Kilmers early films included comedies likeTop Secret!
That was followed by the fantasy filmWillow(1988).
I still cant go thru an airport without hearing Im your huckleberry.
Val Kilmer in 1989Paul Harris/Getty Images
Kilmer said the key to finding his Doc Holliday was the accent, a dialect that didnt exist anymore.
So he reached out to dialect and speech coach Tim Monich for help.
The dialect was key.
It informs even the walk, the thought process… his condescension.
The trap was the suit, he later said.
Kilmer was rumored to be difficult on the set.
And the film is just as bad when Im not in it.
One exec in particular who is an amazing talent, used me as a party story for years.
Win some, lose some.
The Saint(1997) was his next shot at a franchise.
It was a modest box office success, but ultimately didnt spawn any sequels.
Kilmer not only starred, he also wrote and directed the play.
He later toured the country with a film version,Cinema Twain.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015.
A procedure performed as part of his treatment damaged his vocal cords and thereafter he had difficulty speaking.
That, in turn, made acting difficult.
There were also rumors that Kilmer, a lifelong Christian Scientist, was trying to pray the disease away.
He laterexplainedlater to Deadline, I was accused of not being forthright.
Because I believe that the power of prayer is as potent today as it was in Jesus time.
People are often afraid of what they dont understand.
Im so grateful Ive experienced firsthand what consistent prayer and love can offer.
In 2021, the intensely-private star opened up with a documentary that detailed his life and health struggle calledVal.
The project contained a lot of footage shot by Kilmer himself.
Kilmers career found a poignant coda when he reprised Iceman inTop Gun: Maverick(2022).
His single scene opposite Cruise proved powerful and provided an emotional center to the film.
That was certainly how for his superstar foil felt.
I was crying, I got emotional, Cruiselater toldJimmy Kimmel about the scene.
“Thank you, Ice.
