The late Val Kilmer had a couple of Disney connections fans may have forgotten about!
It’s always sad when a major star passes away at a seemingly too young age. Val Kilmer may have fallen from his 1990s limelight, but it was still jarring to his many fans to hear the actor had passed away at the age of 65 on April 1 after a long battle with throat cancer and pneumonia.
The actor debuted in the 1984 cult comedy Top Secret! That led to turns in Real Genius before his star-making role as Iceman in the 1986 smash Top Gun. After that, Kilmer was a much-in-demand actor starring in numerous hits, including a turn as the Caped Crusader in Batman Forever as well as Heat, The Saint, The Ghost, and the Darkness, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and more.
Kilmer was, by his own admission, a temperamental man who could cause some messes on set. The tales of his behavior on 1996’s bomb The Island of Doctor Moreau have become Hollywood legend.
Kilmer cut back on his workload but made a memorable final performance as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick, which now counts as his last role.
It’s no surprise Kilmer has a couple of Disney connections, one of which is among his best roles and the other a fun tribute to his most famous!
Kilmer was the perfect Doc Holiday
1993’s Tombstone, made for Touchstone Pictures, had begun as a focus on Wyatt Earp to star Kevin Costner. Costner, however, wanted to make his own Earp movie, with the script eventually making its way to Disney favorite Kurt Russell.
The production was, to put it mildly, chaotic. Rumors continue that Costner tried to sabotage the movie by hoarding every Western costume and designer he could for his Earp film. Also, Kevin Jarre may have written a good script but was in over his head as a director. With the cast almost revolting, he walked and George P. Cosmatos took over with major cuts to what was filmed.
Thankfully, what the movie had going for it was one of the best ensemble casts you could ask for: Russell, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Dana Delaney, Charlton Heston, and a then-unknown Billy Bob Thornton. Towering over all of them was Kilmer as Doc Holliday.
Oddly, Willem Dafoe had been the original choice for the gunslinger and would have been an excellent choice. However, Disney had issues with Dafoe's performance in 1988's controversial The Last Temptation of Christ. They also thought Dafoe didn't have the box office clout needed for audiences so the role went to Kilmer and we should all be happy for it.
Kilmer studied everything he could on the real Holliday, practicing a quick draw and perfecting a Southern accent. He was easily the highlight of the movie, delivering famous lines like “I’m your Huckleberry” (which Kilmer later used as the title of his autobiography) and one of his finest performances.
The movie ended up being a box office hit, making $73 million off a $25 million budget and even bigger on home video. Oh, and Costner’s big Wyatt Earp movie? That became one of the bigger bombs of 1994.
Kilmer’s fun animated cameo
Kilmer’s other notable Disney-connected role is in the often-overlooked 2013 animated film Planes. Set in the same world as Cars, it takes the same idea of planes as living characters, with Dusty (Dane Cook), a crop duster plane, wanting to be a racer.
Amid the adventures, Dusty ends up getting lost and wandering into a military zone. He’s confronted by two F-18 fighter jets called Bravo and Echo. They lead Dusty to a waiting aircraft carrier, which becomes a plot point as Dusty uncovers a secret of his mentor, former flier Skipper (Stacy Keach).
The casting of Bravo and Echo was a marvelous touch for the movie as it’s Kilmer and Anthony Edwards who played Goose in Top Gun. Obviously, this was a funny in-joke of the pair voicing fighter jets and while brief, it’s a highlight of the film.
That was the last connection Kilmer had to Disney. Reportedly, when Disney+ began work on their Willow TV series, they wanted Kilmer to reprise his role as warrior Madmartigan. Sadly, Kilmer’s health prevented that from happening and the show’s cancellation prevented a future cameo.
So, while Kilmer’s Disney connections seem light, they do serve as a major highlight for his career and another nice addition to his huge filmography.
Planes and Tombstone are now streaming on Disney+.