Five Things You Didn’t Know About Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer at 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Actor Val Kilmer has been performing in front of audiences for more than three decades.  He got his start as a stage actor and appeared in several plays before earning his breakout role in the 1984 film, Top Secret!. The film, a parody, helped to establish Kilmer’s career as a talented young actor.  Throughout the 80s, Kilmer continued to land starring roles in some of the decades most memorable films, including Top Gun.  However, although Kilmer’s career was once full of promise, his odd off-screen antics have often left him unable to sustain the power he once had.  Throughout the years, Kilmer has endured a series of ups-and-downs that have often changed the public’s perception of him.  Here are five things you didn’t know about Val Kilmer.

5. Val Kilmer had beef with Betty White.

Actress Betty White is America’s favorite grandma.  However, that didn’t stop Val Kilmer for expressing his feelings about the 92-year-old star who beat him out for a Grammy in 2012. While appearing as a guest on Conan, Kilmer referred to White as “evil.” Kilmer plainly stated: “Betty White is evil,” and went on to say “I wasn’t going to say it in public, but she knows what she did…Betty stole my Grammy…I think i had a serious shot at a Grammy and I don’t know what she did. Or who she did it with, but suddenly, it was Betty’s Grammy and she won. She didn’t even show up…I really was nominated and she really did take it…She had so many other things to do, besides mock me.”  Although Conan seemed to find Kilmer’s statements humorous, it was clear that Kilmer was still harboring some hard feelings towards White.

4. Val Kilmer did his own singing in the 1991 film, The Doors.

In 1991, Val Kilmer starred in a biopic based on the legendary band, The Doors.  The film, which was named after the band, focused heavily on the band’s lead singer, Jim Morrison (Kilmer). Although the film itself received mixed reviews, Kilmer’s performance was praised as one of the best performance of the year.  Kilmer, who recorded all of the singing parts with his actual voice, had to learn approximately 50 songs for the role. He convinced the film’s director, Oliver Stone, that he was perfect for the part by recording an eight minute video of himself performing as Morrison. When members of The Doors heard Kilmer’s rendition of their songs, they could not tell the difference between his voice and Morrison’s.

3. Val Kilmer once owned bison.

Many celebrities are known for having strange pets, and Val Kilmer is no different.  While living on a large ranch in New Mexico, Kilmer owned two bison, one of which he named James Brown.  During an interview, Kilmer stated: “I just like looking at them. I liked looking at them when I was a kid, and I like looking at them now. Obviously, we are not seeing these particular buffalo at their most noble of moments, but I still like looking at them. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m part Cherokee. There was such a relationship between the buffalo and the American Indian–the Indians would eat them, live inside their pelts, use every part of the body. There was almost no separation between the people and the animals.”

2. Val Kilmer was originally offered the starring role in the 1987 film, Dirty Dancing.

1987’s Dirty Dancing, has become one of the 80s most popular films.  Starring Patrick Swayze, the film follows a summer romance between Johnny (Swayze) and Baby (Jennifer Grey).  While the film was instrumental in establishing Swayze’s career, the leading male role was initially intended for Val Kilmer.  However, Kilmer turned the role down because he feared it would weaken his reputation as a hunk.

1. Val Kilmer has a reputation for being difficult to work with.

Val Kilmer is a trained actor who takes his craft extremely seriously; because of this, many of his Hollywood colleagues have deemed him difficult to work with.  Unfortunately for Kilmer, who was once on the bring of a very promising career, his difficult nature has often gotten in the way of his success.  Joel Schumacher, director of 1995’s Batman Forever, described Kilmer as “rude and inappropriate.”  Schumacher went on to say, “He [Kilmer] was childish and impossible. I was forced to tell him that this would not be tolerated for one more second. Then we had two weeks where he did not speak to me but it was bliss!” However, despite many critics, some enjoy Kilmer’s methods of preparing and have found him a pleasure to work with. Director Irwin Winkler who worked with Kilmer in the film, At First Sight, stated: “I’d heard the stories, so I checked him out. I called Bob De Niro and Michael Mann, who’d worked with him on Heat, and they both gave him raves… I had a wonderful experience in spite of all the naysayers.”

 (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

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