Val kilmer in 10 unforgettable roles

From Bruce Wayne to Jim Morrison via Madmartigan, the actor who died on Tuesday at the age of 65 had marked American cinema. Back on its most emblematic performances.

Val kilmer died. The American actor died this week at the age of 65, weakened in recent years by throat cancer. He leaves behind an surprisingly rich and varied filmography over 40 years of career. First remember, Val kilmer it was…

Nick Rivers in Top secret! (1983)

Val kilmer Make his cinematographic debut in the spy comedy of the ZAZ (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker) where he embodies an American singer who finds himself involved in the French resistance in East Germany. Although less known than Is there a pilot on the plane! This film is made of the same absurd humor (word games, delirious visual gags, and actors who play Deadly Serious). Kilmer demonstrates a hallucinating comic talent there, perfectly playing the role of the singer at the Elvis while fully participating in the comic madness that characterizes the film. And his scene as a underwater fight or his arrival in cow remains among his greatest film moments.

Iceman in Top Gun (1986)

As he explained in the formidable document ValveKilmer did not want the role of Iceman and the scenario ” stupid ” of Top Gunin which he read a glorification ” Hyper masculinity “, of ” machismo “And” war ». But on contract with Paramount, he didn’t really have a choice. Destiny is sometimes generous … a little asshole, a little touching (he just wants us to respect the rules!), His iceman is the perfect antithesis of Maverickthe disciplined pilot in front of the burned head. Intense rivalry, but never caricatured: Kilmer does not need to force his natural charisma and plays with subtle nuances, between arrogant look and a smirk that says a lot. The career of Tom Cruise He owes him more than we believe.

Madmartigan in Willow (1988)

The cinema of George Lucas is made of archetypes, inspired by the thought of the philosopher Joseph Campbell, herself influenced by Jung (a theory completely slammed on the ground, but that is not the subject). In this case, Madmartigan in Willow (Written by Lucas) is the medieval-fantastic version of Han Solo’s archetype: a charming scoundrel, fighter/Filou Emeritus that the naive hero (Willow/Luke Skywalker) looks at with wonder, and which will seduce Princess Badass (Sorsa/Leia) … Enough of this counter anthropology: Rigolo, battling with the enthusiasm of the great Hollywood heroes, and knowing how to break this image with a well felt fall or valve -see this unpaid scene where he disguises himself as a jealous husband, or this grandiose moment when, shot with the magic potion, he breaks his mouth in the snow by making his sword to wipe out Willow. Kilmer could not have resumed this beautiful role in the cursed series Willow In 2023: it will only be seen in archive images, and his voice will be ensured by that of his son. You would have loved seeing a Old Madmartigan ? Too bad, he will be condemned to remain eternally young …

Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991)

To convince Oliver Stone to hire him in his biopic by Jim Morrison, Val kilmer Turned a demo band in which he slipped into the shoes of King Lézard and took up several pieces of the Doors – we learned in the documentary Valve That this kind of self-promo video was one of the actor’s specialties, who even sent the filmmakers who hadn’t asked him anything. Stone, fanatic of Morrison, was conquered. And whatever one thinks of the film, its historical shortcuts and its sixties reconstruction a little knock, difficult not to admit that Kilmer is denied, exceptional, possessed, capturing the Dionysian aura of the singer of Light My Firebut without locking up this one in the idolatrous clichés-perhaps because Morrison and Kilmer, basically, shared the same sense of provocative ‘. It is the perf ‘of musical biopic that announces all those that will follow, for better and for worse (especially for the worst).

Elvis in True Romance (1993)

Seven years later Top Gun,, Val kilmer found Tony Scott. But this time, the dialogues are signed Tarantino. The actor is credited in the credits in the role of “mentor”, but he of course plays the ghost ofElvis Presleywhich appears regularly to provide his co -colority advice to the small comic book seller played by Christian Slater -an alter-ego of Tarantino (big fan of Elvis … and Top Gun). Kilmer is barely visible in the film, hidden in golden costume in the blur of the background. But if her appearance is gag, she also proved that the actor was not afraid to play the icons. Batman, Doc Holliday, Jim Morrison, Elvis… Who says better?

Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993)

Just before the AS of the trigger was played by played by Dennis Quaid in the Wyatt Earp de Lawrence Kasdan (facing Kevin Costner in 1994), Val kilmer Behind the small glasses of Doc Holliday, legend of the American West, inveterate player, sniper and renowned assassin, who notably participated in the famous battle of OK Corral in Kansas in 1881. In the Hollywood western of George CosmatosKilmer brings a crazy class to the doc. Tuberculous pistolero with a mixture of charm, irony and fragility, its nuanced game and its cult replicas make it one of the strengths of the film, almost flying the show in the cold Kurt Russell (in earp).

Jean Mermoz in The wings of courage (1995)

This is the only French production in which the American participated! In this little 40-minute film, we follow the disappearance in the Andes of Henri Guillaumet’s Andes, Aéropostale pilot, saved by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry after an icy survival experience, in the high mountains, in the middle of southern winter and without equipment. Val kilmer embodies Jean Mermoz in front of the French camera Jean-Jacques Annaud. A secondary but important role since it is the very first fiction film in IMAX 3D format. It was broadcast at the Futuroscope Park offering an impressive visual experience at the time.

Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever (1995)

Val kilmer accesses his ” childhood dream “, Become Batman in the cinema. The actor arrives on the set of Joel Schumacher With his vision of the character, while introspection, silently tortured by his double identity. The contrast between this sobriety of play and the almost “camp” flamboyance of his enemies (the riddler of Jim Carrey and double-sided embodied by Tommy Lee Jones) will not necessarily play in his favor with the public. However, he was the only one to have understood the ambiguity and the demons that torment the black knight. Despite his clashes with him on the set, Schumacher admitted one day to think that ” Val Kilmer was the best Batman ». It would be a bad day to prove it wrong.

Chris Shiherlis in Heat (1996)

While Michael Mann just finalized the scenario of Heat 2we know for having read the novel from which he is inspired by the intrigue will mainly follow the traces of Chris Shiheris embodied by Val Kilmer in the first opus. Chris, Neil McCauley’s henchman (Robert de Niro), is the only survivor of the band behind one of the most iconic armored van in the history of cinema. Kilmer in crazy dog, long hair and catogan, carries in the gaze the madness of action men who inevitably sail towards tragedy. The actor as in the past Mickey Rourke In Angel Heart – Another star pitch and overturned- was not afraid of the myth of Niro and was as electrified in contact. This will be less the case in the next film against the Brando monster in Doctor Moreau’s island which will pose its unmanageable actor status. Waiting for, Heatit was also him.

Gay Perry in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

The false is not necessarily the enemy of the true. Though. This deliberately outraged comedy of Shane Black Ties an uncertain abyme of the acting profession. Val kilmer supposedly model of Robert Downey Jr assumes the departure baroque deal. Or make a thief in the short week propelled by a casting, a convincing actor. Kilmer who in real life already plays with the fires of a slippery career, having fun making his character of private detective a caricature of himself. Result, each gaze launched at Downey Jr slips on his partner to reach us in the face. Kilmer thus crosses the mirror to explode it into a thousand pieces. A magnificent angel jump towards the unknown.