Val Kilmer Biography

Val Kilmer Val Kilmer has enjoyed blockbuster success and critical praise. Born in Los Angeles in 1959, he trained as an actor in various stage plays before going on to appear in TV commercials and movies. He was the youngest student ever to attend the drama program at the Juilliard school, at seventeen years old. Some of his classmates included Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham. Kilmer's career really took off in the mid 1980s, when he made Top Secret, directed by Jim Abrahams and David Zucker. It was a parody of spy films and starred Lucy Gutteridge and Peter Cushing. Val Kilmer became a top box office draw after appearing in the fly boy's extravaganza, Top Gun. Directed by Tony Scott, Val played Ice opposite Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, and Anthony Edwards. In 1988, Val Kilmer found a change of pace with a fantasy adventure called Willow. Ron Howard directed from a story by George Lucas. Val had the lead role and his co-stars were Warwick Davis and Joanne Whalley. The 1990s brought one of his most challenging roles when he played Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's biopic The Doors. Val was praised for his performance as the charismatic rock star. The rest of the band was played by Kyle MacLachlan (Ray Manzarek), Kevin Dillon (John Densmore), and Frank Whaley (Robby Krieger). Meg Ryan was Morrison's long suffering girlfriend Pamela. Val Kilmer got a much sought after role as Batman, in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, released in 1995. Nicole Kidman played his love interest and he battled with Two-Face as performed by Tommy Lee Jones and the Riddler, superbly acted by Jim Carrey. Chris O Donnell was trusty sidekick Robin, and Drew Barrymore was Sugar.The next year saw the release of The Island of Doctor Moreau, directed by John Frankenheimer. Adapted from the science fiction story by HG Wells, it also starred Marlon Brando, Ron Perlman, and David Thewlis. The next decade has provided Val Kilmer with many interesting projects, in roles that have stretched his abilities as an actor. In The Salton Sea, he was directed by D.J.Caruso, and played alongside Vincent D Onofrio and Adam Goldberg. This was a crime thriller and Val said he drew inspiration for his character from the real life tragedy in his own life, when his younger brother drowned. Val appeared in another crime story shortly after, when David Mamet cast him in Spartan. His co-stars were Tia Texada and Derek Luke. The cult movie Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang in 2005 gave Val Kilmer a supporting role in this comedy thriller directed by Shane Black. Robert Downey Jr. and Corbin Bernsen starred. There is a link to literature in the family, as the celebrated poet Joyce Kilmer is second cousin to Val Kilmer. Val was married to actress Joanne Whalley, with whom he had two children after meeting on the set of Willow. Joanne used to sing with the group, Cindy the Saffrons.