Today Val Kilmer is a world famous actor. He became famous for many excellent films and received many prestigious awards. In addition, the actor won more than one woman’s heart with his beautiful baritone voice and his own collection of poetry. Therefore, it is not surprising that many fans of Val’s talent are interested in his biography and career.
Actor's childhood
The actor's full name is Val Edward Kilmer. He was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles (USA, California). By the way, he was the second of three children in the family. He has a brother, Marco, who is one year older than Val. In 1961, Wesley's younger brother was born. Unfortunately, at the age of sixteen, my younger brother died in the pool from an epileptic seizure. The tragic death of a loved one left its mark on the character of today’s famous actor.
Her mother, Gladys, was a housewife, and her father, Eugene, worked in construction and real estate. When the boy was nine years old, his dad made a bad investment, which led to the collapse of his financial condition - after which Val’s parents divorced. The actor spent his childhood in the San Fernando Valley. He successfully graduated from Chatsworth High School, where he studied with Mayor Winningham and Kevin Spacey. After that, he entered the Hollywood Professional School, where he became one of the best students.
And when the guy was seventeen years old, he became the youngest student at the Juilliard School of Dramatic Arts.
The beginning of an acting career
To begin with, it is worth noting that the actor first appeared in front of the camera at the age of 12 - then he starred in a fast food commercial. But later, during his studies, Val became seriously interested in theatrical productions. Since 1981, he has been playing on the theater stage, and two years later he appears on Broadway.
It is worth noting that young Val Kilmer preferred classical works. He often took part in productions of Greek tragedies and Shakespeare's plays, including Macbeth and Richard III. In 1988, the young artist even took part in the famous Shakespeare Festival, which was held in Colorado - here he brilliantly recreated the complex and contradictory image of Hamlet on stage.
Val Kilmer's theater career
While studying at the art school, Val Kilmer became interested in the classics, he took part in Shakespeare's plays, Greek tragedies, and played the roles of Richard III and Macbeth. This is how his acting skills were born. Since 1981 he began playing in the theater, and since 1983 on Broadway. Val had to play on the same stage with Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. In 1988, Kilmer took part in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, where he played the role of Hamlet. Val considered the theater an intermediate step; his main goal was cinema.
The film "Top Secret!" and universal recognition
His first film debut took place in 1984. It was then that the country first learned who Val Kilmer was. The famous actor's filmography began with the comedy Top Secret, where he played rock singer Nick Rivers. By the way, almost all the songs in the film were performed by Val.
This picture was a fairly successful parody of various film creations, including The Blue Lagoon and The Wizard of Oz. Nevertheless, the film gave the young actor an opportunity to show his talent and get roles in more serious projects.
Val Kilmer's film career, filmography
Val Kilmer made his film debut in 1984 in the parody comedy Top Secret, directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers Jerry and David Zucker. And immediately he got one of the main roles of rock singer Nick Rivers. The actor himself performed all the songs in the film, and later published an album with the songs of his hero. After filming, Val went on a trip to Europe with a backpack on his shoulders, returning from which in 1985 he starred in the adventure comedy “Real Geniuses” starring Chris Knight. The following year, the actor played Lieutenant Tom Kazansky in the drama Top Gun, alongside Tom Cruise. The film, which tells the story of the work of fighter pilots, grossed more than $350 million.
Val Kilmer's filmography began in 1984
In 1988, on the set of George Lucas' fairy tale film Willow, Val met his future wife, actress Joan Whalley. Kilmer's hero, the warrior Madmartigan, protects the princess from the evil Queen Sorsha, played by Joan. After filming, Val and Joan got married in February 1988. A year later, the couple starred together again in the thriller Kill Me Again. Val played the role of detective Jack Andrews, and Joanne played his client. In the late 80s, the actor still managed to play in the films “Kill Me Again,” “Billy the Kid,” “Murder in the Rue Morgue” and “The Man Who Broke a Thousand Chains.”
In the early 90s, Val Kilmer made an important acquaintance with director Oliver Stone. The result was a leading role in the biopic “The Doors” about the life of the legendary singer Jim Morrison, played by Val. The director reviewed about two hundred candidates for this role before settling on Kilmer. The actor has an incredible resemblance to the singer. On the set, he performed more than 20 Jim Morrison songs, independently, without a soundtrack, and copied the singer’s voice so accurately that even former members of the group were not always able to distinguish his performance from the original. In one of the scenes in the film, Val jumped into the audience from the stage, resulting in a broken arm. Despite the fact that the film was not commercially successful, the brilliant performance of the role led to an explosive growth in Kilmer's popularity. For this role, he was also nominated in 1992 for the MTV Movie Awards as “Best Actor”.
Another famous role of Kilmer is the superhero Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, in the 1995 blockbuster “Batman Forever.” The same year, the actor played criminal Chris Shiherlis in the crime drama Heat. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro starred in this film with him. For his role, Val was nominated for a Saturn Award as Best Supporting Actor, and at the MTV Movie Awards he received the Most Desirable Man Award. Kilmer has an attractive appearance and good acting training, which can be the envy of many Hollywood stars. In Hollywood, he has a reputation as a rebel, believing that an actor needs to remain himself in any role.
Val Kilmer tutty frutty The actor's next successful work was the role of thief Simon Templar in the action movie The Saint. His hero was initially going to steal revolutionary technology from the beautiful scientist played by Elisabeth Shue, but then changes his plans. Val personally corrected about 80 pages of the script text and added love scenes to it, which only benefited the film. The film owes much of its success to Kilmer.
Val Kilmer: filmography
In 1985, the actor received another leading role - in the comedy “Real Genius” he played the child prodigy Chris Knight. And in 1986, he starred in an action movie for the first time with Tom Cruise. The film Top Gun, where he played the role of Tom Kazansky, brought him popularity.
In 1988, the actor starred in the fairy tale film Willow. A year later, a crime detective film was released, where Val got the role of private detective Jack Andrews.
In 1991, another successful film called “The Doors” was released, telling about the life and work of the popular rock band. Here Val brilliantly played lead singer Jim Morrison. By the way, the actor recorded all the songs of the legendary group himself. And although the film did not find recognition among critics, the audience was delighted.
In 1993, Val appeared on screen again, but this time as Barker in the hit film The Real McCoy with Kim Basinger. The same year, he received the role of Elvis in the Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino film True Romance.
Val Kilmer
Childhood Val Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles. This American actor's ancestors endowed him with Swedish, German, Mongolian, Scottish, Irish and even Indian blood.
Kilmer's parents divorced when the boy was nine, after which Val and his sisters and brothers had to travel a lot: either living with their mother in Santa Fe or visiting their father in Los Angeles. Already in childhood, Kilmer realized his craving for transformation and from a young age began to comprehend the basics of his future profession. While at school, he studied drama, then went to Hollywood Professional School, where his classmates were Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham. At 17, Kilmer became the youngest student in the drama department of the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. While studying there, Val's ardent love for classical theatrical art manifested itself; young Kilmer especially fell in love with Greek tragedies and Shakespearean plays. It was from the theater that the actor’s stellar career began. He began acting on stage in 1981, and already in 1983 he ended up on Broadway, where Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn became his partners. Star Trek Val Kilmer made his film debut in 1984, starring in the famous comedy Top Secret. Kilmer performed all the songs in the film himself and even released an album under his character's name. Soon the actor appeared in several more films: “Genius”, “Top Gun”, “Billy the Kid”, “Kill Me Again”, “The Man Who Broke a Thousand Chains”, which, however, did not bring him the desired fame. Kilmer attracted particular attention in 1988 with his role in the fairy tale film Willow, after which the actor’s long-awaited finest hour came - in 1990 he was invited to shoot the film The Doors, where Val played the main role of the legendary rock musician Jim Morrison. By the way, Kilmer again performed some of the songs in the film himself. The film "The Doors" caused a real explosion in the actor's popularity. And in 1995, Kilmer again made people talk about himself. Joel Schumacher gives Val the role of Bruce Wayne in the film Batman Forever. Subsequently, this role became the actor’s calling card and made him fifth in the top twenty most famous people in Hollywood. The film “The Saint,” which appeared on screen in 1997, also became significant for Kilmer. Val personally corrected 80 pages of text in the script, making the film a hit and once again proving that talented people are truly talented in everything. Speaking of talents: Val is not just a talented actor, singer and screenwriter, he has also proven himself as a poet. In 1983, he published the collection “My Paradise after the Burn,” five thousand copies of which are now a real rarity. Now the actor continues to act in films and play in the theater. In the 21st century, Kilmer's main focus is on fantasy and action films. The latest films with his participation were “Red Planet”, “Pollock”, “The Salton Sea”, “Alexander”, “Mindhunters”, “Kiss Bang Bang”, “Deja Vu”, “Moscow-Zero”, “Knight Rider”, “There are dreams, there will be journeys”, “Criminal”, “Steam Experiment” and others. Personal life Almost immediately after Val became famous in the world of cinema (since the release of the film “Top Secret” in 1984), the actor began an affair with the singer Cher. The young man's feelings quickly passed. In 1988, Val Kilmer married the popular American actress Joanne Whalley, with whom the marriage lasted 8 years. Over the years of their marriage, Val and Joanne had a daughter, Mercedes, and a son, Jack. In 1995, eight months after the birth of their last child, the couple divorced. After breaking up with Joanne, Kilmer's relationship with top model Cindy Crawford developed for a long time. In 1998, Jacy Gossett, with whom Val had been together for three years, took Cindy's place. He was also credited with an affair with Mira Sorvino. It is also known that in 2004, after filming the film “Alexander,” Val had a relationship with Angelina Jolie. Soon Kilmer got tired of his fleeting hobbies, and he decided to devote himself to communicating with children and living a secluded life - he had not yet met true love. Photo: GettyImages/Fotobank.ru
"Batman Forever" and a new impetus in career development
Success in acting allowed Val to get more serious and famous roles. For example, in 1995, filming began on a new film from a series of stories about the famous Batman. And Val Kilmer got the role of the main character. “Batman Forever” made the actor famous, because the role of a serious millionaire exterminating evil in his spare time suited him.
Other paintings followed later. In 1996, he played Montgomery in the science-fiction thriller The Island of Doctor Moreau. That same year, he worked on Stephen Hopkins' film The Ghost and the Darkness, in which he played young engineer John Patterson, who is sent to build a bridge in Africa.
In 1997, the film “The Saint” was released, where the actor played the main role of the elusive thief Simon Templar, who decides to give up criminal activities.
Acting career in 2000
In 2000, two films with the participation of this actor were released. He starred in the science-fiction film Red Planet and played Willem de Kooning in the drama Pollock. And in 2002, he got the role of Tom Van Allen in the crime drama The Salton Sea.
He also played the lead role of Frank Cavanaugh in the drama thriller Blind Horizon. In 2003, the premiere of the action-packed western about life in New Mexico, “The Last Raid,” took place, where Kilmer played Lieutenant Jim Ducharme. And in 2004, he appeared before the audience as government agent Bobby Scott in the political thriller “Spartan.”
In the same year, the actor played the father of Alexander the Great in the historical film “Alexander”. At the same time, he participated in the filming of the thriller Mindhunters. The 2005 black comedy Kiss Bang Bang, where he played detective Gay Perry, was quite successful for Kilmer’s career. The actor also got a small role in the popular film “Deja Vu.”
And in 2008, four films were released with the participation of Val Kilmer - “Knight Rider”, “XIII: The Conspiracy”, “Criminal” and “Delgo”. The next year, 2009, also became productive, as the actor participated in the filming of such films as “Firmware”, “Thaw”, and also played the role of Jimmy in the thriller “Greenhouse Experiment”.
New films with the famous actor
In recent years, new films with Val Kilmer appear on screens quite often. For example, in 2010 he played the role of Dieter von Kant in the comedy SuperMacGruber.
And in 2011, the premiere of a historical war film called “5 Days of August” took place, which tells about the conflict in South Ossetia in 2008. Val here got the role of a Dutch journalist.
Also in 2011, the actor participated in the filming of the crime drama The Irishman, where he was offered the role of Joe Manditsky.
Next, actor Val Kilmer appeared as writer Hall Baltimore in the mystical thriller “Between.” During a period of creative crisis, the writer moves to a small town, where he begins his own dangerous investigation of brutal murders.
And in 2012, the actor played Bill McCormick in the horror film Seven Feet. As you can see, Val Kilmer is a versatile actor who has starred in films of different genres during his career. It is this ability to transform himself on screen that makes the artist so popular and in demand in the film industry.
Val Kilmer now
In the 2000s, Kilmer primarily appeared in fantasy and action films.
His performance in the 2002 crime drama The Sea of Salton was well received by critics. To film Oliver Stone's historical film Alexander in 2004, the actor had to gain more than 20 kilograms of weight. Every day he spent a whole hour in the hands of make-up artists, who put a scar on his face and “aged” him to make him look like King Philip. Along with Kilmer, star actors Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell and Jared Leto appeared in the film.
In 2005, Kilmer starred in the black comedy Kiss Kissed Out, for which he had to lose 20 kilograms he had previously gained. In 2006, he starred in episodic roles in the films “The Intersection of 10th and Wolf,” “Deja Vu,” “Played,” “Moscow Zero” and “Summer Love.” In 2008, he played in the drama “Sex Guru” along with Mike Myers, Jessica Simpson and Jessica Alba. In 2009, films with Kilmer’s participation “Bad Lieutenant” and “Silver Cord” were released. In 2010, the actor played Dieter von Kant in the action comedy film Super MacGruber. In 2011 he appeared in the action film “5 Days of August”, which tells about the conflict in South Ossetia in 2008.
For his acting achievements, Val Kilmer received the Capri Legend Award, Maverick Tribute Award and Camerimage. For his role in the film “The Salton Sea” he received the Prism Award, and for “Kiss Bang Bang” - the Satellite Award. He was also nominated three times for the Golden Raspberry anti-award for his roles in the films Ghost and Darkness, The Saint and Alexander.
Val Kilmer played Batman
Val Kilmer: personal life
Val is a handsome, charming and courageous man who has never lacked female attention. And during his career, both true and far-fetched rumors about his affairs with celebrities constantly appeared in print media.
For example, in 1984, information appeared about the actor’s affair with the cult singer Cher. And in 1988, on the set of the film Willow, he met Joanna Whalley, who soon became his wife. At the end of October 1991, the star couple had a daughter, who was named Mercedes. And four years later, in 1995, their son Jack was born. Unfortunately, the marital relationship has cracked. Eight months after the birth of their son, his parents announced their divorce.
After this, Val Kilmer (photo) maintained a romantic relationship with the famous model Cindy Crawford for quite a long time. And in 1998, it became known that Jaycee Gossett became the actor’s girlfriend. In addition, information regularly appeared in magazine articles about Val's stormy romances with Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, as well as with Daryl Hannah and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Personal life of Val Kilmer
Love on the court
While filming Willow, Val met actress Joanne Whalley. In March 1988 they got married.
The couple had two children. This is Mercedes, born on October 29, 1991, and Jack, whose birthday is June 6, 1995. In February 1996, the actors divorced, and since then Val Kilmer’s personal life has not changed.
Rude or meticulous workaholic?
Everyone knows about the quarrelsome character in Hollywood, but the opinions of colleagues are contradictory. For example, Warwick Davis, who co-starred with Kilmer in Willow, describes him as a hard-working, very dedicated actor. Other castmates also noted the meticulousness and thoroughness of Val's preparation for the role. But the relationship between Kilmer and Marlon Brando (“The Island of Dr. Moreau”) did not work out (although Brando was not a gift either). Conflict broke out again on the set of “Red Planet” - Val had a fight with Tom Sizemore.
Val Kilmer provided assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, he defends the rights of Indians and fights for environmental protection. In May 2012, Kilmer received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from William Woods University.
Actor Awards and Nominations
Today, Val Kilmer is a fairly famous and successful actor. For example, since 2003, he has received several quite prestigious awards. In particular, he becomes the owner of Camerimage, Maverick Tribute Awards and Capri Legend Awards.
His performance in the film “The Salton Sea” was also highly praised - for this role he received the Prism Award. And the Satellite Award went to the actor in gratitude for his work on the film “Kiss Bang Bang”.
Of course, not all of Val's films were so successful. He was nominated for the Golden Raspberry three times, in particular for the films The Saint, The Phantom and the Darkness, and Alexander. However, he never received this not very prestigious award.
Biography
At 17, Val became the youngest student at the Juilliard School of the Arts. His grandfather was a gold miner. Perhaps from him Val inherited his independent character and love of travel (after his first film, he went traveling around the USA and Europe for almost a whole year). In Hollywood, he enjoys the reputation of a rebel, an attack free shooter. The problem with many young actors today is that they lack inspiration and courage. They choose their genre once and for all and simply imitate Marlon Brando, James Dean or Montgomery Clift. Kilmer is sure that an actor should always remain himself, no matter who he plays.
Val Kilmer photography
He made his film debut in the film 'Top Secret' (1984), where he played the role of a singer who, by chance, found himself drawn into the fight against fascism.
The genre of the film is almost impossible to classify - there is everything here: rock, spies, rockets, Nazis, resistance, comedy and melodrama. In a sense, this is symbolic, because Kilmer also does not have an established on-screen image: now a singer, now a detective, now a warrior, now a pilot. Advertising:
In 1988, the actor tried himself in the fantasy fairy tale film Willow, aimed at a youth audience. The evil witch knows that only a little girl, who is cared for by the dwarf Willow, can defeat her. Kilmer plays his ally, the warrior Madmartigan. The production turned out to be very expensive, and the knowledge that two minutes of filming cost a thousand dollars could not but affect the performer. As a result, the picture turned out to be too chic, too shiny. Kilmer's partner was the English actress Joan Whalley, who became popular after the film Scandal. Also in 1988, Val and Joan got married, and later Joan Whalley-Kilmer was named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. Together with his wife, Kilmer starred in the film 'Kill Me Again' (1989), where he played a private detective, and Joan - his client.
The year 1991 became remarkable in the life of Val: it was marked by a meeting with Oliver Stone.
The prospect of playing singer Jim Morrison in a film by an outstanding director greatly fascinated Kilmer. Even as a child, he was taught by a student who happened to visit Vietnam. It was he who instilled in the boy a love for the culture of the 60s.
According to Stone, the entire A (1991) - that was the name of Jim Morrison's rock band - was supposed to be a concentrated expression of that era, its inherent idealism, and the desire for absolute freedom. It was not easy to find a performer for such a non-standard role. Before choosing Kilmer, Stone tried about 200 candidates. Val, in an effort to get the role, himself filmed a short videotape in which he sang with the group, disguised as Morrison.
The physical resemblance between the actor and his character in 'The Doors' is striking: the same hairstyle (by the way, Kilmer chose to grow his hair rather than play in a wig), clothes, gait, the same gestures. Their tastes, as it turns out, also coincide, even in songs. They are both poets, singers, writers, actors, because Morrison played in every song. Kilmer also loves music very much and for a long time, often singing for friends. He sang professionally for the first time in 'Top Secret', and now this experience has come in handy for him. He not only performs some of Morrison's songs, but in some places skillfully complements them. Val is even seriously thinking about a vocal career, but she doesn’t want to take rash steps, taking it very seriously.
In 'The Doors' he plays a man who gradually becomes more and more lonely, literally withdrawing from the world. Throughout the film, the singer is either drunk or drugged, but thanks to Kilmer's convincing performance, he remains an intriguing figure.
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In 1992, the actor starred in the film 'Heart of Thunder' by Maptide. In addition, he is also interested in producing activities in cinema. He dreams of eventually establishing the same collaboration with some director that existed between Marlon Brando and Elia Kazan or between Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack. He probably would like Oliver Stone to become such a director for him...
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