Matthew Modine recalls how a tense run-in with Val Kilmer led him to star in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 classic “Full Metal Jacket"

Actor and filmmaker Matthew Modine shared his tribute to Val Kilmer, who died on April 1, 2025, in a post on X.

On April 2, 2025, Modine wrote that he had a “chance encounter” with Kilmer in Los Angeles’ The Source restaurant in 1985. According to him, this encounter was the precursor to his role in the 1987 Stanley Kubrick-directed Full Metal Jacket movie.

Modine posted a video comprising excerpts from his memoir Full Metal Jacket Diary. As seen in the excerpts, Matthew Modine shared that he was having soy pancakes with his close friend, David Alan Grier, when they noticed the wall nearby was simply made of two-by-fours and plywood.

As they sat there, they both hoped that Woody was speaking with his therapist in New York rather than out searching for Diane. However, he wrote:

“I can't help noticing an angry guy cursing loudly in our direction. There's a wall behind us, so, unless this guy's got Tourette's or is practicing a monologue, he's clearly cursing at me. I point out this foul-mouthed offender to David. David looks over his shoulder.”

Alan Grier then pointed out to Matthew Modine that this person was Val Kilmer. David then talked about helping Val with the music for the film Top Secret. David walked over to Val Kilmer’s booth, and they chatted and laughed.

When David called Modine to join them, he got up and approached, but Val’s expression changed instantly, turning sour as if he had tasted something unpleasant. Modine greeted him casually, but the mood had already shifted.

Val Kilmer was angry at Matthew Modine over his casting in Stanley Kubrick’s movie

Matthew Modine recalled that Val expressed frustration over him landing roles that the latter felt he could have played. At the time, Modine was on a successful streak, having worked on Streamers, Vision Quest with Harold Becker, Mrs. Soffel alongside Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson, and Birdy with Alan Parker.

However, Val Kilmer’s anger wasn’t just about those roles, it was fueled by a rumor that Modine had been cast in Stanley Kubrick’s upcoming film, something Matthew Modine hadn’t even heard about yet. He wrote:

“I knew Kubrick was making a new film, but you had to audition for it by sending him a videotape. Putting yourself on video is a big pain in the a**. Unless you have a lot of dough and can buy one of those big f*cking VHS cameras, you have to go and kiss up to somebody who owns one. I didn't want to bother with all that. I guess Val did.”

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Matthew Modine received a script for Full Metal Jacket with a distinctive yellow cover featuring an image of three Marines jumping from a helicopter. Unlike typical studio or agency scripts, this one came directly from Stanley Kubrick. Along with it was a handwritten note from Kubrick, asking Modine to call after reading it.

He wrote that the sharp, precise handwriting caught his attention, and he marveled at how Kubrick had managed to send it straight to his house. Reflecting on the situation, he couldn’t help but wonder if his encounter with Val Kilmer at The Source had played a role in this unexpected opportunity.

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