“Kurt sacrificed his own role” - Val Kilmer credited Kurt Russell for Tombstone success but denied directing rumors in a blog 

Val Kilmer, the successful actor famously known for his astounding portrayal of Doc Holliday in Tombstone, once praised Kurt Russell as the person who truly made the success of the film at the box office possible.

In a straightforward blog post, Kilmer cleared up persistent gossip concerning Russell's secret direction of the 1993 Western film, highlighting the actor's dedication to the picture and his selflessness in choosing to work in the background instead of upfront for the sake of the story.

Kurt Russell’s influence on Tombstone

Kilmer’s blog post dealt with rumors about how the movie was directed, and the writer confirmed that the film's director was George P. Cosmatos, even though he mentioned that it was Kurt Russell who did the actual work of directing the film.

"Kurt is solely responsible for Tombstone's success, no question,” Kilmer wrote.

He emphasized that Russell devoted long hours to the film’s execution in a way that it would be his own loss for the cuts in his screen time and finish the film in the end.

“The one thing he's totally correct about is how hard he worked the day before, for the next day's shot list, and the tremendous effort he and I both put into editing, as the studio wouldn't give us any extra time to make up for the whole month we lost with the first director,” Kilmer explained, referencing the troubled early production of Tombstone.

Russell’s generosity on the set

One piece of information that was very moving to Kilmer was that Russell was less concerned with his role as Wyatt Earp in the movie than he was with the one who deprived himself of various aspects of the role to make the whole narrative rise.

“I watched Kurt sacrifice his own role and energy to devote himself as a storyteller, even going so far as to draw up shot lists to help our replacement director,” Kilmer wrote.

The artist’s statement underscored the notion that Russell’s interest in the movie only grew past his performance, as he came to be the film’s de facto creative head on set.

“Kurt put his money where his mouth was, and not a lot of stars extend themselves for the cast and crew. Not like he did.”

Kilmer also admired Russell’s dedication to the film’s integrity and his readiness for any assistance in the production.

Rejecting claims of directing

Although Kilmer took the liberty of crediting Russell extensively for the cinematic outing, he also directly told those who thought that Kilmer was doing the directing secretly were wrong.

On the contrary, according to him, the meticulous planning and the practical approach of his co-creator apportioned the film's schedule of whatever difficulties it had. Kilmer cooperated with Russell in those remarks, affirming what has been suspected for a long time - that Tombstone’s dignity is the fruit of Russell’s hard work and dedication.

A legacy cemented

Kilmer's death made his talks about the movie Tombstone of much higher importance. His portrayal of Doc Holliday is regarded as the most celebrated performance in histrionics, and his praise for Russell is another aspect of the legend that is still not known to many.

Kilmer's words will surely be remembered as more and more fans develop an interest in Tombstone as a reflection on the sacrifices and dedication that were part of making a movie that eventually became a timeless masterpiece of the Western genre.