Val Kilmer Is Most Proud Of This Role, Says He Was ‘Completely Immersed In It’

Val Kilmer has been a notable face in the action and thriller genres; however, his role in a ‘90s Western is the one he is most proud of today. Unlike his fans, Val would choose the movie Tombstone over Top Gun, where he played Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, and Batman Forever, featuring him as Bruce Wayne.

The 64-year-old had his share of career challenges, including throat cancer that affected his speech and bad press about him being difficult to work with. Thankfully, Val’s appearance opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun helped revive his reputation as fans look forward to seeing more of him on the big screen.

Why does Val Kilmer love his performance the most in ‘Tombstone?’

Val considered Tombstone a well-written script, which enabled him to pour himself into his character as Gunslinger Supreme Doc Holliday, who was also a close friend of Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp. He stood out amongst his co-stars Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, and Michael Biehn, prompting Roger Ebert to name him the definitive saloon cowboy of our time.

Val was particularly proud of his performance because he worked amid production issues, such as the movie’s original director, Kevin Jarre, getting fired after a month, with Kurt ultimately taking over. He praised the actor for playing a double role in the film’s success and giving him the best lines.

‘Tombstone’ ended up becoming a hit

Tombstone was a movie adaptation of a real-life historical event, the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Aside from Kurt, Val worked with the likes of Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, and Michael Biehn, and Tombstone turned out to be one of the highest-grossing Westerns in modern times.

Although Val’s delivery of his part as Holliday is considered a standard for cowboy performances, he did not win any awards for Tombstone; however, he got nominated for two MTV awards—Best Male Performance and Most Desirable Male.