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Val Kilmer Profile |
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Birth Date: December 31, 1959
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Birth Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
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Birth Name: Val Edward Kilmer
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Height: 6'1"
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Biography |
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor.
A trained stage actor, Kilmer became well-known in the mid
1980s, after a string of appearances in comedy films,
starting with Top Secret! (1984), as well as blockbuster
action films, including a role in Top Gun and as the lead in
Willow. During the 1990s, Kilmer gained critical respect
after a string of commercially successful and well reviewed
films, including his role as Jim Morrison in The Doors.
Kilmer played Batman in 1995's Batman Forever.
During the early 2000s, Kilmer appeared in several
well-received roles, including The Salton Sea and Spartan,
and an acclaimed supporting performance in Kiss Kiss, Bang
Bang.
Kilmer was born in Los Angeles, California to Eugene Kilmer
and Gladys Ekstadt, the second of three sons; the family has
Scottish, Irish, Sephardic Jewish, Cherokee Native American
(from a paternal great-grandmother), Swedish, German and
distant Mongolian ancestry. Kilmer's paternal grandfather
was a gold miner in New Mexico; the poet Joyce Kilmer is a
second cousin of Kilmer's. Kilmer grew up in the San
Fernando Valley with his two siblings, older brother Mark
and younger brother Wesley. During Kilmer's teenage years,
his brother Wesley drowned in the family's swimming pool, an
incident that Kilmer claims to have inspired his later
performance in The Salton Sea.
Kilmer, who was raised a Christian Scientist, attended
Chatsworth High School, as well as Hollywood's
Professional's School. At the age of seventeen, he was at
the time the youngest person to be accepted into Juilliard's
drama program, where he trained alongside now well-known
actors Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham.
Kilmer was married to Joanne Whalley, an actress and former
lead singer of Cindy & the Saffrons, from March 1988 to
February 1996. The two met while working together on the
film Willow. They share two children, daughter Mercedes,
born in 1991, and son Jack, born in 1995.
Kilmer is regarded as "difficult" by some in the industry,
including director John Frankenheimer, who worked with
Kilmer on The Island of Doctor Moreau. Frankenheimer
reportedly became so angry that he had Kilmer physically
escorted from the set of his film, later commenting "At my
age there are two things I will never do, climb Mount
Everest or work with Val Kilmer ever again!", as well as "If
I were making the Val Kilmer story, I wouldn't cast Val
Kilmer!"
Following their appearance together in Top Gun (film), him
and co-star Tom Cruise reportedly have taken their on-screen
conflict off-screen. Reports have classified the two as
holding a vitriolic hatred of one another, with Kilmer even
refusing to participate in a charity beach volleyball game
starring the movie's cast with Cruise on the foundation that
he was "dangerous", after which Tom Cruise and he physically
assaulted each other for almost five minutes before it was
broken up. Reports have also surfaced in regards to
incidents of continual harrasment and further fighting,
including Tom Cruise mocking Val Kilmer on the set of Batman
Forever and Val Kilmer vandalizing Tom Cruise's motorcycle
around the release time of Eyes Wide Shut.
Warwick Davis, Kilmer's co-star from the 1988 fantasy
Willow, defended Kilmer in his audio commentary for the
film, describing Kilmer as a very funny man who was also
hard working and dedicated. |
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Other Information |
Attended Chatsworth High School with Kevin Spacey and Mare
Winningham.
Ranked #62 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie
Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Dated Cindy Crawford. [1996]
Co-authored play "How It All Began," performed at the New
York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, in 1981.
Was at the time the youngest student ever accepted into
Juilliard's Drama department. His record has been eclipsed
by Juilliard student Seth Numrich who was admitted at 15 in
2002.
Father of daughter Mercedes (1992) and son Jack (1995)
Graduated from Chatsworth High, California. [1977]
A Led Zeppelin fan.
Wanted to turn down Juilliard but his classmate at
Chatsworth High School, Kevin Spacey, convinced him to
accept.
Val convinced fellow actor Kevin Spacey to attend Juilliard,
after Val had inspired him to become an actor in the first
place.
So infuriated the late director John Frankenheimer on the
set of The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) that Frankenheimer
vowed to never work with Kilmer again, and he never did.
While being let out of the metal cage during the filming of
the crossroad's scene in Willow (1988), the rope holding the
cage up broke and the cage landed on Kilmer's foot, nearly
breaking it. Later on in the film, Kilmer (who played
swordsman Madmartigan) can be spotted having difficulty
walking.
Met first wife, British actress Joanne Whalley, when they
filmed the 1988 fantasy Willow (1988).
Is the fifth actor to play Batman.
Did his own singing while playing Jim Morrison in The Doors
(1991). The real members of the band said they had
difficulty distinguishing Kilmer's voice from that of
Morrison's.
Turned down a role in The Outsiders (1983) because he was
working with a theater company at the time, and if he had
pulled out, the show would have been cancelled and his
fellow actors out of a job.
Got the role of Chris Shiherlis in Heat (1995) after Keanu
Reeves, who was originally cast as Chris, backed out.
Out of all the actors to have played Batman, creator Bob
Kane thought he was the best.
Contrary to popular belief, he enjoyed playing Batman. In
fact, he said he enjoyed playing the role so much that he
was eager to reprise the role in Batman & Robin (1997),
however he could not because he was already committed to
doing The Saint (1997).
During the sled riding scene in Willow (1988), he can be
seen wearing a black glove on his left hand.
Is the only blonde actor to have played Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Oliver Stone once considered him for the role of Alexander
the Great in his long delayed Alexander (2004) project.
Kilmer plays the father of Alexander, King Philip, opposite
Colin Farrell in the Alexander role instead.
Has a reputation as being difficult to work with, evidenced
in part by the The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) director's
promise never to work with him again.
Did not want to appear in Top Gun (1986), but was forced to
do so because of contractual obligations.
Appeared in Tombstone (1993) opposite Charlton Heston. Five
years later, he succeeded Heston in the roles of both Moses
and God in The Prince of Egypt (1998).
Does a variation on his trademark of twirling objects in
Willow (1988) - he twirls a sword during the fight in the
snow camp.
At the time that they were filming The Doors (1991), Oliver
Stone considered Kilmer for the part of Alexander the Great
in his long delayed film project on Alexander the Great.
Kilmer appears in the film as King Philip instead.
Has played two legendary rock and roll musicians - Jim
Morrison and Elvis Presley.
He was 4' 11" when he entered high school. He acknowledged
this on the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993).
Said that his daughter and her friends were very "blown
away" when they saw him in the Batman costume for the first
time.
Described the Madmartigan character from the 1988 fantasy
Willow (1988) as being a "warrior on warrior skid row."
Admits in interviews that he is a horrible cook.
After filming his first film Top Secret! (1984), he went off
and backpacked around Europe.
Enjoys scuba diving.
Enjoys traveling.
Filmed his part as Elvis Presley in True Romance (1993) in 1
day.
Friends with musician David Crosby.
Good friends with actor Frank Whaley.
Has lived in New Mexico since 1983.
His father, Eugene, died in 1993.
His first auditions were for commercials at 13 years old.
His parents divorced when he was 9 years old.
In 1995, Kilmer learned he was getting a divorce while
watching CNN in a hotel room. "It was no fun," he has said.
In the past he used to send taped auditions to filmmakers,
figuring it was much better (and have less pressure) than
what he would have done in a live audition.
Is of Swedish, German, Mongolian, Scottish, Irish, and
Cherokee ancestry.
Loves buffalos and owns (or owned) a few on his ranch in New
Mexico.
Loves candles.
Poet Joyce Kilmer is his second cousin twice removed.
Stated in 1999 that At First Sight (1999) was his most
challenging role to date.
Turned down Patrick Swayze's role in Dirty Dancing (1987)
because he didn't want to be perceived as a "hunk."
Turned down roles in movies such as Dune (1984), Blue Velvet
(1986), Flatliners (1990), Backdraft (1991), Sliver (1993),
Point Break (1991), In the Line of Fire (1993) and Indecent
Proposal (1993).
Visited Iraq briefly during the Gulf War in April 1998 with
AmeriCares, delivering supplies such as food, medicine and
baby food.
He was in the Kalahari Desert in Africa researching a story
he was writing about witch doctors when he was offered the
Batman Forever (1995) Batman role.
Wrote poetry for actress Michelle Pfeiffer.
Broke his arm while filming The Doors (1991), when he
performed a jump from the stage into the crowd and the
stuntman failed to catch him. The injury has left Kilmer
with an abnormal growth on his right elbow. The abnormal
growth can clearly be seen many times in Heat (1995).
Was originally set to play the lead role in The Island of
Dr. Moreau (1996) but asked to switch roles because of his
divorce.
Keith Campbell has doubled for him in many films.
Said that his divorce from British actress Joanne Whalley
was the most painful thing he ever experienced.
Warwick Davis, Kilmer's co-star in Willow (1988), says in
his audio commentary that the question he is most frequently
asked is "What was is it like to work with Val Kilmer?".
Davis says he has very fond memories of working with Kilmer,
stating that Kilmer had a great sense of humor and was very
dedicated to the job.
Favorite band is Rage Against the Machine.
While the movie The Missing (2003/I) was being shot about
one hour from his New Mexico ranch, he called up his old
friend Ron Howard [writer/director] and asked for a part.
Ron gladly accepted and gave him a part which only took 3
days to film. Kilmer's scene is close to 13 minutes long,
not counting the DVD's deleted scene.
He and Elvis Presley, whom Kilmer portrayed in True Romance
(1993), both have Cherokee ancestry.
Shares his birthday with Tim Matheson.
Shares two roles with Peter Dobson. In True Romance (1993),
Kilmer plays Elvis Presley, a role Dobson played in Forrest
Gump (1994). Kilmer also plays Chris Shiherlis in Heat
(1995), which was a remake of L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV), in
which Dobson played the role.
Was originally cast as Johnny Mnemonic in Johnny Mnemonic
(1995) but left the project when he was offered the role of
Batman in Batman Forever (1995). He was replaced by Keanu
Reeves, whom Kilmer later replaced as Chris Siherlis in Heat
(1995).
Grew up in the San Fernando Valley the middle son of three
boys (Mark the eldest; Wesley the youngest). During his high
school years, Wesley drowned in the family's swimming pool,
an incident Val claims inspired his subsequent performance
in The Salton Sea (2002). |
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