are heavily lobbied. Its not the fair process you'd want to think it is. Thats why Peter Faulk kept his Oscars in his bathroom.

[@davidgordon2125]

I met Val after attending one of his Citizen Twain performances. He was so kind. I have no doubt he has behaved naughty at times, I cannot think of a person who hasn’t in their youth or when they feel they are on top of the world. Sometimes our money or popularity gets to our heads. Hopefully, he has grown out of that foolish behavior and can look back and teach other upcoming actors that everyone has a part to play in the movie industry and money or fame does not elevate anyone above another. But we still love you Val! ❤️💙💛💚🧡💜

[@Dram10Holt-zi7fl]

@davidgordon2125 I met him at his Citizen Twain showing in Denver. He had lost some of his voice, so he wasn’t performing it anymore. Just showing a taping. Still, I loved meeting him and shaking his hand!

[@xzen667]

I dont know man. He was a regular customer at a restaurant I managed for years. He dressed so people couldn't recognize him and he was super humble. Easy to talk to and we would chat for a bit most times he came in. Also met his kids and Ex. All very nice people every time I interacted with them.

[@TCAustin1881]

I've met Val many times through my live theater career, he is not difficult to work with, however he doesn't suffer fools ! He is dedicated to and passionate about his craft !

[@manderz1627]

The feud with Sizemore was over Tom’s drug addiction. When they worked in Heat, Deniro went to Sizemores apartment and told him to get his ass in rehab or quit. He got better. The. In late 1998 he met Heidi Fleis and he became impossible even with Heidi showing up on sets and fighting Tom. Val was fed up with directors abuse and co stars ruining each shot

[@AliciaGuitar]

And Tom died.

[@allys744]

Most people in Hollywood are divas and they get to keep their jobs. Val had a good career while he did and it’s sad to hear his voice slowly disappear.

[@jjr1728]

My mother said that he was a terrible cokehead in the 90s.

[@Itried20takennames]

Nah, the few divas make headlines, but most in Hollywood, even larger stars, are decent and hard working…it’s often bad for a stars career and paycheck to be an awful person. Movies aren’t “art” per se….they are businesses, and businesses may put up with someone who is late and unprofessional for a bit, if that person still makes them money, but mostly they drop those that are too difficult or temperamental.

[@boogiedaddy3434]

That Michael Douglas quote about Eric Roberts and Mickey Rourke makes me want to know more about what went on with them.

[@truefilm6991]

Oh absolutely. I consider both terrific actors. Both were fantastic together in The Pope Of Greenwich Village.

[@maxmeier532]

substances and attitude?

[@truefilm6991]

@@maxmeier532 Many actors and actresses did and do that. There is perhaps more to that.

[@saintniccage2818]

Val and Douglas ate sooooo much vag on the set of the ghost and the darkness that they both developed THE SAME rare type of throat cancer..

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

@@truefilm6991Eric Roberts and Mickey Rourke were big in the 80s though Eric was never a leading man. Mickey had a terrible behind the scenes attitude similar to Val, Turned down a lot of big roles and eventually briefly quit acting to be a boxer, when he returned he had tons of surgery and messed up his face which was big drawing point of his and he’s been on a downturn with a brief revival in the mid 2000s. Eric I think was just substance abuse issues.

[@One21Jiggawatts]

He came to Australia for a Q&A about 12 years ago. He said he felt privileged to work with several great directors on his way up but then ended up on some chaotic sets with rotating doors of directors who didn’t know what they were doing.

[@creatrixZBD]

Well, he was well known as a complete dick to the locals during filming of The Island of Dr Moreau. He was embarrassing to behold, had a bad vibe, and smart women stayed well away from him. I don’t think it was all as one-sided as he says 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@gordons-alive4940]

Yes, some of those productions were a mess, but it sounded like he had something to do with that. That doesn't explain his being pretty mean to people at times. That didn't do anything to make the movies better.

[@fatarsemonkey]

Imagine how he would be if he had to deal with the directors they are employing now.

[@One21Jiggawatts]

@@creatrixZBD I knew people living in cairns at the time. One memorable story was that he couldn’t get a seat in a restaurant so he went next door, paid for everyone’s food and left a massive tip. He was a dick to the booked out restaurant but the people who got free food and the staff who got an awesome tip love him.

[@cadejust6777]

@@creatrixZBD He Wasnt A Dick He Was A Victim Of Circumstance Also Your Basing Those Accusations On Mere Hearsay?.

[@Detman101]

Real Genius, Salton Sea, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang & Tombstone are three of my all-time favorite movies. Val Kilmer is Hollywood gold...always has been, always will be.

[@margeebechyne8642]

Four.

[@Detman101]

@@margeebechyne8642Oh yeah,...thank you lol.

[@blacknapalm2131]

Val was charismatic, iconic and a naturally gifted actor. He was also a colossal and insufferable asshole. *The two are not mutually exclusive*

[@anthonyhassett]

You know they wanted Oliver Reed to be Bond but they couldnt keep him sober for 3 months for shooting but he would have been the most accurate depiction of flemings bond (office ungentlemanly warfare, christoper lee, Sydney reilly etc)

[@classic.cameras]

I loved Val Kilmer in Willow. Love that movie.

[@elizabethmcleod246]

❤

[@creatrixZBD]

Me too, a childhood fave ❤

[@jjr1728]

I never watched it but want to

[@midinerd]

ah yes! mad mardigan or whatever. totally!

[@jeanemlicar]

Willow was Awesome. It’s too bad Val Kilmer couldn’t reprise the role for the Disney + series.

[@MrDarcyProductions]

I can't imagine anyone getting along with Marlon Brando and Tom Sizemore tbh

[@MomMom4Cubs]

Cocaine dealers might, but no one else though.

[@N-xi2zh]

yeah

[@johnsmith-ht3sy]

Tom Sizemore was comfortable to be with during a break in Saving Private Ryan, he chatted to me a nobody extra just like a normal everyday guy.

[@johnsmith-ht3sy]

@@MrDarcyProductions One day filming in Hatfield Hertfordshire, a large production scene that was never included in the movie, in fact another days filming in another location, also this scene never was included in the movie. I digress, Tom did collapse for no reason and fall down an embankment, thats when I heard for the first time, others saying, hes out of it on drugs again. Anyway medics checked him over and shooting resumed. I just thought he just looked drunk.

[@Curiamacabre]

Tom sixe.ore was a notorious drug addiction. And diva. He had his own reputation

[@david.rachacha]

I worked at a theater where Cate Blanchett was performing. We were all told ahead of time that Val Kilmer wasn’t to be sold a ticket because she had a restraining order against him for stalking her. His issues go way beyond what everyday people know.

[@MomMom4Cubs]

Wonderland is my favorite Kilmer picture. The ring he wears on the necklace was given to him by none other than Sharon Holmes.

[@JoeyChilango]

What a great and underrated film. It's too bad that the director's next true crime movie, Billionaire Boys Club, was such a stinker.

[@tannaeros]

This is a great film- the confrontation with him and Lisa Kudrow has such a reality to it. She's fed up and he's shocked she's fed up; happens in a million households every day.

[@matthewgabbard6415]

Men just cannot fathom the fact that a woman who once loved them can stop loving them. I think we base our idea of love on our mother's unconditional love for us. But we forget she is the only one that really applies to and all other women change and get tired of our nonsense.@@tannaeros

[@JenSell1626]

@@matthewgabbard6415is it the women changing or the men failing to? 🤷‍♀️ of course generalizations are general

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

​@@matthewgabbard6415Sharon Holmes never moved on from John Holmes and found anyone else, she just stopped being with him because of his addiction in addition to becoming a porn star.

[@jomesias]

Doc Holliday will always be one of my favorites of his many roles! Also The Saint and Top Gun! He really dove deep into his roles!!

[@Susieq26754]

He was a extreme pain in the butt to all those powerful movie moguls. He pissed off someone.

[@Itried20takennames]

I think Killer’s behavior pissed off plenty of people. But not wanting to work with someone who is an abusive db and disruptive is not a conspiracy or blacklisting….it’s just common sense.

[@analogman9697]

He is Christian Science. Christianity ina nay form is verboten in Hollywood, and practically everywhere else these days.

[@dittohead7044]

@@analogman9697 a Christian scientist is not a Christian. Thats a weird religion that contradicts the Bible itself

[@analogman9697]

Oh I agree. In fact most if not all religions contradict the Bible...especially catholicism.@@dittohead7044

[@analogman9697]

They tossed my response. Yes I agree. Most of the Christian churches preach prosperity but won't talk about salvation. The catholic church is just in open defiance of the Word of God...repetitive prayer, calling their pastors "father"...it's a long list.

[@mariaelenar9764]

Val Kilmer is a fabulous actor blessed with a beautiful physique. Even if Hollywood has done him wrong he still shines, he is also a fantastic theater actor, great painter and more. He is beloved all over the world ❤

[@vickyzimmer527]

There are a lot of actors that aren't good socially. I think its part of what makes them want to act. Add in their handlers, agents, etc where they dont even live in the same world we do. Its easy to judge.

[@stephengrigg5988]

Him having a memo saying he would like to be left alone on set seems completely reasonable, but I've heard of so many actors being labeled as "hard to work with" because of stuff like that. In any other line of work, "could you leave me alone and let me do my job" isnt just acceptable, it's encouraged, but not in acting apparently. It really seems like you're damned if you do, damned if you dont. "You have to take it serious, but not *too* serious, because then you're a pompous ass. You have to have fun, but not *too* much fun, because then you're lazy and entitled."

[@WilliamLyons-ym7ee]

I ran into Kilmer over 25 years ago at a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles. He was nice and cordial. Then I hear these stories. I guess everyone has good days and bad days.

[@ressljs]

It may not be good vs bad days, but on or off the job. I've known people that outside of work, they seem totally fine and easy going. But at work, possibly because of feeling pressure or wanting to exercise their authority, they're just horrible to be around.

[@snoookie456]

Oliver Stone not liking Val Kilmer's portrayal of Jim Morrison , considering how perfect he was and how uncanny it was for the rest of the actual band is just so unsurprising. Oliver Stone is one of the biggest hacks in Hollywood...

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

He's one of the best directors they have.

[@Drak976]

@s1ft1hy4j Natural Born Killers is over rated Alexander was bad and it's been 20 years of stinkers ever since. Tell me the plot to Nuclear Now without looking it up pro tip you can't because nobody has ever heard of his most recent movie. Only JFK and Platoon has 8/10 rating on IMDB a website that loves every movie they're told to like. Making 1 good movie doesn't make you "one of the best directors". It makes you just another hyped person like Kathy Griffith. Next I bet you'll tell me she's a celebrity but you won't be able to name one movie she starred in because they just sort of decided she was famous and started hyping her. You'd think this was obvious in Current Year +7.

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

@@Drak976 Who spoke of Kathy Griffin? What does she have to do with anything? That is so weird -- pardon your obsessions indeed. You're on a roll of your own nature here and it has nothing to do with this discussion and possibly anything else. Tom Cruise should have won an Oscar for Born on the Fourth of July. All the moreso considering the tenor of the times. Platoon was ground-breaking and earth-shaking, yup. Again, considering the tenor of the times even moreso So was JFK. Again, considering the tenor of the times, even moreso. Salvador was absolutely brilliant --- and again even braver and more worthy considering how it was swimming against the tenor of the times in our typically cowardly Hollywood and popular culture. Natural Born Killers was not over-rated by far; it was widely condemned on its release and Stone was even sued for it. If anything it was far under-rated. Over-rated by whom? Stone wrote the incredible movie Midnight Express and famously had a hand in doctoring many great scripts. He is a first-rate screenwriter and director and pleading anything else is simply ignorance. I don't know or care about whatever his latest movie might be, but whether it's good or bad doesn't erase or move the needle on a decades-long career of incredible creative success. It sounds like you have a grudge of some sort. Okay then. But a film historian you are not. Get off that high horse -- you have no space for that smug superior attitude here and don't know what you're talking about.

[@FranklySpeaking.]

@@Drak976started rambling then became completely half cocked! time for your meds.

[@FranklySpeaking.]

@@user-ps1ft1hy4jsomeones def triggered by Kathy Griffin. Shes living SO rent free in his head... seems like there's PLENTY of space to lounge around! just saying.

[@tjdetroit3618]

Possibly the best actor of a generation… he was never afraid to do what he wanted… pure talent

[@od1452]

His Doc Holiday was amazing , the cup twirl was genius.

[@garyianbritton]

I haven't seen a lot of the films mentioned here that flopped, but based on his performances in Top Gun, Heat and Tombstone alone, you have to say that Val at his best is a first class actor.

[@missmayflower]

They are all worth seeing. His acting and charisma are unmatched.

[@dhenderson1810]

I think Kilmer was a perfectionist. It is good as it drives the best out of them. Problem is, those types of people also expect others to meet the same level of perfection he expects from himself. Val needed to learn how to strive others to be better, rather than just expecting it.

[@MickeyKnox]

ok ok ok, I have to admit, he might have been hard to work with ... buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut ... his performances were mostly spot on, after all he's a very good actor PLUS, and that is very unfortunate to losing his voice, he was a terrific singer. I always liked watching Val Kilmer films.

[@user-rt9zq8rs9k]

Him being difficult to work with is heresay .

[@richardbruton1224]

@@user-rt9zq8rs9k yeah heresay from the people that worked with him..... witnesses account for something, Idk why yall wierdos have to have video evidence to believe any abuse claim. Use deductive reasoning and put 2 and 2 together.

[@creatrixZBD]

True. I never thought much of him as a person, but he plays some of my all-time favourite characters in some of my all-time favourite movies. I’m a fan of his filmography, and some of his one-liners.

[@tylerthompson1842]

There’s a documentary about the making of the Island of Dr. Moreau that I highly recommend. It’s a great snapshot of how crazy Hollywood had gotten at that time

[@jamesfournier3458]

That was a awful movie.

[@sid2112]

@@jamesfournier3458An incredible mess.

[@vanessac1721]

The Critical Drinker did a video about it on his channel. The story is wild.

[@tylerthompson1842]

@@jamesfournier3458 I’m not talking about the movie but a doc about the madness of making the movie

[@BuzzBee-et8np]

It was all about the orgies and dragged on for at least a year so people could party.

[@estellacoggins715]

I loved him in the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness" and in "The Doors" also as Doc Holiday. He is a great actor.

[@robertstephen6224]

His performance as Doc Holiday tells me everything I want to know. He is by far one of the best actors I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

[@xray86delta]

I loved Val Kilmer in "Willow". He was great as the Barbarian Swordsman, Madmartigan, if I got that right.😉

[@damien4452]

I don't care how difficult he was. The man is a great actor. I love his movies. One of my favorite actor's.

[@ellaella5537]

I just saw an interview where he says that he realized that he was impossible to work with (in his words), that he was blacklisted and wished he could go back. He really seemed so honest, vulnerable and to have lots of regrets. I don’t know I feel like his good side was always there and maybe the tragedies helped him to take a step back. I just don’t think he was a complete A H, because I don’t think someone can go from one extreme to the other. He probably just needed to be humbled as bit , but my oh my did he not deserve this cruel “Karma”. I was shedding tears when I saw him on Top Gun 2. It must be incredibly hard to go from being a one of the most crushed over movie star, who could also sign to a guy who looks completely different, black listed and without a voice. Seriously, poor guy.

[@PoisonelleMisty4311]

The rise and fall of a Hollywood star can happen in the blink of an eye. One moment, you're the hottest name in town, starring in blockbuster films and walking the red carpet at premieres. But then, just as quickly, things can change. For Val Kilmer, once considered one of the most promising talents in Hollywood, this was exactly the case. With a string of successful films under his belt, including iconic roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever, and The Doors, Kilmer seemed destined for superstardom. However, after a series of personal and professional setbacks, Hollywood began to turn its back on him. Some say Kilmer's reputation for being difficult to work with on set played a role in his dwindling opportunities. Reports of clashes with directors and costars began to surface, painting him as a prima donna in an industry that values collaboration and professionalism. Additionally, Kilmer's health struggles, including a battle with throat cancer that left him unable to speak for a period of time, further hindered his career. The physical toll of his illness was evident, leading to a noticeable change in his appearance and casting directors becoming hesitant to take a chance on him for leading roles. As the offers for major projects dried up, Kilmer found himself taking smaller, less high-profile roles in independent films and theater productions. While his talent and dedication to his craft never wavered, the opportunities to showcase them on a larger stage became increasingly scarce. Despite the setbacks and rejection, Kilmer remained resilient and continued to pursue his passion for acting. He embraced his new reality, finding fulfillment in his work, whether it was performing in a small theater or filming a low-budget indie project. While Hollywood may have turned its back on him, Val Kilmer's story serves as a reminder that true success is not measured by fame or fortune, but by the love and passion for one's craft. And for Kilmer, that passion never wavered, even in the face of adversity.

[@SeattleRex]

Val is a superb actor. The great ones are always eccentric. He earned it.

[@MrOliverbox]

I will always love Val Kilmer. I met him once, only briefly, after one of his Mark Twain shows. Tombstone, The Ghost and the Darkness, and Spartan are some of my all time favorites… he’s excellent in Willow.

[@SenorTucano]

Val Kilmer should’ve received an Oscar for his portrayal of Doc Holliday

[@Bootmahoy88]

I do know quite a lot about Val and some of the set issues; he became a total prick with an ego in the stratosphere on many instances. It's unfortunate. I would say though he wasn't as bad as Klaus Kinski; at times, however, he came close. We were friends once when we worked together in 1988 at The Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boulder, CO. I played the ghost to his Hamlet. Don't take my word for that. Look it up if you don't believe me. So, all in all, I think he got what he bargained for, and I think it's very sad. When I knew him he was not only generous to a fault with his friends, he was just a great guy to hang around with. That persona faded, and something else took its place.

[@mursuka80]

Damn if the best you can say about the guy is that he is not worse than Kinski tells me everything i need to know about Kilmer. One of many actors who believed their own hype. He is great actor though.

[@Bootmahoy88]

@@mursuka80 oh yeah, he is a great actor. His Hamlet was brilliant. I think k you can even read a few 1988 reviews of the show.

[@skeletorlikespotatoes7846]

​@@mursuka80😂 what?😅

[@maviswilhelm8390]

Oh, yeah? I’ll have you know that he’s not as good as Klaus Kinski, either. Can you imagine Kilmer attempting ‘Aguirre: The Wrath of God’? Nope, no one can.

[@stephencarter7266]

​@@maviswilhelm8390Only because it's hard to imagine Kilmer in a Werner herzog/ Fitzcarraldo style film. I can't imagine any actor other than Klaus Kinski in those roles.

[@norahjaneeast5450]

He auditioned for the role in Full Metal Jacket by sending a video in something that Stanley Kubrick asked the entire country to do the same I remember seeing them at my community college sending your tape auditioning for Full Metal Jacket so he wasn't just being wacky he was just doing what thousands of people were doing trying to get a role in that movie

[@DMalltheway]

He auditioned for Goodfellas too

[@danlove12k]

He was robbed of Oscar as doc holiday in Tombstone 🥴🥴

[@analogman9697]

I wonder how much of that was ad-libbed. He saved a cliche-riddled story line for sure.

[@docwho2828]

​@@analogman9697That's right!

[@farrdawgjoker7087]

Salton Sea is an absolute gem of a film and unknown to so many because it had no promotion to it. Between Salton Sea and Wonderland you have to ask if Val had a for real drug problem because he played both hard drug addicted characters almost to perfection. Val became a star so fast that it's not hard to see how his ego could have inflated to a destructive point as it did. I still think he missed his chance for a catch phrase on par with Arnold Schwarzenegger's I'll be back with I'll be your Huckleberry from Tombstone. I mean who doesn't love that. It all fairness it's hard for actors and musicians to be put up on pedestals and borderline seen as a God by some and loved by lots of people who they will never know or meet while they bring in millions of dollars could not become ego driven narcissistic or worse because they are living the life and realizing the dreams of millions and once they realize that it's hard to come back down to reality most do but there are select few that don't unfortunately for Val he was forced to come back down with throat cancer. Anyone who hasn't seen Salton Sea go see it because it is an absolutely great film.

[@WilmaHyche-ry4hr]

Salton Sea is one of my favorite Val Kilmer movies. Tombstone is my favorite movie of all the movies he was in because he played the part of Doc Holliday so well.

[@Mayhap34]

Michael Douglas said he had no issue with Kilmer. And I actually liked The Ghost And the Darkness, based on a true story.

[@rickoshay5525]

Except Douglas ruined the movie by self-inserting himself via a FICTIONAL character. Only Kilmer's character was real. On a coincidental note, Douglas also got throat cancer.

[@kimmy3469]

I’ll always pick Val Kilmer as one of the most talented and awesome actors in modern era. #ValKilmer 💕☝️

[@marquisbois990]

I was an extra in a couple of scenes for the saint in oxford, uk. They gave extra jobs to students for 30 pounds and lunch. Kilmer was a nice man who bought us a round in the pub, must have been 40 of us. Told us to not hold out too much hope on the film and joked it was just for the money for him. Didn’t seem at all as described here.

[@johnsmith-ht3sy]

I had enjoyable work as an extra in The Saint in London.

[@newdefsys]

Kilmer is a comedic genius. His dead pan delivery in Top Secret kills, and his over-the-top villain in McGruber is the only saving grace for that movie.

[@LukeJones-bj8kl]

My little sister worked at the Apple Store at the mall in Santa Monica in her early 20s. Val came in and stole her and hired her as his personal assistant. She worked for him for years and he kind of adopted her.. about a couple years before he got sick she had to quit bc he became too difficult to work for and she was starting to dislike him and didn’t want it to ruin their friendship for good. But our family was always glad he found my sister when she was alone in LA. We worried less obviously when he was taking care of her.

[@deafdude1983]

That is an amazing story. Thanks for sharing.

[@Jared_Wignall]

He’s an excellent actor whose ego got too big, which caused him to act out and be difficult to work with by various people on various films and this resulted in him being in a lot of terrible films as the years went on. And while his divorce might have contributed to the worst time regarding his behavior, he didn’t need to act the way he did on the sets of the films he was making during that period. Despite his talent, nobody but himself is to blame for his career going the way it did. Great video man, take care!

[@jekw23]

Yeah he didn’t help himself. Shame as I thought he was great and wished I could have seen him in more. Alexander is the last movie I watched him in and he was nearly unrecognizable to me.

[@thecassandraeffectvsperilo6754]

The "Salton Sea" was AWESOME 💜💜💜 *EDIT:* I ToTALLY forgot to mention "Wonderland", awesome flick!

[@anywhoyt]

One of my favs. Intensely uncomfortable at times but what a wacky ride with a fantastic supporting cast.

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

Both movies were too grim and didn't have characters that were likable enough

[@WhatisReal11]

He was and is huge. Few get bigger, than what he was in prime.

[@mrandersson2009]

being good at something does not justify being rude, mean or treating poorly people around you. Praise be for those who refused to hire him despite a potential box office less good performance. We as a society should not tolerate such behavior.

[@edie9938]

My boys, aged 32 & 30 and myself, love Val. Every movie we've seen with him, has left an indelible impression on us. After watching this video, I'm surprised he never followed the directing route. Maybe because the brother that passed was the filmmaker, and Val was the "actor". Regardless, Val is a man who takes his craft to heart. I'm sure that's been to the extreme, but looking at the BIG picture, how can he be faulted?? I believe that Doc, is a character, that will go down in history. God Bless you Val.

[@therantingboy]

I met a British veteran camera operator who said Kilmer was the worst actor he'd worked with and Kilmer was an unpleasant womaniser too

[@vanessac1721]

Multiple women wanted to have sex with Val Kilmer, and he obliged? I'm appalled. 😂

[@Kruppt808]

The Time Where Val Kilmer Sinks His Career Slowly and Hollywood Shrugs more apt title

[@mariecherement3834]

Val Kilmer is a phenomenal talented actor. Really. I think what he is truly struggling with most now is living with the aftermath of having cancer, and nearly losing his life. Michael J Fox, Christopher Reeves and many others have had to completely reinvent themselves after a devastating accident or a serious illness. I know its hard, being a cancer survivor, myself. It is much better to look forward in life, rather than to look back when you are dealing with the aftermath of such difficult health issues.Life is not going to ever be quite the same again, But it can be a nice life. You just have to be creative and find ways to make it nice again, and to surround yourself with positive encouraging people in your life. And you have to have very long talks with God, to try and figure out how you can contribute your wisdom and experience in living with your physical changes and difficulties going forward in life, and how to contribute to humanity, by being a good example to others , no matter the cards you have been dealt. Because life is hard. And te bravest thing you can do is go on gracefully, Val.

[@Itried20takennames]

There is a story that the director or producer of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” stated that even if he was making a film on the life of Val Kilmer, he would never cast Val Kilmer again.

[@googalacticgoo]

Jim Morrison never left Vals presence

[@amandabeaty1492]

I always liked Val Kilmer and people seem to have mixed opinions on him. I just watched a thing Kurt Russell did with GQ or Esquire or something and he had nothing but good things to say about working with Val Kilmer. I should re-watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I really liked that one.

[@decal1751]

Absolutely NO ONE could have played a better or even close 2nd to Kilmer as Doc Holiday he was perfect for that role and quite honestly the best part of the whole movie! And i really liked all of the actors in their perspective roles. That was one of the best cast movies I've ever seen. ❤❤😊

[@vuvuvu6291]

I think Val Kilmer fades away off Hollywood is just a natural phenomenon like everything in this world will be. He had his time, now he goes away.

[@keithmichael112]

Having heard some of the stories of how he acted on different sets, it sounds like he could be a little unreasonable. He has the talent to back that up a little though

[@FilmStack]

Yeah he worked best with directors who kept him under control. He had a good on screen presence, but once he stopped bringing in money for movies he stopped being worth the hassle

[@Bootmahoy88]

I do know quite a lot about Val and some of the set issues; he became a total prick with an ego in the stratosphere on many instances. It's unfortunate. I would say though he wasn't as bad as Klaus Kinski; at times, however, he came close. We were friends once when we worked together at The Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boulder, CO. I played the ghost to his Hamlet. Don't take my word for that. Look it up if you don't believe me. So, all in all, I think he got what he bargained for. I thik it's sad. When I knew him he aas not only generous to a fault with his friends, he was just a great guy to hang around. That persona faded, and something else took its place.

[@elizabethmcleod246]

@@Bootmahoy88Bummer

[@pathutchison7688]

I actually think “The Ghost and The Darkness” is a really good movie. I watch it every couple years. And his Doc Holliday is a top 5 all time movie character.

[@TheWhore2culture]

The man is certifiable! First met him during PR for TOP Secret,where he was nice for a long as wanted to be,then he just turned it off. So many actors behave like that, it really didn't surprise me. But,when he started going out with a friend of mine a very sweet young English actress,all hell broke loose, after a day where he'd asked her to meet his children, he blew his top,in public,because " You can't bond with my children. It would be better you don't speak to them!" She rang me in tears,super confused,when I said I'd go round to her flat,something I did often,she got mildly hysterical; apparently he was sitting in his car watching her building! I has another friend in her building, so I asked them to come meet me at front door & we went & shopped for the poor girl,who was too scared to go out as he'd screamed at her in the street,followed her to shops & made a huge scene about things she said, sounded deranged. We then went back to her/my other friends building, where he tried to force his way in the door & only left when my friend said he'd call the police. He sat in that car for what seemed like a week,ringing her phone every few minutes. She was a complete mess crying & terrified to go out. She even missed going to a couple of auditions,meaning her agent started threatening her. Finally we got her out of the back of The building with a couple of suitcases,when the owner of the ground floor flat came back from a long holiday. She already had those timer plugs on various lamps to give impression someone was home/the flat wasn't deserted - something a lot of people did then - ,to lower risk of burglary. She moved in to a girlfriends flat for a week & then left early to start work on a film being shot on location in USA. That was when I got a call from her asking if I'd go & deal with police, it seemed "someone " had broken into her flat,had turned it upside down, but,it didn't seem anything was taken,apart from her answering machine. We'd already put the tape where Kilmer was sending threatening voice messages in a bank box. She didn't have the greatest dating history having gone out briefly with Danny Houston,who is probly the most evil person ever,makes Kilmer look like a choirboy,his ex jumped to her death & he's destroyed so many of the women he's been associated with. My actress friend found her name was tarnished, many rumours leading back to Kilmer,whom she's scared of to this day.

[@amandadassonville4043]

😮😮😮

[@MissTee.]

CB

[@sylviayoung1901]

Sometimes you get someone like Val who is beyond passionate and talented. I have known many genuine artists in a variety of art genres. If they are the real deal, they are shall we say, different. It's not a right or left-brain thing, it's simply a personality thing that includes absolutely being unable to deal with stupid people. I get that, big time. Val is simply a man of great passion and vision and stupidity or people that can't deal with his sarcasm and insane humor will dislike him immensely. Especially insecure people. They can't deal with his type, and he can't deal with theirs and if they aren't strong enough, or sarcastic enough, they'll have heck with him. I get it. It's me to a T. I hate insecure and stupid people. You just want to shake them and hope for some sense to get roused in them. Val is a great actor. One of a kind. He was robbed of an Oscar for Doc Holliday. But really, they are stupid, nonsensical idols that portray nothing true.

[@vampin6]

He killed it in Tombstone and Heat and he wasn't even in a lead role. He proved what he could do in Willow after doing Top Gun. He got a lot of hate over the years

[@MrReubenTishkoff]

Val's performance in Top Gun, The Doors and The Saint are the best for me. Batman Forever is a guilty pleasure, as it was my first Batman movie as a kid. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is very entertaining, and another guilty pleasure!

[@poposterous236]

"he could have potentially blossomed into something huge" uhhh... he played Batman. He's one of the most recognizable actors of the 90's. He WAS huge. It's like saying that Bill Gates could have been rich.

[@radiantlight2361]

This man's career ruin hurts me to this day.. What an actor 😢

[@gregoryrogalsky6937]

I think Val Kilmer had some incredible performances as an actor. I could give two shit about what others say about him on set.

[@justinsixx90]

I grew up watching Val Kilmer. Batman Forever came out when I was 5 or 6. I was so disappointed that they replaced him in Batman and Robin I walked out of the theatre in the first 10 minutes and played arcade games at the theatre. As I’ve gotten older and watched more of his work, he’s one of my favorite actors. Idk how difficult he is, he earned it, and what do you expect for someone who spent a year method acting Jim Morrison.

[@tridoc99]

My wife and I loved Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. We were rooting for it to help Val and RDJ. It worked for one of them.

[@markfleener9844]

i wouldn't call playing in indie films a fall from grace, he came, saw, conquered, and moved on

[@gezusmofo]

Thunderheart is very good.

[@Subo23]

very good and very underrated

[@boxelder9147]

Is that with graham greene? Val is an fbi agent or some shit investigating something on the res? Yeah, thats a good movie

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

I wonder if part of the issue was that he had experience of directing and writing things earlier in his career, so he simultaneously felt that he would know better than the directors he worked with and would give the other cast members notes on their performances. Hollywood is very hierarchical and full of strict rules of etiquette, so if Val's preferred way of working was to have a more open collaboration with some back and forth and he ended up on a set where that would not be tolerated I can understand that being really upsetting and draining his enthusiasm for the project, as well as getting everyone else's back up.

[@WorldPeace21]

Val Kilmer was my favourite actor. I didn't know all these things about him. He's still a good actor though.

[@user-br4oe7yy4j]

Val Kilmer blew his roles out of the water.Bad luck with his health is possibly why he is off the radar.. l still stand over the fact that he's a real living legend. I wish him all the best.. for the future

[@Ta2dwitetrash]

@1:13. Very common theme amongst the stars. The sacrifice.

[@8301TheJMan]

Despite really only having a decade or so of being a star, based on his brilliant performances in "The Doors," "Tombstone," "Heat," "Thunderheart," and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," i still would rank him easily in the top ten best actors of the last 3 to 4 decades. Which makes him one of a handful of the most underappreciated actors of all time imo.

[@joshlamb8163]

I really enjoyed Val's career, and i do think sometimes an artist has an instict sbout how to find success with a project. When you look st the amount of good movies Val was in, I find it hard to believe his contributions were just with acting. It's not hard to make enemies.

[@johnmohanmusic]

Though it is not as well known as some of his other movies, the musical comedy "Top Secret" is the movie that showed Kilmer's total realm of talents. It showed he is a Triple Threat. Superb acting, singing and dancing.

[@OJames1138]

I still really like his early 2000's films like The Salton Sea, Wonderland and Felon. He seems to do better when he doesn't have a big studio pressing on his shoulders.

[@Aint_no_senators_son]

He is an awesome actor. Best wishes to him always.

[@geraldammons5520]

I was never a Kilmer fan. I have never been a Tom Cruise fan either. But when I took a chance and watched Top Gun Maverick, I was sold on both. The scene between them before "Ice" passed (in the movie) was a piece of great work and brought tears to my eyes.

[@jnulpi]

he was a great Actor.I loved almost every Movie from him.But he was his own Enemy and his later Sickness was his End.Sad Story and really Sad for him.

[@JdeeGeekyGao]

I went to a film school here in NZ. We had a guest tutor who was in the costume department in one of Val's early films. Before he began the class he went "Do we have any Val Kilmer fans here?" freaken half the class pointed me out and the guy looked at me and went "Oh sweetie, I am so sorry to say he's a diva." To which I replied. "And I don't care he's a good actor." Dude then ragged on him a good thirty minutes and when he went "So what films do you want to look at for costuming for me to break down?" I went "Heat!" I got a lot of laughs from the class and the tutor just looked at me.

[@Martyn2021]

In Britain we had a comedic actor called Peter Sellers, known around the world for the Pink Panther films. And just like Val had his own demons to deal with and in fact in a similar way Val video tape to document his life Peter Sellers used a 35mm camera. Not only that there are quite a number of parallels with both actors so it would be an interesting idea if you did a video on him

[@jamespohl-md2eq]

Sellers may be British but he worked quite extensively in Hollywood and was well known. Pink Panther series. Being There. Dr. Strangelove. Lolita. Eddie Murphy has gone through on record that Sellers was his acting hero.

[@mrsbluesky8415]

Everyone who knows movies knows Peter Sellers !

[@JohnLoogleman]

Peter Sellers was not comparable to Val. Sellers was a sociopathic abuser of his own children. His story is unbelievable.

[@davidlynch9049]

Sellers was an evil F who abused his kids. Val might have been difficult on set, but if you watch his documentary, produced by his kids and voiced by his son, it's clear he and them loved each other. You can find videos of Seller's son, who has passed away, about how terrible his father was to the family and his wives. He was terribly broken and obviously mentally ill. Val was not.

[@Martyn2021]

@@davidlynch9049 it was more the fact that he recorded (Peter) his own life and was a difficult person on set, almost becoming the character from whichever film he was in. Growing up his mother would call him the name of his dead brother. So he never really was himself and yes he had so many problems.