Best Val Kilmer performances of all time

Val Kilmer passed away yesterday at the age of 65. The acclaimed actor who played several iconic roles over the span of his memorable career died after a battle with pneumonia. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer broke the news, and detailed his health struggles after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.

Though he was able to recover and send the disease into remission, the tracheotomy surgery he underwent affected his voice and brought his acting career to a relative standstill. His last role came alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick where he reprised his role of Iceman from the original film.

Kilmer was widely respected in the industry and received support throughout his lengthy battle with his health in his final years. With all that he’s managed to share and bring to audiences over the years, his passing echoes the age old adage: “Gone, but not forgotten”.

In honor of Val’s impact on moviegoers worldwide, let’s examine his top 5 performances on the silver screen in an effort to appreciate the legacy he leaves behind.

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Top 5 Val Kilmer performances

1) The Saint (1997)

In this throwback action-thriller Val Kilmer played Sam, a thief hired by the Russian Mafia to steal the formula for cold fusion from an unwitting scientist Emma, played by Elizabeth Shue. Chaos ensues when the two fall in love and Kilmer’s Sam must choose between his heart and his life of crime.

The performance showed incredible range and poise from Kilmer who embodied every bit of the leading-man persona needed to convincingly portray such a character. A best-of list of Kilmer’s career would not be complete without this entry.

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2) The Doors (1991)

The next entry on the list is Val Kilmer’s star-turning role in The Doors, a biographical depiction of 1960s rock band singer Jim Morrison, also referred to as the 'Electric Poet’. The film takes us on a journey with Kilmer’s Morrison from his time as a film student, to his rise to fame as The Doors’ lead singer-songwriter until his untimely death at the age of 27.

Kilmer’s performance was praised for his range as well as for the fact that he learned 50 of The Doors' songs with the band's producer Paul Rothchild, upon getting the role, and sang every live performance depicted in the film.

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3) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

In this Neo-noir black comedy, Kilmer played Gay Perry, a private detective who gets embroiled in a murder investigation in Hollywood that quickly spirals out of control.

Not only did Kilmer show off his penchant for humor in the offbeat and quirky supporting role, but the film also served as an integral film for Robert Downey Jr as it marked a major resurgence for him, after years of substance abuse almost stripped him of his career.

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2) Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

While Kilmer was far less involved in the sequel to the 1986 super hit, the fact that he was able to assume the role after years of fighting for his health is truly commendable.

The bravery and strength required to take on Iceman all those years later remains astounding, and it's fitting that the effort he put forth resulted in the most successful project of his illustrious career. It was also his last big screen appearance.

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1) Heat (1995)

In this 1995 crime thriller, Kilmer was part of an incredible ensemble cast that included Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore and more. This is one of the few times Kilmer played a truly unhinged character (probably due to his inherent likability) and while he has a supporting role, it is perhaps one of the most memorable in the whole film.

This one is a must watch as it’s arguably the best film in the actor’s entire filmography.

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The Acting Community Responds to Kilmer’s Death

The true mark a human being leaves behind is shown by how they are remembered once they are gone. In Val’s case, the overwhelming response to his death paints the picture of a good and virtuous man who will be sorely missed.

To begin with, director and former collaborator Michael Mann took to Instagram to share some kind words about his relationship with Kilmer. The caption of his heartfelt post read:

“While working with Val on “Heat” I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.”

Josh Brolin took to Instagram to post his own message for his fallen friend:

“See ya, pal. I'm going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There's not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts. ❤️💔❤️💔❤️💔💎”

A host of other former colleagues and fans have taken to social media to voice their sadness for a loss that will resonate with the entire community for the foreseeable future. Hopefully their kind words of tribute will preserve his memory.

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