Home   >   Movie Stars   >   K   >   Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer is one of the most prolific actors of his generation. From his early work in Top Gun through his work with Oliver Stone in The Doors and Michael Mann in Heat, to his newest work as a career military officer in David Mamet's Spartan, Kilmer has worked with many of film's most respected directors and actors.

The youngest student ever admitted to the drama department at Juilliard, Kilmer made his feature debut in the comedy Top Secret, which he followed up with Real Genius and his breakout role as the Iceman in Tony Scott's Top Gun opposite Tom Cruise.

Kilmer's other memorable roles include Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors, the title character in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, Doc Holliday in Tombstone and Simon Templar in The Saint. His other starring roles include Michael Mann's Heat with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, True Romance, directed by Tony Scott, Ron Howard's Willow, At First Sight and Thunderheart. He recently won the 2003 Prism Award for his work in The Salton Sea, and appeared in the 3-D epic Wings of Courage, as well as voicing the character of Moses in the animated film The Prince of Egypt.

During the production of Wonderland, Kilmer began a photography project which has blossomed into a behind-the-scenes pictorial book. Released by Pocket Book, the photographs will also be exhibited in several cities in the United States.

Kilmer's films also include Renny Harlin's Mindhunters, the animated feature Delgo, Ron Howard's The Missing, Blind Horizon, Stateside, Wonderland and a role opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the upcoming Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.

When Kilmer was at Juilliard, he co-wrote the play How It All Began, based on the true story of a West German radical. The play was directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Joseph Papp for the Public Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in the 1983 production of Slab Boys with Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. He also appeared in Papp's Delacorte Theatre production of Henry IV: Part One, As You Like It, the title role of Hamlet and 'Tis Pity She's A Whore, also at Papp's Public Theatre.

On television, Kilmer starred in the critically acclaimed HBO Original Movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, for which he received a CableACE nomination, and in Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid, playing the title role.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Val Kilmer Facts

Birth NameVal Edward Kilmer
OccupationActor
BirthdayDecember 31, 1959 (64)
SignCapricorn
BirthplaceLos Angeles, California, USA
Height6' (1m83)  How tall is Val Kilmer compared to you?

Selected Filmography

Top Gun
Dead Man's Bounty
Planes
Kill the Irishman
Tombstone
Trust Metric
Ghost and The Darkness
Batman Forever
Heat
Continue » Find more details on the Val Kilmer Movies page