Val Edward Kilmer began his journey into acting when he applied to the Juilliard School in New York.  At just 17, he was the youngest student ever admitted to the acting program there.

Kilmer debuted on Broadway in 1983 in The Slab Boys, about young workers in a Scottish carpet factory.

A year later, in 1984, Kilmer made his big-screen debut with the spy parody musical Top Secret!  Kilmer proved adept at comedy and even demonstrated his talents as a singer.  The film was a box office failure, which was probably a blessing in disguise.  Had the film succeeded, Kilmer could have been typecast and restricted to spoofs only.

In 1986, Kilmer appeared in Top Gun as an arch-rival turned wingman to Tom Cruise.  The film was an enormous global success and made Kilmer a household name.

Kilmer played the legendary Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991).  Kilmer went to great lengths to prepare for the part.  He spent close to a year before production reading Morrison’s poetry and even dressing in Morrison-like clothes, and he spent time at Morrison’s old hangouts.  The result was a performance that was so authentic that it earned praise from Morrison’s fellow band members of The Doors, who had trouble distinguishing Kilmer’s voice from Morrison’s.

Kilmer earned plaudits in Tombstone (1993) for his performance as the tuberculosis-ridden, perpetually inebriated, womanizing gunslinger and card player Doc Holliday.

Kilmer’s performance in Tombstone impressed director Joel Schumacher so much that he cast him in the titular role of Batman Forever (1995).  Kilmer received acclaim for playing both the caped vigilante superhero and his alter ego, the wealthy business magnate Bruce Wayne.  Batman co-creator Bob Kane was also impressed by Kilmer’s interpretation of his creations.

But much like in The Doors, Kilmer’s performance went largely under-appreciated due to sub-par movies.  He decided not to return as Batman for the 1997 sequel, entitled Batman and Robin.  Some pronounced this career suicide, but Kilmer’s decision proved astute; Batman and Robin was one of the worst movies ever made

Instead, Kilmer appeared alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat (1995).  Despite limited screen time, he received great acclaim for his nuanced performance.  This is perhaps the best film he ever appeared in.

Kilmer plays a railway engineer who reluctantly becomes a hunter when lions terrorize the workers during the construction of the Uganda-Mombasa Railway in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).

Kilmer played Simon Templar in The Saint (1997).  He was following the footsteps of the legendary Sir Roger Moore, who played Templar in the globally successful series of the same name through the ’60s.  The film was an enjoyable caper and had some well crafted action scenes.  It was a box office success, but the profits weren’t enough to spawn a franchise. 

In the 2000s, he appeared in films such as Red Planet (2000), The Salton Sea (2002), Alexander (2004), and Mindhunters (2004), which were failures with both audiences and critics.  But Kilmer’s performances were never faulted.

Kilmer also appeared in Shane Black’s comedy action thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), where he stole the show as a campy, conceited, and chatty private investigator.  It was called Kilmer’s comeback film.

Throughout his career, Kilmer appeared on stage.  He even played Hamlet at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in 1988.

It wasn’t just acting that interested Kilmer.  He was an ardent admirer of Mark Twain and wrote a hilarious and poignant one-man play, Citizen Twain, which he began performing around the country in 2010.  Kilmer frequently improvised.  Before the play, he often mingled with the audience as Twain.  A 90-minute film version of the play was released as Cinema Twain.

He was also a prolific poet.  He said poetry is most artistically satisfying because he didn’t have to please anyone but himself.

The quest for artistic independence also caused him to gravitate toward painting after his health faltered.  His works were displayed in art galleries in New York and Tokyo.  His work ranges from kaleidescopic abstract paintings to depicting Doc Holliday, Batman, and Mark Twain.

In 2014, he suffered from health issues.  The ailment and the treatment affected his appearance, his voice, and his mobility.

His next significant venture was sadly his final performance in Top Gun: Maverick (2022).  Kilmer reprised his role in the previous film and received great acclaim.  There was even buzz about an Oscar nomination.

Kilmer was doubtless a star of the ’80s who achieved superstardom during the ’90s, but despite his undeniable star charisma and acting talents, he never achieved the legendary status of his peer, Tom Cruise. 

Fans often tend to be brutal in their assessment when a showbiz career suffers such a trajectory.

There is the derisive remark, “Look at Tom Cruise, and look at him,” followed by some uncharitable epithet.  The assessment is fair when you judge an artist strictly based on box office or awards.

But when one digs deeper, there is a realization that show business, particularly the film business, is tough and unpredictable.

For an actor to become a star, he has to suit the vision of an able director, producers, and studio executives.  The debutant often has little choice; a bird in hand is often more valuable than ten in the bush. 

Once the actor becomes a star, he has to choose, such that a delicate balance is struck between stardom and artistic urges. 

But choosing the right script is easier said than done.  At times, a great script doesn’t yield a great film.  The words that look terrific on paper just don’t work during a performance. 

At times, a good script is butchered by the makers because they intend to cater to market forces.  At times, the production is troubled, and the greatness of the script is never realized.

At times, a half-baked or a bad script is improvised on the sets, and the film becomes a masterpiece.  At times, despite production struggles, a film becomes a cultural milestone.

An actor must also know how to navigate the system.  It’s about building ties with the big bosses such that they say, “We’ll cast him, even if he is unsalable.”  A lot of work is earned on recommendations.

At times, an able director sees potential in a faded star and offers him work that enables him to emerge bigger than ever.  A perfect example is the career revival that John Travolta had following Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. 

It’s also about quid pro quo deals with the media.  The actors appear on magazine covers or television in exchange for the outlet doing a glowing profile. 

Even winning an Oscar isn’t just about delivering a masterful performance.  It is instead about lobbying and campaigning.

Some actors put their money where their mouths are and set up a production company so that they can develop the projects they want.  But that isn’t easy, either; it requires clout for financiers to invest.

Kilmer was an independent and principled artist who marched to the beat of his own drum.  As a child, he auditioned for a burger commercial but rejected it because he disliked how the burgers tasted.  Even at the height of his stardom, he opted for projects and parts that weren’t necessarily conventional.  His health issues meant that the possibility of a career revival was remote.

Like most independent-minded people, Kilmer was called difficult.  The slander was probably retaliation for him not pandering to media forces.  Kilmer vehemently refuted the claims, as did many of his co-stars.

He was a funny, amiable, and polite guest on talk shows.

The glowing tributes he received following his passing on April 1, 2025 are proof that he was beloved, respected, and admired among his peers.

Film critic Scout Tafoya aptly called Val Kilmer the most unsung actor of his generation. 

Kilmer will also be remembered for his works as a playwright, humorist, poet, and painter.

Kilmer summarized things well: “I don’t have any regrets.  It’s an adage, but it’s kind of true: Once you’re a star, you’re always a star.  It’s just what level?”