Birth name
Val Edward Kilmer
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Height
6' 0½" (1.84 m)
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Mini
biography
Born in Los Angeles, California. Studied at Hollywood's Professional's
School, and, in his teens, entered Julliard's drama program. His professional
acting career began on stage, and he still participates in theatre; he played
Hamlet at the 1988 Colorado Shakespeare Festival. His film debut was in the 1984
spoof Top Secret! (1984), where he starred as blond rock idol Nick Rivers. He
did his own singing in the movie, and even cut an album as Rivers. He was in a
number of films throughout the 1980s, including the 1986 smash Top Gun (1986).
Despite his obvious talent and range, it wasn't until his astonishingly believable
performance as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991) that the world
sat up and took notice. Kilmer again put his good baritone to use in the movie,
performing all of the concert pieces. Since then, he has played Two more American
legends, Elvis, in True Romance (1993), and Doc Holliday, in Tombstone (1993).
In July, 1994, it was announced that Kilmer would be taking over the role of Batman/Bruce
Wayne from Michael Keaton.
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Spouse
Joanne Whalley (March 1988 - February 1996) (divorced) 2 children
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Trade
mark
In many of his movies, he twirls small objects (coins, pencils, etc.)
with his fingers.
He rubs the first two fingers of his right hand together.
Particularly in tense scenes, but also where he is not speaking.
Known for
his meticulous detail and precision when preparing characters. This if often to
the chagrin of the actors and filmmakers he's working with.
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Trivia
Attended Chatsworth High School with Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham.
Ranked
#62 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time"
list. [October 1997]
Dated Cindy Crawford. [1996]
Co-authored play
"How It All Began", performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival,
Public Theatre, in 1981.
Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, in 1981.
Youngest
student ever accepted into Juillard's Drama Dept.
Father of daughter Mercedes
(1992) and son Jack (1995)
Distant cousin of Joyce Kilmer.
Graduated
from Chatsworth High, CA [1977]
Wrote poetry for Michelle Pfeiffer
A
Led Zeppelin fan.
Wanted to turn down Juliard but his classmate at Chatsworth
High School, Kevin Spacey, convinced him to accept.
Val convinced fellow
actor Kevin Spacey to attend Julliard, after Val had inspired him to become an
actor in the first place.
So infuriated the late director John Frankenheimer
on the set of _Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)_ that Frankenheimer vowed to never
work with Kilmer again, and he never did.
While being let out of the metal
cage during the filming of the crossroad's scene in Willow (1988), the rope holding
the cage up broke and the cage landed on Kilmer's foot, nearly breaking it. Later
on in the film, Kilmer (who played swordsman Madmartigan) can be spotted having
difficulty walking.
Met first wife, British actress Joanne Whalley when
they filmed the 1988 fantasy Willow (1988).
Is the fifth actor to play Batman.
Is
part Cherokee Indian.
Did his own singing while playing Jim Morrison in
The Doors (1991). The real members of the band said they had difficulty distinguishing
Kilmer's voice from that of Morrison's.
Turned down a role in The Outsiders
(1983) because he was working with a theater company at the time, and if he had
pulled out, the show would have been cancelled and his fellow actors out of a
job.
Got the role of Chris Shiherlis in Heat (1995) after Keanu Reeves,
who was originally cast as Chris, backed out.
Out of all the actors to have
played Batman, creator Bob Kane thought he was the best.
Contrary to popular
belief, he enjoyed playing Batman. In fact, he said he enjoyed playing the role
so much that he was eager to reprise the role in Batman & Robin (1997), however
he could not because he was already committed to doing The Saint (1997).
During
the sled riding scene in Willow (1988), he can be seen wearing a black glove on
his left hand.
He is the only blonde actor to have played Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Oliver
Stone once considered him for the role of Alexander the Great in his long delayed
Alexander the Great project. Kilmer plays the father of Alexander, King Philip,
opposite Colin Farrell in the Alexander role instead.
Has a reputation as
being difficult to work with, evidenced in part by "The Island of Dr. Moreau"
director's promise never to work with him again.
He did not want to appear
in "Top Gun" (1986) but was forced to do so because of contractual obligations.
Appeared
in Tombstone opposite Charleton Heston. Five years later, he succeeded Heston
in the roles of both Moses and God in The Prince of Egypt.
Does a variation
on his trademark of twirling objects in "Willow" - he twirls a sword
during the fight in the snow camp.
At the time that they were filming "The
Doors", Oliver Stone considered Kilmer for the part of Alexander in his long
delayed film project on Alexander the Great. Kilmer appears in the film as King
Philip instead.
Has played two legendary rock and roll musicians - Jim Morrison
and Elvis Presley.
He was 4' 11" when he entered high school. He acknowledged
this on the Conan O' Brien Show.
Said that his daughter and her friends
were very "blown away" when they saw him in the Batman costume for the
first time.
Described the Madmartigan character from the 1988 fantasy "Willow"
as being a "warrior on warrior skid row."
Admits in interviews
that he is a horrible cook.
After filming his first film Top Secret! he
went off and backpacked around Europe.
Enjoys scuba diving.
Enjoys
traveling.
Filmed his part as Elvis Presley in True Romance in 1 day.
Friends
with musician David Crosby.
Good friends with actor Frank Whaley.
Has
lived in New Mexico since 1983.
His father, Eugene, died in 1993.
His
first auditions were for commercials at 13 years old.
His parents divorced
when he was 9 years old.
In 1995, Kilmer learned he was getting a divorce
while watching CNN in a hotel room. "It was no fun," he has said.
In
the past he use to send taped auditions to filmmakers, figuring it was much better
(and have less pressure) then what he would have done in a live audition.
Is
of Swedish, German, Mongolian, Scottish, Irish and Cherokee ancestry.
Loves
buffalos and owns (or owned) a few on his ranch in New Mexico.
Loves candles.
Poet
Joyce Kilmer is his second cousin twice removed.
Stated in 1999 that At
First Sight was his most challenging role to date.
Turned down Patrick Swayze's
role in Dirty Dancing because he didn't want to be perceived as a 'hunk'.
Turned
down roles in movies such as Dune, Blue Velvet, Flatliners, Backdraft, Sliver,
Point Break, In the line of Fire and Indecent Proposal.
Visited Iraq briefly
during the Gulf War in April 1998 with AmeriCares, delivering supplies such as
food, medicine and baby food.
He was in the Kalahari Desert in Africa researching
a story he was writing about witch doctors when he was offered the part of Batman.
