He was still a Christian Scientist to the end, AFAIK.
Just two days ago I was asked by my pharmacy if I wanted a pneumonia vaccine. Kind of a wake up call I should say yes.
He reunited with Davis on “Life’s Too Short,” in full self-parody mode.
Let’s just take a step back. No, I was wrong, I’m sorry, take a step forward. Now, take a step back. Step forward. Back. And then we’re cha-cha-ing!
I had my then-12-year-old kid watch Real Genius, two years ago. It held up quite well.
i did like his take on batman. real genius was my first val kilmer film. so fun and so good.
Kilmer didn’t actually speak at all, they used AI to recreate his voice.
Damn, I just watched Tombstone last weekend. His Doc Holliday steals the movie - “That’s Latin, darlin. Evidently Mr. Ringo is an educated man. Now I really hate him.” And the scene with Wyatt visiting him in the sanitarium is really sad now.
I wouldn’t call that a small role. He was the third-billed actor in the cast, with plenty of screen time and possibly the most poignant scene in the movie (when he comes home to his wife at the end, realizes that the cops are waiting for him, and drives off).
He was awesome. Every time I think someone above has named my favorite move, another one comes along and I just can’t possibly choose.
May he rest in peace.
I always had trouble mixing up Val Kilmer and the guy that killed Apollo Creed (Dolph Lundgren). Both actors were extremely muscular with crew cuts.
I do remember Val was great as Maverick’s rival in Top Gun.
RIP
One article I read said he was a Ran Paul supporter who lobbied for religious exemptions for Covid vaccines. Reading that put a sad caveat on my fond memories.
The first I’d heard he was sick was when I watched the bonus features on the more recent BluRay reissue of Heat. There’s a film festival panel starring much of the cast, moderated by Christopher Nolan, and Kilmer sounded like Daffy Duck when he spoke. Googling explained about the cancer. The weirdest post-cancer role he had was as a villain in the little-seen The Snowman, in which not only do we never really see his face, his voice was also dubbed, but I guess he got a trip to Norway out of it.
Still…despite the flaws in the film, The Doors is still a monumental performance. Top Secret! remains one of the funniest comedies of the 80s. His cameo in True Romance is still a showstopper. And Kill Me Again is a really wonderful neo-noir and he’s great in it. A lotta good stuff in his filmography.
Let me know if there is any change in his condition.
The Saint was one of his strongest roles not mentioned. I never cared for the original so his reimagining was welcome.
While he did campaign for religious exceptions to laws (also ACA), AFAIK he was a lifelong Democrat or Green supporter in all other ways.
IIRC, he also did his character’s singing in Top Secret!, in which he essentially played Elvis, if Elvis was in a mashup of a spy movie and a WWII movie. 
I just watched a vid on Real Genius yesterday. Chris Knight was great. Apparently he developed a reputation for being difficult to work with, which didn’t really derail his career. The cancer did that.
Years ago (before his health issues), I read an article about Kilmer, in which a parallel was drawn between him and Marlon Brando: both were extremely talented and versatile actors, who felt pigeon-holed due to their good looks, and became increasingly dissatisfied with their careers as a result.
My Facebook bio lists my profession as
“I’m your huckleberry at law firm”
But I can’t fill his shoes.
(Although I’ve heard that he actually says “I’m your huckle bearer”, a huckle referring to the handles on a casket. Urban Dictionary says that’s nonsense)
Real Genius is on my short list of favorite movies. Top Secret is the funniest movie most people have never seen. And nobody was cooler than Ice in Top Gun when he did that bite thing.
Kilmer also deserved an Oscar for The Doors. He sang so good the original band couldn’t tell the difference.
Definitely one of my favorite actors. And anybody who once dared Cher was undoubtedly charming in real life. Sad to have gotten so sick, and sad to have died so soon.