The Actor Who Got Lost in His Characters

Val Kilmer was quite a character himself. The first time I became aware of his existence was through the mind-blowing comedy Top Secret! (1984), a devastating satire of spy films set in the heart of the Cold War. His character, Nick Rivers, was a parody of Elvis Presley, and the absurd humor was something completely new to me. I remember talking endlessly about this movie with my friends. How was it possible that someone dared to do something so bold? They don’t make comedies like that anymore.

It’s said that many people first realized in this film that Kilmer could actually sing. Then came Top Gun, and once again, he left us stunned. How did he go from playing the cartoonish Nick Rivers to the imposing Thomas "Iceman" Kazansky? How the hell did he transition from one extreme of the human psyche to the other? Top Gun was one of the greatest films of the ’80s, and along with the fantasy epic Willow, it turned Kilmer into the star of the moment. But the ultimate cherry on top was his role as Jim Morrison in The Doors.

Here, Kilmer wasn’t just a talented actor—he was a true chameleon. He immersed himself in Morrison’s mind with an almost unhealthy obsession. He didn’t just portray him; he sang the film’s songs with such precision that even The Doors themselves reportedly couldn’t tell the difference between his voice and the original singer’s. The film, with Oliver Stone’s always controversial touch, left a lasting impression on many of us. For me and my friends, The Doors fans, it was an experience that marked our transition from childhood to adolescence.

Then came Tombstone in 1993, and for many, this was his defining role. As Doc Holliday, Kilmer took his method acting to the extreme. He never broke character, not even off set, which made things uncomfortable for his co-stars and the director. It’s said that it was an injustice that he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. But that was his year. For a brief moment, Val Kilmer was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.

However, things wouldn’t stay perfect. Warner Bros. wanted a new Batman installment—more commercial and less dark than Tim Burton’s films. Joel Schumacher, impressed by Kilmer’s performance in Tombstone, chose him without hesitation. Everything pointed to the biggest actor of the moment starring in the blockbuster of the year. But even the best-laid plans fail.

The clash between Kilmer and Schumacher was inevitable. His intense method acting style collided with the director’s lighter vision. On top of that, the set was a battleground: Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, and Kilmer couldn’t stand each other. Though the film was a box office success, critics tore it apart. Kilmer took a hit, and Schumacher never recovered from the blow.

Then came Heat (1995). Here, Kilmer was no longer the center of attention. Standing next to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, any actor would fade into the background. Still, being part of a legendary movie like Heat is no small feat. But after that, I lost track of him. I didn’t see him again until Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009). However, once again, he was overshadowed—this time by Nicolas Cage’s unhinged performance.

From that point on, his career faded. His conflicts with studios and his obsession with method acting made him a risky bet for directors. Then came the hardest blow: throat cancer. It’s said that his religious beliefs led him to delay treatment, which severely affected his health.

Kilmer was a key figure of the ’90s. His roles in Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever left an indelible mark. And while he wasn’t the main focus in Heat, sharing the screen with De Niro and Pacino is an achievement in itself. But the most fascinating thing about Kilmer wasn’t his fame—it was his obsession with disappearing into his characters. Many say they never really knew Val Kilmer, but they knew Iceman, Morrison, Holliday, and Bruce Wayne. And maybe, that was always his true secret.