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We lost a good one today as actor Val Kilmer died of pneumonia following a decade-long battle with esophageal cancer. An actor’s actor, Kilmer might have been best known for his iconic roles as Jim Morrison in « The Doors » (1991) and Doc Holliday in « Tombstone » (1993).
On X today, actress Jennifer Tilly (who had a minor role in « The Doors ») told what happened when Kilmer showed up at director Oliver Stone’s « cattle call » audition. « All of a sudden », she posted, « a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants. »
« We all looked at each other like… Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. »
He even did his own vocals as Morrison and, if you’ve ever seen the movie, you know he was good. « The Doors » was about as historically accurate as anything else Stone ever wrote or directed, which is to say, « Not at all. » But that doesn’t take away from Kilmer’s performance.
Kilmer had a reputation for being difficult to work with. « Tombstone » costar Michael Biehn told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019, “People ask me what it’s like to work with Val Kilmer.
