When it comes to ranking the Batman movies, I think most will agree that The Dark Knight is perched firmly at the top.

However, what about the bottom of the list? Well, I think things get a bit trickier there. Sure, I know exactly what Batman movie people want to place at the bottom (and I’ll get to it in a few), but for my money, the worst live-action Batman movie is 1995’s Batman Forever, and by a wide margin.

And, look, I know I’m pretty much the ONLY person who says this, but I have my reasons. Here are just a few.

Let's Get This One Out The Way First. Yes, I Think Batman Forever Is Worse Than Batman & Robin

When I ranked the Batman movies, I put Batman & Robin at the bottom, but it’s not because I think it’s the worst. No. It’s actually because I’m a man of the people, and I know everybody hates Batman & Robin. But personally, I LOVE it, and I always have (I actually now like Batman v. Superman, which surprises me). Because what people think is its biggest weakness–that it’s way too silly–I think is its biggest strength, since Batman & Robin always has its tongue firmly in its cheek, right down to Clooney’s silly performance.

Which is the thing, really, because Batman Forever doesn’t entirely commit to being camp like its follow-up. Directed by Joel Schumacher after two successfully dark Tim Burton Batman movies, Batman Forever often walks the line between something that wants to be taken seriously and something that’s incredibly goofy, and this mishmash kind of throws it off for me.

I think it also might be because Val Kilmer commits to being an amazing Batman, which actually works AGAINST this movie, which I’ll get into next.

Val Kilmer Is A Great Batman In A Bad Batman Movie

I know some people think Val Kilmer isn’t at his best in this movie when compared to other Batmen, but I think Kilmer does a good job of playing both Bruce Wayne and Batman, which is never an easy task.

As Wayne, he’s charming, and as Batman, he doesn’t brood like Bale’s or Pattinson’s versions, nor is he a tired bruiser like Ben Affleck. Instead, he’s actually more similar to the quieter (but somehow more lethal) Michael Keaton, but slightly modified to fit this movie's more colorful tone. And, I don’t think that should be understated. Val Kilmer is just a tad beneath Keaton for me.

That works against him since the playful tone is dialed up to a million, what with Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey hamming it up, and it just throws the whole thing off since Batman sometimes seems like he’s in a different movie. Oh, and speaking of Jim Carrey…

I Agree With Tommy Lee Jones. I Can't Sanction Jim Carrey's Buffoonery

Jim Carrey–who was my childhood–has a really funny story about a time he went up to Tommy Lee Jones outside of work, and Jones told him that he couldn’t “sanction” his “buffoonery.” And honestly, when it comes to Carrey’s performance as The Riddler, I’m with Jones on this one.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Tommy Lee Jones singing “Trick or treat” at Wayne Manor beside Carrey is ludicrous to the nth degree, but I really do feel like Carrey goes WAY over the top (even more than usual for the ‘90s) in this movie. It really makes me kind of despise his character.

And, I’m talking about despising him just as much as I despise Jared Leto’s Joker in Suicide Squad. That’s how much I loathe Jim Carrey’s manic performance in this movie. Even as a kid, I just found it so annoying.

That Said, It Still Has Its Positives!

Here’s the thing. While I genuinely can’t stand Batman Forever, I do have to give some props to its visual style. The backdrops and designs are colorful in a way that really does look like a comic book at times, so kudos to that.

Oh, and the soundtrack is still bananas. “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal is way too good a song for this middling movie. Method Man’s “The Riddler” is also great, as is U2’s “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me.”

But the rest? Put it straight and directly in the trash.

Amanda Seyfried may not be the star from Mean Girls that everyone remembers as a party animal, but she certainly had some wild times. The actress, when talking about how tabloids targeted co-star Lindsay Lohan back then, recalled her own wild experience that ended with her at Val Kilmer's house. And she's unsure if she ever actually met him.

Seyfried was recently profiled by GQ, and in talking about various aspects of her life, she talked about a wild night she shared with some co-stars of Mean Girls. The actress, who played the bubbly Karen Smith after a "psychotic" Regina George audition, dropped names when talking about some of her partying days as a young star in Hollywood:

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take the unnecessary detail that they saw Reefer Madness as a hint of other things they might've indulged in, or if it's just part of the story. I do think it's funny to party at someone's house and never meet them. I'm sure that's more common in Hollywood parties than at the average house party.

Amanda Seyfried never acted with Val Kilmer before his passing, but the main takeaway is she never made headlines for her wilder antics either. Seyfried has previously said she's preferred her middling level of fame in Hollywood, probably because she saw firsthand how it impacted her former Mean Girls co-star and friend, Lindsay Lohan.

While they may never collab for a sequel to the legendary coming-of-age movie, Seyfried said they've remained friends for years and often talk about life. The actress said the friendship and consistency of that in Hollywood in general is rare, and she's grateful for it.

I appreciate Amanda Seyfried sharing this story, and it isn't the first time we've seen her talk about the experience of being a young Hollywood actress. She's also talked about the pressure of doing nude scenes as a young star vs. an older one, and supported budding stars as they enter the spotlight.

While Amanda Seyfried doesn't have any immediate projects on the horizon, she's coming off two big movies, The Testament of Ann Lee and The Housemaid. That, paired with the Peacock series Long Bright River, made for an eventful year for her, and I'd have to think she has even more offers for big projects on the horizon.

I'm excited to see more from Amanda Seyfried after how 2025 went for her, and I really need to make time to see The Housemaid. The movie is currently available to stream over on Starz, and a sequel is in the works.

I grew up watching Top Gun on a loop, and when Top Gun: Maverick came out, it became a frequent rewatch. However, I had never watched the films back-to-back. That all changed, though, when the Top Gun movies returned to theaters alongside the releases on the 2026 movie schedule. And it was during this experience that I finally picked up on two very obvious parallels – one involving Iceman and Rooster, while the other involves Maverick and Hangman – that I can’t believe I missed.

I Can’t Believe I Never Noticed How Similar Iceman And Rooster Are

Re-watching Top Gun (which you can do with a Paramount+ subscription), I came to the realization that Iceman is actually very pragmatic, realistic and reasonable. The entire movie, he’s just trying to tell Maverick that his way of flying is reckless and could get someone killed.

Now, while Goose’s death was not Maverick’s fault, it certainly was a wake-up call. It also emphasized the point Iceman was making about what could go wrong in the plane. Up to this rewatch, I had always seen Val Kilmer’s character as an antagonist, when really, he was just trying to point out Maverick’s biggest flaw.

Then, in Top Gun: Maverick, it’s Rooster who does just that. He’s the safest flyer of the aviators brought back to Top Gun for this special mission, and he spends most of the movie playing it safe. Also, like Ice, Miles Teller’s character is unafraid to call out Maverick.

In a lot of ways, Miles Teller’s character serves as Tom Cruise’s foil in Maverick, which is what Iceman is in the first movie. However, the dynamic is even more complex in the beloved Top Gun sequel, because Rooster is also Goose’s son. So, he has qualities of both Mav’s biggest rival and his best friend, making their relationship very complicated.

However, circling back to Rooster and Iceman, this parallel is so meaningful and obvious that I’m kicking myself for letting it fly over my head.

I Also Realized Maverick And Hangman Are A Lot Alike

Watching Top Gun: Maverick right after Top Gun, I also realized Glen Powell’s Hangman was acting a whole lot like a young Maverick. He’s cocky, a bit reckless and very driven to do whatever he can. I do think he’s more egotistical than Maverick, thanks to his team leader comments. However, generally speaking, his way of flying parallels his teacher’s in a wild way.

That’s because Hangman’s relationship with Rooster is framed a lot like Iceman and Maverick’s in the first movie. I had always thought that Hangman was Iceman and Rooster was Maverick, simply because Hangman is more of an antagonist, while Rooster is a protagonist. However, that was because I didn’t see the deeper parallels.

In the end, Rooster is more like the pragmatic and calculated Iceman, while Hangman is spontaneous and confident like Maverick. I’m happy I realized this, too, because it makes the movies even better. I just wish I had realized it earlier.

Val Kilmer gave some unforgettable performances in some of the best films of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Arguably though, he is most widely known for his role as Top Gun's Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, the rival pilot to Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Shortly after Kilmer's passing in April, Cruise paid tribute to his late friend and co-star. And, during a more recent interview, the Maverick portrayer recalled the story of how he and others had to convince Kilmer to join the aviator flick since he was reluctant to sign on.

Tom Cruise Talks The Impact Of Val Kilmer’s Decision To Do Top Gun

True to his name, the "Iceman" was pretty cold towards Tom Cruise and director Tony Scott when they sought him out for the role. Kilmer previously admitted to not wanting to do the film at all, much less play Iceman. Despite not being keen on joining the 1984 film, he auditioned more as a show of good faith towards Scott but purposefully put no effort into the tryout. However, Kilmer underestimated the Days of Thunder duo’s admiration for his work. During a chat with the BFI (via Deadline), Cruise recalled going through great lengths to land Kilmer:

Obviously, Kilmer gave in. Having seen Top Gun, it’s clear to me what Scott and Cruise were after. While reminiscing about filming with the late actor, Cruise remembered the ease with which Kilmer flexed his acting expertise, including perfectly improvised moments. The Oscar nominee specifically talked about one scene in particular, and how it felt to act opposite Kilmer:

The scene Tom Cruise is referring to is a key turning point in the film, where Iceman’s disdain for "cowboy" pilot Maverick turns from playful to more serious. This exchange between Val Kilmer and Cruise is so charged yet natural that it gives me chills. Val Kilmer's antagonistic chemistry with Cruise in that scene and others is what makes Top Gun a must-watch ‘80s classic.

Memorable moments like this make it seem wild the Batman Forever actor ever considered the supporting role unworthy of his time. Kilmer makes Iceman seem like a larger-than-life, ever-present character always hanging over Maverick. In actuality, he had very limited screen time, but Cruise makes it clear that he really made the most of each minute:

It’s hard to imagine this Top Gun rivalry without Kilmer. At the end of the film, the two rival pilots agree to be each other’s wingman anytime, something the real life actors didn’t forget. By the time a sequel was greenlit over 20 years later, the tables had turned, and it was Kilmer who was begging to be a part of the film. Thankfully, the Jack Reacher actor was committed to making it happen.

Why Kilmer’s Return In Top Gun Maverick Was So Special

When Top Gun: Maverick hit theaters and broke the box office in 2022, fans were overjoyed to see the OG Iceman on the big screen. Kilmer specifically requested to appear in the follow-up, and worked with director Joseph Kosinski personally on his storyline. Cruise and Kilmer reunited both in person and in character and, in regard to both instances, the Rain Man actor recalled that they picked up where they left off:

Even with the challenges posed by Val Kilmer's throat cancer, he was able to talk with AI voice reconstruction. Though their scene in Top Gun: Maverick is short, it speaks volumes regarding the growth of the former enemies’ friendship through the years.

Not only is Mitchell able to ask for Kazansky’s help and advice, but he can accept and value it as well. On the other side, Kazansky is able to admit that he's not the one who the new class of pilots need as a menter, but rather his old rival. It was a very touching moment for fans to watch, and Kilmer told Kosinski how happy he was with the final result. Cruise feels the same way:

It’s safe to say everyone on set felt it was huge to have the veteran Top Gun actor join the new cast. While Kilmer’s character died before the end of Maverick, I’m sure the late actor's absence will be felt regardless while filming the upcoming Top Gun 3. The movie is still in the writing stage of production, so it could be some time before it ultimately flies into theaters.

If anything, though, I would imagine that a threequel would somehow pay tribute to Val Kilmer and his contributions to the franchise just as Tom Cruise and co. honored late director Tony Scott in Top Gun: Maverick.

Often considered one of the best heist films ever made, Michael Mann’s Heat is an absolute crime epic with everything you want in a movie: intense action sequences, a cast of Hollywood heavyweights, and so much style. Clocking in at nearly three hours in length, this all-time great ‘90s movie has become one of the most influential films since its release 30 years ago. And a lot of that love comes because of one scene in particular: the downtown Los Angeles shootout.

However, I recently realized that the best scene from Heat doesn’t involve high-caliber shootouts after an epic bank robbery, or any action at all. Instead, the best scene, the most consequential in the movie in my eyes, is a much more mellow yet poignant conversation. Let me explain…

For The Longest Time, Heat's Shootout Scene Was My Favorite Part Of The Movie

Make no mistake, the big shootout scene in Heat is one of the greatest action sequences ever caught on film. The intensity, drama, and deafening sound of gunfire in the middle of downtown Los Angeles create an unforgettable moment, and I totally see why it’s everyone’s favorite scene (and mine as well, for a very long time). Hell, for a lot of us, we saw this sequence multiple times before we ever sat through Michael Mann’s full epic.

There are shootouts before Heat, and there are those after. Everything from movies like The Town and The Dark Knight to cinematic video games like Grand Theft Auto and Max Payne has taken inspiration from this epic scene. When the movie is brought up, this is the sequence people are going to talk about nine times out of 10.

But On A Recent Watch, I Realized That The Movie's Best Scene Isn't About The Action

There’s a scene about 40 minutes into Heat where Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) finds Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) sleeping on the floor of his oceanfront condo after going through some “husband and wife shit” with Charlene Shiherlis (Ashley Judd). Unlike the doomed heist that starts the film, or the major shootout that follows about an hour later, this relatively short scene has no shooting, no robbing, and no action. Instead, it’s all emotion, especially from the late actor.

Despondent, tired, confused, and caught between being a bank robber and a family man, Chris is going through it in this moment. After Neil tries to give him a speech about having no attachments and nothing he can’t drop in 30 seconds, his partner-in-crime responds with the movie’s best line: “For me, the sun rises and sets with her, man.”

Rewatching this scene, and fully taking in Kilmer’s understated performance, really resonated with me recently, and it completely changed the way I see his character, and the movie as a whole.

Chris Shiherlis' 'The Sun Rises And Sets With Her' Line Sets Up The Rest Of The Movie Perfectly

On its own, this little scene is a masterclass in acting, but when you look at it as part of the bigger picture the film is painting, it’s the stuff of wonder. See, Chris’ “The sun rises and sets with her” line perfectly sets up the rest of the film and is the initial spark that leads to Neil McCauley undergoing a massive change by the time the credits roll.

For years, I went back to Michael Cheritto’s (Tom Sizemore) “The action is the juice” quote as the defining line from the film. That rationale about the thrill and adrenaline rush of the heist being better than the reward is still great, but Chris’ more heartfelt explanation of his motivations is the real kicker. Shortly after this early-morning conversation, there’s a change in Neil, and he becomes less of a lone wolf as he starts a relationship with Eady (Amy Brenneman). Sure, this ultimately leads to Neil going against his code and getting killed, but the point still stands.

Honestly, this is the best part about rewatching one of your all-time favorite films for, like, the umpteenth time, as you start to notice little things that make it even better. And that was the case with Heat.

There is no question that Tombstone is one of the best Westerns ever made, and as this list proves, it's easily the most quotable. If we're honest here, almost every line in the movie is quotable. While we can't just reproduce the script here, we can offer many of the lines we love the most. So, without further ado, our list of quotes that make Tombstone the most quotable Western ever.

"I'm your huckleberry"

You know this one had to be on the list. Doc Holliday in Tombstone is arguably Val Kilmer's best role, and his most famous line has to be when he is facing down Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) towards the very end of the movie. It certainly scares Ringo.

"You gonna do somethin' or just stand there and bleed?"

Almost as soon as Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers get to the town of Tombstone, Wyatt takes over the faro game at one of the saloons. The man he takes it over for, Johnny Tyler, played wonderfully by Billy Bob Thornton, has a lot to say, but nothing to back it up.

"All right, Clanton... you called down the thunder, well now you've got it!"

Wyatt Earp's revenge ride, at least how it's portrayed in the movie, starts with Wyatt taking out his first few Cowboys on a train platform after his brother leaves town. He leaves one man alive, Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang), so he can carry Wyatt's message back to the rest of the Cowboys.

"Listen, Mr. Kansas Law Dog. Law don't go around here. Savvy?"

Ike Clanton is one of the most memorable characters in Tombstone, and easily his most iconic line comes when the Cowboys first introduce themselves to Wyatt as the former lawman deals cards in the saloon. After Curly Bill (Powers Boothe) explains the situation in Tombstone, Ike backs up the words succinctly. There isn't much law in the mining town.

"Already got a guilty conscience. Might as well have the money, too."

It only takes a few moments for the movie to set the stage. Wyatt and the other Earps arrive by train into Tucson on their way to strike it rich in Tombstone. Wyatt's reputation as a legendary lawman precedes him, but he's not interested in becoming a sheriff again. That much, he makes clear.

"If we're gonna have a future in this town, it's gotta have some law and order!"

Virgil Earp (Sam Elliott) is as no-nonsense as his brother, Wyatt, and his reputation as a lawman was just as legendary at the time. Though he joined his brothers in Tombstone to strike it rich, it doesn't take long before he returns to fighting crime. Wyatt is upset, but Virgil has his reasons.

"I have nothing left, nothing to give you, I have no pride, no dignity, no money, I don't even know how we'll make a living, but I promise I'll love you the rest of your life"

It's easy to forget, among all the machismo in Tombstone, that there is also a pretty love story between Wyatt and Josephine (Dana Delaney) in the movie as well. Wyatt delivers some classic lines in that regard, including laying his cards on the table about how he envisions their life together. Luckily, she's rich.

"I have two guns, one for each of ya."

The real-life Doc Holliday was a legendary gunman and a legendary drunk. In this one life, he pretty much sums up just how confident he is in both those skills. When he's accused of seeing double, he retorts with a classic line that has become one of the most quoted in the movie.

"That's not what he said, you ignorant wretch. Your Spanish is worse than your English."

Johnny Ringo is a stylish bad guy and an associate of the Cowboys. He's also the smartest of the bunch, and in the beginning, after a priest condemns a group of Cowboys after they murder a wedding party, Johnny cuts down when his fellow Cowboys and explains what the priest was saying before Ringo shot him dead.

"I don't think I'll let you arrest us today, Behan."

Johnny Behan, played by The Closer's Jon Tenney, is the corrupt sheriff of Tombstone who aligns himself with the Cowboys. After the most famous moment in the movie, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, takes place, the sharp-dressed sheriff tries to arrest the Earps. Wyatt disagrees.

"All right, 'lunger'. Let's do it."

Tombstone is filled with great language from a bygone era. "Lunger" is one of those terms you hear and might not understand the context at first. When Ringo calls Holliday a lunger at their showdown, he's making fun of Holliday's health, as Holliday is dying of tuberculosis.

"You're a daisy if you do."

Val Kilmer had a lot of amazing lines to deliver in one of his best roles, and this one is right up near the top. It happens right at the end of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, when it appears Doc Holliday is out of bullets. As a cowboy takes aim, Doc dares the man to shoot. Of course, that was a bad idea, and the Cowboy should've just let things be.

"Go ahead, skin it! Skin that smokewagon and see what happens!"

"Smokewagon" has to be one of the best ways to say "gun" in the history of the English language. In that amazing confrontation between Johnny Tyler and Wyatt, Tyler starts to draw, then thinks better of it. Wyatt dares him to pull out the pistol, but Tyler relents.

"Remember what I said about people seein' a bright light before they die? It ain't true. I can't see a damn thing."

Morgan Earp, played by the late Bill Paxton, is the youngest and most naive Earp brother. Unlike his older brothers, he's got a more philosophical outlook on life, and, it turns out, death. After he's fatally shot by the Cowboys, he reminisces with Wyatt about what he believed happened when someone died, but tragically, it's not how it turns out to be for him.

"No need to go heeled to get the bulge on a tub like you."

Many people find themselves rewinding over and over to figure out exactly what Wyatt says to Johnny Tyler as their confrontation begins at the faro table. Wyatt immediately insults Tyler, and it only gets worse from that for Billy Bob Thornton's character.

"Why Ed does this mean we're not friends anymore? You know Ed, if I thought you weren't my friend... I just don't think I could bear it!"

The introduction of one of Val Kilmer's best characters comes near the beginning of the movie, and he's playing cards. After being accused of cheating, he takes offense and wonders why his opponent is so upset. All while tickling the ivory handle of one of his pistols. It's hard to believe Kilmer wasn't always the first choice for the role of Doc; originally, Willem Dafoe was who the producers wanted.

"Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave."

The final confrontation between Doc and Ringo is classic Western stuff. Ringo wasn't ready for Doc, but Doc was more than ready for Ringo.

"Look at all the stars. You look up and you think, "God made all this and He remembered to make a little speck like me." It's kind of flattering, really."

There are some moments of sweet levity in Tombstone, and often they come from Morgan Earp, and his philosophical pondering.

"I'm gettin' tired of your gas. Now jerk that pistol and go to work!"

Finally, Wyatt has had enough of Johnny Tyler's "gas" and tells him the fight is on. Tyler is far too scared to draw his pistol, though, and eventually Wyatt hauls him out of the saloon by his ear like a petulant child.

"I'm an oak alright."

This classic line is a throwback to earlier in the movie when Wyatt first sees Josephine in the saloon. He tries to explain to Doc that he's a married man and will stand by his vows. Doc calls him an "oak" when Wyatt rebuffs Josephine. Later, Wyatt sarcastically thinks back to that as he chases Josephine on horseback.

"My dear, you've set your gaze upon the quintessential frontier type. Note the lean silhouette... eyes closed by the sun, though sharp as a hawk. He's got the look of both predator and prey."

Billy Zane has one of the more under-appreciated roles in the movie as a traveling actor alongside Josephine. He does have one glowing moment, however, when he sums up Josephine's type of man by describing Wyatt.

"From now on I see a red sash, I kill the man wearing it. So run you cur. And tell the other curs the law is coming. You tell 'em I'm coming! And Hell's coming with me you hear! Hell's coming with me!"

Wyatt Earp's revenge ride is pretty much the whole third act of the movie, and it all starts when he lays down his threat to Ike Clanton and the rest of the Cowboys after taking some of them out after they killed Morgan and shot Virgil.

"Very cosmopolitan."

One of the funniest lines comes, unsurprisingly, from Doc Holliday. It's subtle, but after listening to Behan prattle on about how sophisticated Tombstone has become, four gunfighters spill into the street and duel it out in front of them all. Very cosmopolitan.

"Oh. Johnny, I apologize; I forgot you were there. You may go now."

Poor Johnny Tyler just can't get any respect. When he returns to confront Wyatt after losing his faro game, Doc dismisses him without giving him any respect.

"Fight's commenced! Get to fightin' or get away!"

Ike Clanton is a despicable character in Tombstone, and he's at his worst when he begs to get out of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt tells him exactly what to do.

"It's like I'm sittin' here playin' cards with my brother's kids or somethin'."

Though he has a pretty small role, Tombstone is still one of Billy Bob Thornton's best movies, and that's because the few lines he does have are priceless. Like when we, as an audience, first meet his character and he's annoyed with literally everything around him, especially the guy smoking next to him.

"You die first, get it? Your friends might get me in a rush, but not before I make your head into a canoe, you understand me?"

The first time Wyatt has a direct confrontation with Ike, Wyatt is outnumbered. Luckily, Ike's cooler head prevails (surprisingly), and when he figures out Wyatt is serious, he backs off with his men.

"Come on boys. We don't want any trouble in here. Not in any language."

Another local lawman, Marshal Fred White, played by legendary Western actor Harry Carey Jr., tries to keep things cool when they get heated between Doc and Ringo. It works at first, but the water between them keeps boiling.

"Why Kate, you're not wearing a bustle. How lewd."

"Big Nose" Kate (Joanna Pacuła) was Doc Holliday's long-time companion, and she was known to be just as tough as Doc, and just as ready for a fight, which is why she wasn't wearing a bustle.

"Forgive me if I don't shake hands."

When Doc first meets Behan, he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the corrupt sheriff.

"Sure you do. Say goodbye to me. Go grab that spirited actress and make her your own. Take that beauty from it, don't look back. Live every second. Live right on to the end. Live Wyatt. Live for me. Wyatt, if you were ever my friend - if ya ever had even the slightest of feelin' for me, leave now. Leave now... Please."

If ever there was proof that Val Kilmer should have won an Oscar in his career, it's his final scene with Kurt Russell, as he lies dying of tuberculosis. It's masterful.

"Well... bye."

Powers Boothe plays Curly Bill, the de facto leader of the Cowboys, and when he thinks he's finally run the Earps out of town, he only has two words for them. Those two words, "Well, bye," have since become a meme that is useful for so many things. It, like all the rest of the lines on this list, is a true classic.

Quite recently, Val Kilmer unfortunately passed away, and people have been paying tribute to his storied career ever since.

A lot of people have been talking about some of his coolest gigs, like his role as Batman, or his performance as Doc Holliday in Tombstone. Hell, with so many great roles, you could literally pick any performance in his career (Willow!), and people will be like, “Yeah. He was awesome in that.”

However, even though I’ll always love those aforementioned performances, my favorite role of his actually wasn’t cool at all. In fact, it was in his film debut, where he was poking fun at the idea of being cool. That movie, in case you didn’t know, was the 1984 action comedy Top Secret!. And here’s why I’ll always remember him best for this 1980’s gem.

Val Kilmer Always Had A Cheeky Side As An Actor, And His Debut Was Evidence Of That

It’s actually interesting to look back at Kilmer’s career since his first two roles, prior to Top Gun, were actually comedies. His second movie, 1985’s Real Genius, is undoubtedly the more known of the two, but his debut, Top Secret! is my preferred film. That’s because Kilmer is just so damn cheeky in it.

Top Secret! is essentially a spoof of spy films, which makes sense, because it comes from the creators of Airplane! (Notice the fondness for exclamation points!). Kilmer plays a rock star (Skeet surfing!) named Nick Rivers who inadvertently gets wrapped up in a resistance movement against the Germans.

The thing is, as a rock star (which he played way before he landed the role as Jim Morrison in The Doors), he pretty much gets out of every situation by singing silly songs, often swaying his hips just like Elvis. Kilmer plays this all for laughs, and at no point does it look like he wasn’t having the time of his life playing a goofball.

That’s what was so great about him. Even though he could play cool characters in Heat or The Saint, he could also, at seemingly the snap of a finger, play a role that couldn’t possibly be taken seriously.

The fact that his acting debut was a parody film (and he knocked it out of the park), just goes to show that the man could do anything.

At The Same Time, You Could Tell He Had Movie Star Potential, Even Back Then

Kilmer’s character, Nick Rivers, is a complete joke, but you could tell even back in 1984 that the actor was destined for stardom. That’s because even though Top Secret! was a parody film, he didn’t play it like a comedian. He played it like a movie star.

This is very different from say, Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun, or Robert Hays in Airplane!. Because, while yes, Top Secret! is a screwball comedy just like those aforementioned films, Kilmer wasn’t acting as a comedian. Instead, he was acting like an action hero.

In a lot of ways, he is not the source of comedy here. Instead, his rock star character is simply reacting to the lunacy all around him. It’s a fine line, but Kilmer pulls it off.

Though, it’s not like he is playing the straight man, either, as you can tell that his character is very much in on the joke. There will be scenes where he stares directly at the camera as if he’s just realizing that he’s in a spoof.

It’s a tightrope walk, but Kilmer made it work because again, he could do anything. He just had that je ne sais quoi.

The Movie Is Utterly Hilarious

My favorite film with the late actor is probably the Michael Mann movie, Heat. That said, I consider it more of a Robert De Niro/Al Pacino movie that just so happens to have Kilmer in it (In a badass role, to be fair). It’s not only one of my favorite action flicks, but also one of my favorite movies of the ‘90s, period.

That said, I feel like I love several action movies, as there’s just so many to choose from. However, you know what’s not easy to choose from? Movies that consistently make me laugh all the way through. There are probably only three that I can think of off the top of my head, with those being Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, This Is Spinal Tap, and Top Secret!

That last one is the outlier, because I’m not really into parody films (not unless they’re from The Wayans’ family, anyway). I’m also not into spy movies. However, this is just so funny all the way through that it makes me laugh every time I see it.

It’s the gags, as they all somehow land. From Kilmer painting on a train (and the subsequent smeary results), to the ridiculous (though strangely thrilling) action scenes, to just the overall flow of the film, Top Secret! is utterly hilarious.

Again, a lot of this has to do with Kilmer’s willingness to be in on the jokes, but also his uncanny comic timing. So, while Heat is more of a movie that has him in it, Top Secret! is all Kilmer, all the time, and it’s freaking hilarious.

But The Action In It, While Silly, Is Still Really Exciting

Here’s another weird thing about this film. Even though I know it’s a madcap comedy, I still find the action really exciting. Now, it’s not like Hot Shots! (or the superior Hot Shots! Part Deux), which were purposely parodying action movies like Rambo III.

Instead, by parodying spy films, Top Secret! has to follow the tropes of spy films, with people punching each other out (to comical effect), getting trapped (again, to comical effect), and shooting at each other (to WAY comedic effect).

Even though I’m often laughing with tears in my eyes, I’m also kind of riveted, since they handle the action scenes well.

Every explosion is paired with some kind of gag, but the action itself is still somehow really enthralling. I think it’s the pacing, as the whole movie moves along snappily, making it feel more action-oriented than joke-oriented at times.

It’s strange to find the action “thrilling” in a film with a climax concerning people in a cow suit, I kind of think it is. Top Secret! is really exciting!

Looking At Kilmer's Entire Career, Top Secret! Really Proves He Was The Full Package

Kilmer was in a lot of movies, and you can tell by just looking at his filmography that he was a bona fide movie star. Yes, you have the films that everybody knows, but then you also have movies like Thunderheart, The Island of Dr. Moreau (which I really should write about one day just to talk about Marlon Brando wearing an ice bucket), and Deja Vu.

However, if you look at his first movie, Top Secret!, and his last, Top Gun: Maverick, I think you’ll see the full picture of what Kilmer had to offer in his body of work.

You also have proof that he could play dramatic roles in his sleep if he wanted to. But, in his heart of hearts, he always had that puckish, goofy side to him, and he first revealed it to the world here.

In every way, Val Kilmer was the complete package, and if you haven’t watched his debut role yet, then you are doing yourself a great injustice and should check it out immediately.

Have you watched Top Secret!? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have. I often feel like I’m the only one who's seen it.

Without a doubt, the late Val Kilmer, who died last week at 65, is a first-ballot acting Hall of Famer based on the first 11 years of his career alone. Top Secret!, Real Genius, Top Gun, Willow, Heat, and his turn as the Caped Crusader in Batman Forever lock that up. There are two movies in that run that are not only stone-cold classics but feature knockout performances by Kilmer that sadly didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination, much less earn a win, which would have been more than justified. Those two movies are Tombstone and The Doors.

Tombstone Was Completely Overlooked

Today, Tombstone is considered one of the best Westerns of all time, but it was underappreciated by critics and audiences alike when it was released on Christmas Day 1993. The film, starring Kilmer in a supporting role as the legendary Doc Holliday, is such a fun movie, but it was only a minor success at the box office and didn’t really find its audience until it was released on VHS a few months later.

Kilmer is brilliant in Tombstone. Not only does he deliver many of the movie's classic lines, like “I’m your huckleberry” and “You’re a daisy if you do,” but the way he gets you to believe that he’s a dying man (Holliday had turberculosis), with his sweating, coughing, and lethargy is astounding. Add on top Holliday’s devil-may-care attitude, and you’ve got a performance for the ages. It's a performance you can catch at least until the end of the month with a Hulu subscription.

Unfortunately, the movie didn’t garner any attention during the Awards Season in early 1994. Tombstone didn’t even sniff an Oscar or Golden Globe nomination. While it’s understandable that it wouldn’t compete with the eventual Best Picture winner, Schindler’s List, it’s really too bad that Kilmer didn’t get recognition for his role. Still, that snub isn’t as egregious as the one Kilmer received three years earlier.

The Doors Were A Legendary Band, But The Movie About Them Is Even Better

Let’s get this out of the way: I’m not a huge fan of The Doors or of Jim Morrison. I could go on about what I don’t like about the music and Morrison’s persona, but it doesn’t matter because I love 1991’s The Doors starring Kilmer as Morrison and directed by Oliver Stone. I think it’s one of the best -- if not the best -- rock and roll biopics ever made. I loved Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown, and I want to see more of him as Dylan, but it doesn’t come close to The Doors and Kilmer.

Kilmer completely disappears into the role of the self-proclaimed “lizard king,” and it’s hard to know where Kilmer ends and the tragic rock star begins in the film. When I first saw the movie as a teenager (when I was a fan of The Doors), I confused the real Morrison for Kilmer’s on-screen version. I really believed I watching the real guy, even though he’d been dead for decades. That’s how good he is. Kilmer is more Morrison than Morrison was at times.

Starring in a music biopic is a sure-fire way to secure an Oscar nod these days. Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, Chalamet as Dylan, Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, and Austin Butler as Elvis Presley have all been nominated for or won Oscars in recent years. But at the 1992 Academy Awards, Kilmer got no love in the Best Actor category, and frankly, as amazing as all those guys are in their roles, Kilmer was better as Morrison.

There are other performances throughout Val Kilmer’s career that I could point to, even later in his career when things came off the rails a little, like his underrated turn as adult film star John Holmes in 2003’s Wonderland, for example. Those two, though -- Doc Holliday and Jim Morrison -- stand out above the rest, and in addition to Iceman in Top Gun, they will certainly be the roles Val Kilmer is best remembered for.

This may sound astounding to some of you reading this, but I like Batman Forever. Is it my favorite of the live-action Batman movies? Definitely not. Is it a kooky and ridiculous movie? Absolutely. Does Tommy Lee Jones give a great Two-Face performance? Don’t be absurd. And yet despite all this, I still enjoy watching Forever, or at least clips from it, every now and then, finding it a rollicking good time and a nice change of pace from the usual darker Batman stories I usually read/watch. I cannot, however, say the same about Batman & Robin, but that’s a separate conversation.

So following Val Kilmer’s death last week, I decided to turn Batman Forever back on over the weekend to revisit the actor’s sole outing as Bruce Wayne. But as I was watching the Caped Crusader’s 1995 cinematic adventure this time around, something clicked for me: Bruce actually feels like the main character in his own movie. It’s something that makes me appreciate Forever much more now that I’m older, but before I get into that, let’s do a quick recap of what this movie throws at Kilmer’s Bruce.

What Happens To Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever

Bruce Wayne had a lot on his plate in Batman Forever, particularly compared to the previous two Batman movies starring Michael Keaton. Two-Face is already running wild at the beginning of the movie, and things only get worse when he teams up with Edward Nygma, a.k.a. The Riddler. Who, by the way, became a supervillain after Bruce rejected his pitch to make a device that can beam TV signals directly into the brain, as he was concerned about the potential for mind manipulation. That device, by the way, is what leads Riddler and Two-Face to later discover Bruce is Batman.

That not enough for you? Ok, next we have the introduction of Dick Grayson, the deep breath teenager (Chris O’Donnell was 24 when he shot Batman Forever and definitely looks it) whom Bruce takes in after his parents and brother are killed by Two-Face. Dick is desperate to kill Two-Face for revenge and wants to become Batman’s partner to make that happen. Bruce initially refuses, telling Dick that taking Two-Face’s life won’t bring him the comfort he desires. However, following the attack on Wayne Manor, Bruce relents and agrees to have Dick fight by his side as Robin.

Finally, and the most important for this feature, Bruce struggles with his duality in Batman Forever, which I’d argue is handled better than Two-Face’s own obsession with the number two. After meeting Dr. Chase Meridian, he starts having difficulty reconciling his civilian and superhero selves. This is further compounded by the flashbacks he’s having of his parents being murdered and the days after, when he found a mysterious red book (which is expanded upon in the never-released “Schumacher Cut”).

Bruce even briefly retires from crimefighting when he’s found happiness with chase, but that doesn’t last long due to the aforementioned attack. By the end of the movie, he’s embraced being both Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Why I Appreciate Val Kilmer’s Bruce Wayne More Now

Before I go any further, I need to note one thing. I like Michael Keaton's time as Batman. While Christian Bale still ranks as my favorite live-action Batman actor, and I still hear the voice of the DC Animated Universe's Kevin Conroy in my head when I read Batman comics, Keaton did a commendable job putting his own stamp on the character, especially with how it stands out from Adam West’s portrayal in the 1960s Batman TV series. I especially enjoyed recently following along with this Bruce’s exploits in the novel Batman: Resurrection, and frankly, Keaton’s return to the role was one of the few things I liked about 2023's The Flash.

But there’s one problem I’ve always had with both Batman and Batman Returns: Bruce doesn’t actually feel like a fleshed-out character in them, but rather more a tool/device to move the plot forward. It’s pretty clear that Tim Burton found The Joker, The Penguin and Catwoman to be way more interesting characters. While Batman Returns at least makes a somewhat better effort to make Keaton’s Bruce more three-dimensional through his relationship with Selina Kyle, his main purpose is to simply foil the plans of these villains who we get to know much better.

In contrast, Val Kilmer’s Bruce Wayne actually feels like he’s the central character in his own movie. That’s not to say that Riddler and Two-Face don’t steal scenes and chew the scenery as much as possible, because they absolutely do. But say what you will about Batman Forever, it does a much better job of balancing giving these villains time to shine with exploring Bruce Wayne’s deeper insecurities, turmoil, etc.

Again, Batman Forever has its share of flaws, but I honestly wouldn’t have minded if Val Kilmer had played Batman in another movie if it offered this same kind of meaningful character study. How would the Batman film series have turned out had he stayed on?

However, Kilmer instead decided to leave the role, and George Clooney replaced him for Batman & Robin. It was released in 1997 and… well, the less said about that movie, the better (there’s a reason Clooney keeps apologizing for it). The silver lining, though, is that it critically and commercially disappointing paved the way for Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Feel free to stream Batman Forever with your Max subscription if you want to get a better idea of what I’ve been discussing. I don’t know when I’ll rewatch this movie in full again, but at least now I have that deeper level of appreciation for it. It’s not enough to get me to shout “Joygasm!” while wearing a green spandex outfit and twirling a question mark cane, but it’s something.

Top Gun was one of the biggest hits of the 1980s for several reasons. At the time, the movie so popular and, decades later, fans still wanted a sequel. One of the signature elements of the film is Val Kilmer’s memorable performance as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. Many are remembering Kilmer’s great movie moments following the actor’s recent passing, so it seems apt to discuss how one of his best lines from the aviator flick was actually never in the script (and it made others on set laugh).

A recent viral post on Instagram points out that an often-repeated story from the Top Gun set involves claims regarding on particularly famous scene. Apparently, Iceman coughing out “bullshit” while Maverick tells his story about coming face to face with an enemy jet, is the result of an ad-lib from Kilmer. However, the reactions from everybody in the scene were so perfect the moment was left in. As ScreenUnlocked shares on Instagram:

Honestly, if this line was a complete ad-lib, then the follow-up must have been as well. Anthony Edwards’ Goose responds, swearing that it’s all true and talking about great a move it was. He’s not exactly convincing, but that’s what makes it all so funny.

Tracking down details for this nearly 40-year-old film is tough, so it’s difficult to verify where this detail came from. It might actually be entirely apocraphyl. Still, it’s an oft-repeated claim that, at this point, is generally accepted as true. There have been statements that a lot of the Top Gun script wasn’t set in stone when shooting began, so there’s reason to believe this ad-lib is exactly what happened.

Val Kilmer’s performance as Iceman proved to be so iconic that he was the one actor other than Tom Cruise who really needed to appear in the sequel. With that, Top Gun: Maverick includes a brief scene in which Iceman and Maverick reunite. Said scene was filmed despite Kilmer’s ongoing health issues and near-inability to speak. It would be the actor's final performance on screen. As it happens, Kilmer was also responsible for a key moment from that movie, too.

Following Val Kilmer’s death, his fans and his friends have spoken out in order to pay tribute to the accomplished actor. Tom Cruise himself also honored his former co-star following his passing. Fans have been sharing their favorite Kilmer performances as well. Iceman is certainly one of those most notable character, but Kilmer had a lot of them.

Considering the scene in which Kilmer ad-libbed a single word is one of the most well known in the entire film, it certainly shows what a great talent the actor was. One can only imagine the great ways he could have added to other films that he would have been part of under other circumstances.

Top Gun 3 seems likely to happen. It's hard to imagine that the film won't deal with the loss of Iceman somehow. His loss will certainly be felt, but the character -- and the actor who played him -- will surely not be forgotten.

Last week, Val Kilmer died at the age of 65. In addition to credits like The Doors, Top Gun, Tombstone and Heat, the actor was also well known for his sole outing as Gotham City’s Caped Crusader in Batman Forever. Drew Barrymore was one of Kilmer’s co-stars on the 1995 flick, and as someone who’s unironically a fan of Forever (ok, maybe there’s a smidge of irony), it was touching hearing the actress talking about her experience working with him.

Kilmer came up while The Drew Barrymore Show’s title host was speaking with Kevin Bacon, who was plugging his TV series The Bondsman (which premiered just a few days ago on the 2025 TV schedule) and also worked with Kilmer on a play called The Slab Boys. The two briefly Bacon’s movie Flatliners, which was directed by Joel Schumacher, who also helmed Batman Forever. That prompted Barrymore to say:

Drew Barrymore starred in Batman Forever, the “good" assistant for Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face, while Debi Mazar played Spice, the “bad” assistant. Barrymore and Val Kilmer shared screen time when Bruce met Sugar, who was posing as Edward Nygma’s date, a party that the man secretly known as The Riddler was hosting for the debut of his brainwave device called The Box. Thanks to some trickery on Sugar’s part, Bruce’s mind was exposed to the Box, allowing Riddler and Two-Face to later learn that he was Batman.

After Barrymore recalled her experience on Batman Forever, Kevin Bacon observed that the safe environment she was talking about was “probably not that common in those days,” to which she responded:

Drew Barrymore’s comment on Val Kilmer follows Jim Carrey’s, who played Riddler in Batman Forever and called the Batman actor a “generational talent.” Outside of the DC Comics space, Tom Cruise paid tribute to his Top Gun costar during Paramount Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon, and Glen Powell, who met Kilmer while working on Top Gun: Maverick, called him “incredible.” As far as Batman goes, Kilmer described playing the role as “isolating,” and he left the character behind when he realized it didn’t matter who was wearing the cape and cowl.

As a result, George Clooney took over playing Bruce Wayne for Batman & Robin, which… well, there’s a reason he keeps apologizing for that performance. You can stream those Batman movies alongside many others, both live-action and animated, with a Max subscription.

Though time may be marching on with the 2025 movie schedule, the recent death of Val Kilmer has seen fans and colleagues alike taking a moment to pause in honor of his legacy. During the recent CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, Tom Cruise’s fond tribute to Kilmer acted as a reverent reminder of the two actors’ time on Top Gun.

Not too long after that stirring moment from Paramount’s CinemaCon 2025 panel, Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell offered his fond memories during ET’s post-event interview. Recalling the day when Kilmer’s Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky made his memorable appearance in the 2022 legacy-quel, Powell started by offering this praise:

A touching moment where Tom Cruise’s Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell shared one final moment with his wingman for life, fans got an unexpected moment of emotion recalling the 1986 original. Glen Powell’s lessons from Tom Cruise on making movies wasn’t the only practical experience he got from Top Gun: Maverick.

The history of Iceman and Maverick’s last goodbye was very much in mind as Powell was on hand to witness it taking shape. Providing even more context for his anecdote from Val Kilmer’s day on the Maverick set, The Running Man star provided these reflections:

Glen Powell would certainly know a thing or two about that sensation, as Top Gun: Maverick led to all sorts of opportunities. Not only would the prodigal Texan go on to star in smash hits like Anyone But You and Twisters, but the long-awaited legacy-quel actually led to Powell’s involvement with The Blue Angels documentary.

Closing his story out, Glen Powell shared this final bit of praise for the late Real Genius star that's pretty much a universally held belief:

There have been quite a few tributes to Val Kilmer and his presence, and there are bound to be many more in the days to come. As the man who Batman Forever co-star Jim Carrey called “a generational talent,” one could only expect that sort of outpouring for a one-of-a-kind actor who had a grounded grasp on life. Through recollections like Glen Powell’s, the lessons he had to offer were clearly learned and taken to heart, and will be for as long as he’s remembered.

I am ashamed to admit that it took me until after Val Kilmer's passing to finally watch 1993’s Tombstone. I had long been meaning to watch director George Cosmatos’ classic Western movie inspired by the infamous O.K. Corral shootout, mostly as a fan of Wyatt Earp actor Kurt Russell and his badass roles.

However, the news that Kilmer died at 65 on April 1st finally gave me the right push to see what is widely considered to be one of his best movies, and I can certainly understand why. Tombstone is now easily one of my favorite Westerns, and it might even be my all-time favorite, which makes me want to kick myself even harder for taking so long to finally see it. On top of that, I believe that Kilmer’s performance as Doc Holliday is the absolute greatest I have personally seen from him.

Doc Holliday Is Val Kilmer's Ultimate Role

Serving as the show-stealing co-lead in the already stacked Tombstone ensemble is Val Kilmer as John “Doc” Holliday. The film depicts the 19th-century legend’s reputation as an expert gambler, a lightning-fast sharpshooter, and an enduringly loyal friend to Wyatt Earp in his crusade for justice, all the while suffering from tuberculosis.

Kilmer played many memorable and diverse characters throughout his career, having even started out in comedies before becoming an action star (his earliest film credits in the mid-1980s were the hilarious parody movie Top Secret!, and Real Genius, which has an incredible finale involving a massive amount of popcorn). However, I think his portrayal of Doc should be recognized as his ultimate work and a representation of his strongest and most definitive talents. The role allows him to be funny, intimidating, and, quite frankly, one badass action hero. Yet, that’s only the tip of the iceberg for me.

Tombstone Made Me Better Appreciate Val Kilmer's Acting Ability

I have always enjoyed Val Kilmer as a performer, having first discovered him as a live-action Batman actor in 1995’s Batman Forever before later discovering his roles in classic ‘80s movies like Ice Man in Top Gun. However, I have a whole new perspective on his talent after witnessing what he does as Doc in Tombstone, which I believe deserves far more recognition than it has already received.

In addition to utilizing what he does best as an actor, the character also allows him to completely disappear, not visually, but with a deep, transformative Southern drawl that never feels forced or cheesy, which it easily could have been. Kilmer assumes full autonomy of the calm, cool, collected persona that drives Doc’s entire arc as a man who is constantly brimming with confidence and never one to quit up until the heartbreaking ending of Tombstone when he succumbs to his illness, which the actor performed on a bed of ice, according to The New York Times.

One other interesting behind-the-scenes fact about Tombstone is that Willem Dafoe was one of the first choices to play Doc Holliday. With all due respect to Mr. Dafoe, I believe Val Kilmer was born for this role, and any subsequent portrayals will forever be compared to his. I now miss the actor more after finally witnessing this performance than I initially imagined I would.

It's been just two days since Top Gun and Batman Forever actor Val Kilmer died at the age of 65 years old. Tom Cruise is at CinemaCon to promote the next Mission: Impossible movie at the Paramount Pictures panel. When he took to the stage to talk The Final Reckoning, Cruise took some time to honor Kilmer.

When Cruise addressed CinemaCon, he said something that led to an eruption of cheers from the audience. In his words:

Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer have known each other for 40 years, so it can't be an easy week for the action star. Here's what he told the crowd at the convention, which CinemaBlend was in attendance to hear:

After that, Cruise requested a moment of silence from the The Colosseum crowd just prior to changing the subject to talking about the four-time Mission: Impossible director, Christopher McQuarrie and presenting a new trailer for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning to follow the first teaser from November. Here he is at the event:

According to Val Kilmer's daughter Mercedes (per The New York Times), the actor died on Tuesday night from pneumonia in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends. Previously, Kilmer dealt with throat cancer that required two tracheotomies, but recovered from them.

In 2020, he shared that he had been cancer-free for four years, but was still dealing with medical treatments associated with the fallout. As a result of the surgeries he'd been using an electric voice box in his trachea in order to talk and required a feeding tube to eat.

The actor had slowed down working in Hollywood in recent years, but he did notably return as Iceman for Maverick. As director Joseph Kosinski told CinemaBlend's ReelBlend podcast, Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were "adamant" about bringing him him back.

Kosinski also told us that after they called the actor it was Kilmer who "cracked how he could be in it" and created a scene that saw the previous rivals now as friends and wingmen. The Maverick director said the scene was "very emotional" for Cruise to shoot with Kilmer.

Along with Kilmer's role in Maverick, and releasing a documentary called Val in 2021, he's of course known for being a movie star since the 1980s. His early work had Kilmer starring in Real Genius, playing Jim Morrison in The Doors and starring in classics like Tombstone, Heat and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

This was such a sweet tribute from Tom Cruise. It follows Jim Carrey also taking some time to speak about Val Kilmer after his death this week. We'll be watching all the best Val Kilmer movies now to remember the late actor further.

Hollywood and the public at large have been mourning a truly bright star today, as beloved actor Val Kilmer passed away on Tuesday at the age of 65 following a bout of pneumonia. Over the course of his career, Kilmer was lauded for his performances in excellent films like Heat, Tombstone, True Romance and Willow. Of course, a generation of movie lovers also knows him well for his performance as the titular hero in Batman Forever. Now, one of Kilmer’s co-stars in that film, Jim Carrey, is paying tribute to him following his passing.

Jim Carrey famously plays Edward Nygma a.k.a. The Riddler in Joel Schumacher’s 1995 superhero film (which is streamable with a Max subscription). With that, Carrey and the film’s leading man share more than a few scenes, and they bounce off each other quite well. After learning of his collaborator’s death, Carrey penned a statement, and it’s since been shared with USA Today. In it, the comedian not only praises his former on-screen partner for his abilities as an actor but also for his resilience as a human being:

The fan-favorite Mask actor is known to deliver a good quip or two, but he’s also shown on multiple occasions that he’s incredibly thoughtful. His sentiments about Val Kilmer further drive home that point. I’m not sure anyone would argue with the notion that Kilmer was a “generational talent.” He managed to bring a considerable amount of respectability and humanity to any character he portrayed, and that certainly shone through whenever he was on screen.

When it comes to his portrayal of the Caped Crusader, the California native deserves a lot of credit. Fans may have varied opinions when it comes to ranking the live-action Batman actors, though I’d argue that Kilmer’s take is severely underrated. As Bruce Wayne, he’s cerebral and exudes a level of kindness, while he also nails the brooding and heroic nature of the Bat. That’s saying a lot, given he succeeded Michael Keaton in the role. (Per what we know about Batman Forever’s production, Keaton was unimpressed with the script.) I’d say the late Joel Schumacher knew what he was doing when he cast his lead character.

In the aftermath of Val Kilmer’s passing, a multitude of tributes have poured in from fans and entertainment industry bigwigs alike. Director Michael Mann shared his recollections of working with Kilmer on Heat, making note of his “artistic range and depth.” Josh Brolin also penned a message, and Nicolas Cage shared a statement as well. Like Jim Carrey, many have also praised Kilmer for his ability to stay upbeat amid tough circumstances, as he was for years after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.

The various aspects of the Top Gun icon’s body of work will be remembered for a multitude of reasons — and rightfully so. I know I’ll personally appreciate many of his films as the years go on. Of course, I’ll also never forget being seven years old and watching the late star’s iteration of Batman face off with Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face and of course, Jim Carrey’s Riddler in Gotham City.

We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Val Kilmer at this time.

Celebrity deaths have a way of capturing the public's attention, especially with stars that they've spent many years with. That's exactly what's been happening in the wake of Val Kilmer's death at 65, with generations of fans mourning the loss. At the same time he's also being celebrated for his legacy. Case in point: the "sheer audacity" that he went into his audition for The Doors with.

The Doors is a 1991 musical biopic about the band of the same name, and is considered one of Val Kilmer's best movies. After TMZ reported the actor's death of pneumonia, plenty of folks have penned tributes to him. Jennifer Tilly posted on Twitter about how Kilmer landed the role of Jim Morrison, sharing:

While Tilly would indeed end up with a role in The Doors, it unfortunately was left on the cutting room floor. Still, she was there from auditions to filming, and got to see how the late actor landed his iconic role. And Kilmer was embodying Morrison from the moment he got to his audition.

The Door's Jim Morrison was a big character to portray, and Kilmer swung hard to land the gig. Later in Tilly's tribute she spoke more about what it was like seeing him occupy that space, offering:

King indeed. His performance in The Doors is just one part of the late actor's legacy, given his many beloved movie roles. He famously starred opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun, and Kilmer had a sweet scene in Maverick that honored his work in the original. Plus he had iconic roles in Willow, Heat, and more.

Of course, it's hard to talk about the late actor's long resume without touching on Kilmer's tenure as Batman/Bruce Wayne. He played the role in Batman Forever, which is streaming with a Max subscription. He's a legend for a reason, and Jennifer Tilly's story about The Doors is only one reason why.

It’s hard to believe that Real Genius will turn 40 in August of this year. The 1985 Martha Coolidge-directed college comedy classic starring Val Kilmer in just his second movie (and still one of Kilmer’s best roles) wasn’t a huge box office hit, and it’s often forgotten about these days, but it became a staple of cable TV in the mid-'80s. A generation of kids raised on HBO and Cinemax has made it a beloved cult classic.

The movie follows the hijinks of a group of “nerds” at a fictional university (based loosely on Cal Tech) as they build a skating rink in the dorm, mess with the bully Kent (Robert Prescott), chase the mysterious Hollyfeld (played by The White Lotus cast member Jon Gries) down into the steam tunnels, and, in the grand finale, destroy their professor’s house by redirecting a military laser into his entryway and pop a giant vat of popcorn. The popcorn literally pushes through the windows and ultimately knocks down the walls as it expands. It’s an incredible scene, and I still love to rewatch it all these years later. What I never knew until I wondered about it recently was how the stunt was pulled off in an age before CGI. Well, now I know.

Yes, The Popcorn Was Real

According to the great William Atherton, who played the hated Professor Jerry Hathaway (and was literally everywhere in the 1980s), the crew was literally popping the corn for months during production. In an interview with AV Club in 2010, he revealed,

But that wasn’t all. Having a massive amount of popcorn flowing out into the street of the neighborhood where the set was built would be a problem for wildlife, especially as it was chemically treated to keep it from catching fire. Atherton explains,

Because they had to use practical effects, they made the scene and spectacle really come alive. The mountains of popcorn flowing out of the house is an unforgettable moment and a brilliant, hilarious ending for the movie. Atherton explained just how much went into the stunt,

The Laser Effect Isn't Possible

When I went to rewatch the scene recently, I was reminded of an old episode of Mythbusters when they tackled the question of whether it was possible to pop popcorn using a laser and just how much and how fast it could be done. While they proved that a laser could heat a kernel up enough to pop, the rapidly expanding popcorn didn’t have enough force to break through windows or walls, as seen in the movie. Plus, there isn’t a laser large enough to pop that much corn that quickly.

In the end, though, it doesn’t matter to me; the scene stands on its own as one of the best finales to any ‘80s comedy, ever. Right up there with the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters and the one-ski ski race at the end of Better Off Dead. Real Genius is a true classic, and they just don’t make movies like it anymore.

The next time you watch a comedy movie, see if you can picture the star engaging in fisticuffs with a criminal and taking down their henchpeople in a shootout. You never know: they could be Hollywood’s next great action hero.

It may seem unlikely until you realize that many of the best action movies and TV shows of all time have been led by or featured pivotal roles played by stand-up comedians or actors who broke through in funny flicks or even classic TV sitcoms. See for yourself by taking a look at some comedically talented actors who beat the odds by becoming action stars.

Will Smith

After initially coming to prominence as a rap artist, Academy Award winner Will Smith proved he had a charismatic onscreen presence as the star of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was cast in director Michael Bay's buddy cop movie, Bad Boys, and, the following year, led Roland Emmerich's action-packed alien invasion flick, Independence Day. There would soon be so much more where those came from.

Cheech Marin

Along with his partner, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin essentially became the face of stoner comedy, especially after co-leading the classic '70s movie, Up in Smoke. His career would take a turn when he appeared in 1995's Desperado, leading him to become a staple of Robert Rodriguez's movies, and, eventually, began portraying a type of character his roles from the Cheech & Chong movies would try to avoid alongside Don Johnson in the hit cop show, Nash Bridges.

Chris Pratt

By channeling much of the same comedic energy from his scene-stealing breakout role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt helped make 2014's sci-fi odyssey, Guardians of the Galaxy, a light breath of fresh air into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His fun, heartfelt performance as Peter "Star-Lord" Quill also convinced Hollywood he was leading man material, opening the door for him to star in the Jurassic World movies and Amazon Prime's The Terminal List, to name a few.

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd made his major motion picture debut in the hilarious high school movie classic Clueless before later hit comedies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up made him one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors in the genre. He found the perfect role to become inducted into the MCU in the form of Ant-Man, playing the shrinking superhero with the same everyman quality that made him an A-lister.

Michael Keaton

Because Michael Keaton got his start in stand-up comedy and had been best known for movies like Night Shift and Mr. Mom at the time, comic book fans were up in arms over Tim Burton's decision to cast him in his live-action Batman movies, Batman and Batman Returns. The Oscar nominee has since been regarded as one of the best actors to play the Dark Knight (if not the best) and would even return to superhero movies as one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Vulture, in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Nicolas Cage

It is easy to forget that Nicolas Cage started out in comedies like Valley Girl and Peggy Sue Got Married before blowing us away in high-octane thrillers like Con Air, Face/Off, and Gone in 60 Seconds. Then again, it is also easy to tell that the Oscar winner has a comedy background from some of his action movie credits, including the three listed above and his even Cagier roles, like from Mandy and Willy's Wonderland.

Damon Wayans

You may have forgotten he was on Saturday Night Live, but you should surely remember Damon Wayans from his days on the In Living Color cast and from sitcoms like My Wife and Kids. Hopefully, you did not also forget about his roles in '90s crime thrillers The Last Boy Scout (opposite Bruce Willis) and Bulletproof (opposite Adam Sandler) or when he took over as Roger Murtaugh for Fox's series adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

Robert Downey Jr.

After lasting one season on Saturday Night Live, appearing in several '80s teen comedies like Weird Science, and earning his first Oscar nod for playing Charlie Chaplin, Robert Downey Jr.'s career would hit a snag in the early 2000s. Luckily, he would make an inspiring comeback after leading the 2005 noir thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the title role of Iron Man and playing Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes.

Eddie Murphy

Many credit Eddie Murphy with single-handedly saving Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, right before making his feature debut alongside Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's 1982 buddy crime thriller, 48 Hrs. Just two years later, the comedian led his own acclaimed action-comedy movie called Beverly Hills Cop, which made him Hollywood's biggest star.

Bruce Willis

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Bruce Willis was best known for playing David Addison on Moonlighting, starring opposite Kim Basinger in Blind Date, and appearing in commercials for Seagram, which is why audiences initially laughed when they saw him as John McClane in the trailer for Die Hard. However, the 1988 action classic would immediately skyrocket the actor to stardom and turn him into a top Hollywood action star, later known for leading thrillers like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and Sin City.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's stand-up career led him to join the In Living Color cast and lead his own self-titled sitcom before his Oscar-winning performance in the 2004 music biopic, Ray, and Oscar-nominated performance in Collateral the same year opened wider doors for him. He went on to star in more thrillers like Jarhead, The Kingdom, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Electro, and White House Down.

Alan Ritchson

One of Alan Ritchson's first major acting credits was playing doltish college football player Thad Castle on the uproarious sitcom Blue Mountain State before landing a small role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, doing performance capture for the 2014 and 2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and playing Hank "Hawk" Hall on Titans. The 6'3" actor's defining, star-making turn came when he was cast in the title role of the hit Amazon Prime TV show, Reacher, leading to his casting in Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu landed her breakthrough role on the hit workplace dramedy Ally McBeal as Ling Woo. Soon after, she achieved cinematic stardom in 2000's Charlie's Angels, teamed up with Antonio Banderas in the 2002 spy thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and was cast as ruthless assassin O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk wrote for Saturday Night Live for years in the 1980s before co-leading his own acclaimed sketch comedy series with David Cross called Mr. Show, which was his main claim to fame for years. However, he stumbled onto a new career path when he joined the Breaking Bad cast as Saul Goodman, who earned his own prequel spin-off called Better Call Saul, before leading his own action flick called Nobody.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence led a successful stand-up career that turned into a successful TV career with his hit sitcom, Martin, in between starring in movies like Do the Right Thing and Boomerang. In 1995, he played Det. Marcus Burnett, for the first of multiple times in Bad Boys and even went on to play a cop in a few more overt comedies, namely Blue Streak and Big Momma's House.

Ryan Reynolds

For years, even after starring in more earnest thrillers like Smokin' Aces and Safe House, it seemed like Ryan Reynolds' defining performance would forever be the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder, which paved the way for him to star in more raunchy comedies like Waiting... or Just Friends. However, that would change in 2016 when he led Deadpool, which is still very much on the side of silly but is also as action-packed as any other comic book movie.

Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson quickly became a favorite in the comedy landscape for his hilarious performances in shows like I Think You Should Leave, Veep, and Ted Lasso. He would later go on to impress audiences in Amazon Prime's action-packed time travel movie The Tomorrow War opposite Chris Pratt, as the lead of the 2021 horror-comedy movie Werewolves Within, and in Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31.

Keanu Reeves

As the star of franchises like the John Wick movies and the Matrix films, in addition to favorites like Speed and Point Break, Keanu Reeves is one of the most prolific action stars in cinema history. Thus, it is sometimes hard to believe that he is the same actor who, excellently, played one-half of the titular duo from the Bill & Ted movies.

John Goodman

John Goodman began rising to prominence on the groundbreaking sitcom Roseanne as Dan Conner (whom he would reprise in the revival series The Conners). However, he has managed to cover just about every genre you can think of throughout his career, including action films like Kong: Skull Island and Atomic Blonde.

Emily Blunt

It might seem like a stretch to call Emily Blunt a comedy star, but she did find her breakthrough film role with a hilarious scene-stealing performance in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. She would later prove she could play someone with a rougher exterior when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the thrilling time loop movie, Edge of Tomorrow, and in Denis Villeneuve's stunning Sicario.

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis is one of the most treasured comedic actors of his time, from his days at SCTV starring alongside Dave Thomas as the McKenzie Brothers (who led their own 1983 movie, Strange Brew), to appearing in films like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In the middle of those comedy classics was a role in Walter Hill's dystopian "Rock 'n Roll fable," Streets of Fire.

Bill Burr

Bill Burr used to mock the Star Wars movies in some of his stand-up bits, which gave The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau a funny idea to bring him into the galaxy far, far away. He cast the Massachusetts-born comedian on the series as a mercenary named Migs Mayfield, which Burr has since recognized as one of the highlights of his career.

John Leguizamo

Despite getting his start as a stand-up comedian, many of John Leguizamo's earliest acting roles have actually been in action movies, including Die Hard 2 and Executive Decision. In addition to more humorous credits, like To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar and the Ice Age movies, more thrillers would come his way, such as the John Wick movies and Violent Night.

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson may be closely associated with comedies like Bottle Rocket, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander, but the actor has diversified his talents over various styles. He has even tried his hand at the action genre a few times, most notably in Behind Enemy Lines, No Escape, and Disney+'s MCU-canon series, Loki

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks' first major show business breakthrough was a sitcom called Bosom Buddies, which led to roles in comedy films like Bachelor Party and Turner & Hooch. It was his Oscar-winning roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump that opened the door for him to star in intense dramas like the acclaimed war movie Saving Private Ryan and the sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas.

Val Kilmer

Some of Val Kilmer's most iconic roles include Iceman in Top Gun, Doc Holliday in the Western movie classic Tombstone, and the title role of Batman Forever. However, his breakthrough films were the ridiculous spy parody, Top Secret!, and the college comedy, Real Genius, in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis rose to fame as Jackie Burkhart in the That '70s Show cast and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy before acquiring A-list fame. Her action movie credits, namely the video game movie adaptation Max Payne and the Wachowski's ambitious sci-fi adventure, Jupiter Ascending, have not been her most esteemed efforts, but we will still count them.

Randall Park

Randall Park is best known for leading the sitcom Fresh off the Boat, his hilarious cameo on The Office as "Asian Jim Halpert," and for hit comedy movies like The Interview and Neighbors. He has also become a staple of the comic book movie genre with his role in the MCU as Agent Jimmy Woo and as Dr. Shin in the Aquaman movies.

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf started making a name for himself when he was a teen as Louis on the Disney Channel original comedy series, Even Stevens. He went on to make a Hollywood breakthrough in the Transformers movies, which led to his roles in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and, eventually, David Ayer's 2014 war drama, Fury.

Malin Akerman

Before she became the first actor to play Silk Spectre II in live-action in 2009's Watchmen, Malin Akerman rose to fame in comedy movies like 2007's The Heartbreak Kid and shows like Children's Hospital.

Jim Belushi

Just like his late older brother, John, Jim Belushi broke out on Saturday Night Live. Unlike John, Jim achieved a brief career in action movies, such as Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Principal, and Oliver Stone's Salvador.

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine was already an Oscar-winning movie star when he was cast as the lead of the hit sitcom, McHale's Navy. Eventually, he would appear in more earnest action-oriented titles, such as a made-for-TV adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, John Carpenter's Escape from New York, and 2010's RED.

As the 2024 movie schedule played out, we heard plenty of whispers involving Michael Mann’s sequel to the 1995 classic Heat (even though it hasn't progressed too far in development). Now, the legendary director has opened up about working on that film and with Val Kilmer specifically. Considering the legendary director has worked with a staggering roster of talent, hearing him consider a performance like Kilmer's impressive is high praise.

In recalling the production of one of the best ‘90s movies starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, it was none other than Val Kilmer who earned such acclaim from Mann. Speaking with Variety about, among other things, the progress of Heat 2, Mann couldn’t help but highlight the Tombstone icon’s portrayal of the character Chris Shiherlis.

Looking at his efforts from his lens as a seasoned director, Mann offered this anecdote that recalled the work he saw on that very set:

Heat’s legacy has secured its place on many lists of the best in a variety of fields. Unsurprisingly, it’s also one of the best Val Kilmer movies, and that fact makes Jon Bon Jovi’s botched Heat audition story all the more important to know. I mean no disrespect to the legendary rocker, but Chris Shiherlis wouldn’t have been as memorable if it wasn’t for the Top Gun actor's skills that Michael Mann singled out above.

Kilmer has always been known to commit to the bit, and his acting chops sell both the insane L.A. robbery action sequence as well as the ultimately tragic arc of his character. That dialogue-less scene that sees Ashley Judd warn him that it’s not safe to come home wouldn’t play the same without either participant bringing their A-game.

Knowing Michael Mann’s track record as a director, he’s obviously a fan of working with such energy on set. That’s something to keep in mind as we continue to hear rumors like Austin Butler’s supposed Heat 2 casting as a younger incarnation of Val Kilmer’s character. Although if I’m being completely honest, with Kilmer’s visage and skills from his ‘90s era fresh in mind, I’m totally on board with that decision - should it come to pass.

Don’t take my word for it though. You can revisit Heat with a Paramount+ subscription. And while Heat 2 isn’t in a theater near you, it is a book that you can purchase through whatever major provider you procure your reading materials from.

Whether it's in biopics or in other historical movies, playing an important person often leads to some of the most amazing performances put on film. There are far too many to count, much less list here, but we do think you'll agree that this list of 32 actors playing famous people rank among the best. 

Ben Kingsley - Gandhi

The 1982 epic Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley as the revered leader of India and icon to peaceful protestors all over the world is an amazing movie. At the heart is Kingsley's amazing, transformative performance. He looks and sounds just like Gandhi, it's almost uncanny. 

Margot Robbie - Tonya Harding

When the news first broke that Australian Margot Robbie was cast to play controversial US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, it's safe to say that many were skeptical. It took the actor all of about 30 seconds of screen time in the movie to prove those skeptics very wrong. Robbie is fantastic as the troubled skater with a family life that you wouldn't wish on anyone. 

Paul Dano - Brian Wilson

The Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy seems to have been overlooked by many, but if you're a fan of The Beach Boys, you need to see it. John Cusack plays the older Wilson in the 1980s and it is fantastic. Paul Dano, who plays the Pet Sounds-era Wilson, is simply amazing. He completely disappears into the role. 

Reese Witherspoon - June Carter Cash

Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix are both amazing in Walk the Line as June and Johnny Cash. Really both deserve to be on this list, but we've the honor to Witherspoon if only because she won Best Actress at the Oscars in 2006. 

Robert Downey, Jr - Charlie Chaplin

It took a long time for Robert Downey to win an Oscar, which he finally did for Oppenheimer. More than 30 years before that win, he earned his first nomination for 1992's Chaplin for playing the legendary actor and Hollywood trailblazer. It's a movie that doesn't get talked about much these days, but it's still great. Especially Downey's performance. 

Natalie Portman - Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy has to be a tricky person to play. She is so iconic and so well known to so many people that the scrutiny would be stressful. Luckily for all of us, Natalie Portman hit it out of the park when she played the former First Lady in Jackie. 

Meryl Streep - Margaret Thatcher

It's hardly surprising to see Meryl Streep's name on any list of great performances. She has been arguably the best actor in Hollywood for 50 years. One of her finest performances came in 2011's The Iron Lady where she played the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. 

Rami Malek - Freddy Mercury

You knew we couldn't have this list without including Rami Malek's incredible performance as Freddie Mercury in the biopic about the late Queen singer, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's not all about the prosthetic teeth, as Malek nailed so many nuances and mannerisms of the icon rock star. Just as in real life, the performance at Live Aid at the end of the movie brings down the house. 

Val Kilmer - Jim Morrison

If you grew up in the '90s, The Doors was probably a seminal film for you. Val Kilmer blew audiences away as the late Jim Morrison. It was so good you'd swear you were watching the real Morrison as he rose to fame and then burned out quickly before tragically becoming a member of the "27 Club" in 1971.

Denzel Washington - Malcolm X

A powerful personality takes an actor with equal strength to pull off and in Malcolm X, Denzel Washington is more than up for the task. Playing the combative, controversial civil rights leader could not have been easy, yet Washington brings him back to life in every way. It's the reason everyone should see this biopic. 

Faye Dunaway - Joan Crawford

Faye Dunaway gives the performance of a lifetime in Mommie Dearest. It's scary and mesmerizing. Joan Crawford was one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood in the Golden Age in Hollywood, but this movie changed the public's opinion of her forever - and not for the better. 

Jennifer Lopez - Selena

Before played the murdered superstar Selena in the movie of the same name, Jennifer Lopez had had a few roles in movies, but after Selena, she was the legend we all know today. It's a groundbreaking performance. 

David Oyelowo - Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Everyone in America has heard the powerful voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. hundreds of times. His speeches are part of everyone's education. That makes David Oyelowo's turn as the civil rights leader that much harder - and that much more impressive. It's just fantastic. 

Cate Blanchett - Bob Dylan

Okay, we admit, technically Cate Blanchett is playing a character named "Jude Quinn" in I'm Not There, but c'mon, let's be real, she's playing Bob Dylan. It's an uncanny performance as well. There is actual footage of Dylan from that time in his career in the excellent D.A. Pennebaker-directed Dont Look Back. Compare that to Blanchett and you'll realize just how great she was. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Abraham Lincoln

Of all the amazing performances on this list, Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln just may be the best. It frankly could be the greatest acting performance of all time. There's an argument for it, at least. He's simply incredible and brings the tragic president to life like no one else has before or since, and likely never will. 

Cillian Murphy - J. Robert Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. It's a subtle, smoldering performance, just like the personality of the real Oppenheimer. Playing the scientist in his greatest moments in life and his lowest, it's a fantastic showing by the Irish actor. 

Cynthia Erivo - Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most important people in US history, but one that hasn't been explored on film nearly as much as you might expect. Luckily, when someone did decide to finally tell her full story on the big screen in 2019's Harriet, they had the good sense to cast Cynthia Erivo as the former slave-turned-freedom fighter. She's amazing. 

Forest Whitaker - Idi Amin

Forest Whitaker is pretty great in everything he's in. He cranks his talent up to another level in The Last King Of Scotland as the brutal dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin. He's so good there are even moments where viewers might feel compassion for the man, despite his worst tendencies as the leader of the country. 

Jessica Chastain - Tammy Faye Bakker

If you were around in the 1980s, you remember all the insanity around Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jim Bakker crying on TV with Tammy Faye right next to him is something no one will forget. Jessica Chastain's turn as the evangelical preacher's wife is just as memorable. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote

it's hard to imagine anyone will ever play Truman Capote as well as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. The role completely takes control of the actor in the best way. It might as well been the writer himself. You completely forget there is even an actor behind the role. 

Daniel Kaluuya - Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was a controversial and complicated leader in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. Casting a Brit like Daniel Kaluuya in the role was a daring choice by the filmmakers of Judas and the Black Messiah, but it paid off brilliantly as Kaluuya nails the role. 

Gary Oldman - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill has been played on the big and small screen by plenty of great actors. John Lithgow (The Crown), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm), and Albert Finney (The Gathering Storm) have all garnered praise for playing the legendary prime minister. Gary Oldman, who won an Oscar for playing Churchill in 2017's The Darkest Hour may just be the best. His reading of those famous speeches is just mesmerizing. 

Angela Bassett - Tina Tuner

Tina Turner was a fierce woman, who deserved a fierce performance and she got one with Angela Bassett in What's Love Got To Do With It. Bassett's performance is transcendent and certainly deserved the Oscar nomination she received. She should've won it! 

Austin Butler - Elvis Presley

Austin Butler got so caught up in his performance as Elvis Presley in Elvis that critics of the actor complained that even months later he was still talking like the King of Rock and Roll. he wasn't, but that does say something about how good he was in the Baz Luhrmann-directed bio flick. 

Jesse Eisenberg - Mark Zuckerberg

When The Social Network was first announced, many were confused as to how someone could make an interesting movie about the founding of Facebook. It turns out, that if you get a great writer like Aaron Sorkin, a great director like David Fincher, and someone like Jesse Eisenberg to play the Mark Zuckerberg, you can make it look easy. The movie is great, and Eisenberg's performance is pitch-perfect. 

Leonardo DiCaprio - Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes is one of the most mercurial and odd celebrities in US history. In The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio fully embodies everything about the director and businessman. He takes on his greatest triumphs and sinks to the depths of Hughes' despair in the lowest points of his mental illness with the same gusto. 

Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos was a terrifying person. A true monster, as the name of the movie about her is called. That's not to say a viewer can't have some sympathy for the circumstances that brought her to the point of murder, but you can't excuse her. Charlize Theron does an incredible job bringing all of that to the role in Monster. 

Sean Penn - Harvey Milk

Milk is one of the great political movies of the last few decades and the biggest reason why, besides the inspiring story, is Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk. Like Penn has done so often in his career, he completely disappears into the character. It is Harvey Milk.  

George C. Scott - George Patton

George S. Patton was a great, and complicated leader in World War II. He was responsible for some of the greatest military gains in the war, and he couldn't keep himself out of trouble with his controversy. George C. Scott's portrayal of the general in Patton is amazing. Even though the opening scene of him making a speech in front of the flag is fictional, it sets the tone perfectly and the movie never lets up. 

Cate Blanchett - Katharine Hepburn

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic in The Aviator as Howard Hughes, but he's not the only great performance in the movie. Cate Blanchett as the iconic Katharine Hepburn is, well, iconic. There's just no better word for either. It's not only a spot-on impression, the portrayal nails everything that was great about Hepburn. 

Robert De Niro - Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta was one of the toughest prizefighters of all time. His incredible story and Robert De Niro's performance are the two things that make Raging Bull legendary. Scorsese's direction is pretty great too. 

Helen Mirren - Queen Elizabeth II

it's really hard to play a person who has been on television screens all over the world for decades. Helen Mirren takes on that difficult task in Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was an icon in every sense of the word and playing her could not have been easy, yet, when you have the talent of Helen Mirren, it looks easy. It surely wasn't. 

Not all of the best movies from the 1980s have stood the test of time quite like other nostalgic favorites have. There are even plenty of ‘80s movies with A-list casts that just don’t get talked about much more these days. Take a look at some of our picks for ‘80s movies that deserve more love and see if we can help refresh your memory of them.

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

The first John Hughes movies that come to mind are probably The Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while Some Kind of Wonderful — which Hughes penned and Howard Deutch directed — is more likely an afterthought. The drama stars Eric Stoltz as a young man whose date with Amanda (Lea Thompson) sparks conflict with her ex (played by Craig Sheffer) and his best friend (played by Mary Stuart Masterson).

Brewster's Millions (1985)

Richard Pryor is better known for his Gene Wilder collaborations than for Brewster’s Millions — a comedy that puts him front and center. Director Walter Hill’s adaptation of George Barr McCutcheon’s novel (the second, following a 1945 edition) stars the late comic as a man tasked with spending millions of dollars within 30 days, but without keeping a single asset, in order to inherit an enormous fortune.

Hiding Out (1987)

Arguably, the role that made Emmy-winning Two and a Half Men Star Jon Cryer a star was his supporting role in Pretty in Pink, but he also had a noteworthy leading part that is rarely (if not ever) noted today. In director Bob Giraldi’s Hiding Out, he plays a stockbroker posing as a high school student after becoming targeted by the mob.

The Legend Of Billie Jean (1985)

Helen Slater’s most famous ‘80s movie role is probably the title hero of one of the most ill-received DC movies, 1984’s Supergirl. A film the actor might prefer to be better remembered for is The Legend of Billie Jean, in which she plays a teen outlaw on the run.

Lady In White (1988)

Among the more iconic movies set on or around Halloween, Lady in White is one that deserves more attention. Set in 1962, the clever, spooky thriller stars Lukas Haas as a young boy who becomes embroiled in the mystery of a murdered girl after meeting her ghost.

My Science Project (1985)

Perhaps if the sort-of time travel comedy My Science Project had not come out in the same year as, arguably, the greatest time travel movie of all time, Back to the Future, it might have a bigger fanbase. Also starring Fisher Stevens and Dennis Hopper, Christine’s John Stockwell this film leads as a slacker senior whose desperation to pass science class leads him to find a strange device with dangerous, otherworldly abilities. 

Night Shift (1982)

Despite being one of the best Michael Keaton movies, Night Shift has become one of the actor’s more obscure films, sent to the wayside by hits like Beetlejuice and the Batman movies. However, director Ron Howard’s screwball comedy, starring Keaton and Henry Winkler as morgue attendants helping ladies of the night secure a safer work environment, should be noted as the film that first helped the Oscar nominee become a star.

The Last Starfighter (1984)

Most of the best video game movies do not simply adapt a pre-existing title, but expand on the concept of interactive media in imaginative and exciting ways, just like in The Last Starfighter. From director Nick Castle, the vastly underrated sci-fi flick stars Lance Guest as a poor teen whose high score on an arcade game leads to his recruitment in a real intergalactic war.

1969 (1988)

Today, we know 24’s Kiefer Sutherland and the MCU’s Robert Downey Jr. best as action stars, which is a far cry from their roles in 1969. Winona Ryder and Bruce Dern also star in this much-forgotten anti-violence parable set around the Vietnam War.

After Hours (1985)

One might not expect to see a riotous, comedic romp anywhere on Martin Scorsese’s resume, but such a film does exist. To be fair, the plot of After Hours — involving a mild-mannered word processor (played by Griffin Dunne) embroiled in a series of increasingly dangerous circumstances over one night in New York — does seem like a Scorsese film on paper.

Innerspace (1987)

One of director Joe Dante’s most underrated and inventive films is Innerspace, which stars Dennis Quaid as a pilot testing a top-secret miniaturization technology who is accidentally injected into the body of a hypochondriac. Said man is played by Martin Short, who delivers some of his most hilarious manic energy in his dazzling sci-fi adventure which also stars Meg Ryan.

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

People do not express much nostalgia these days for Francis Ford Coppola’s fantasy teen comedy, Peggy Sue Got Married. Perhaps that is because the bulk of the story takes place in the 1960s, which Kathleen Turner’s title character is magically transported back to after fainting at her high school reunion.

Near Dark (1987)

How Near Dark — which fuses traditional vampire lore with an old-school Western tone in a modern setting — is not a more beloved horror classic just does not make sense. At least director Kathryn Bigelow went on to receive better recognition as the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker.

River's Edge (1986)

One of the darkest films from the early years of both Keanu Reeves and Crispin Glover’s careers is River’s Edge. Dennis Hopper and Daniel Roebuck also star in this unsettling crime thriller about the life-changing effect that a murder has on the teenage killer and his friends.

Repo Man (1984)

Repo Man may be a sci-fi flick with more than 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it gets less attention these days than, say, 2008’s Repo! The Genetic Opera or Repo Men from 2010. Alex Cox’s cult thriller stars Emilio Estevez as a middle-class punk and Harry Dean Stanton as his mentor who chases after a Chevy Malibu carrying something not of this Earth.

One Crazy Summer (1986)

John Cusack stars in many of the most timelessly popular romantic, coming-of-age comedies of the 1980s, and was also in One Crazy Summer. Also starring Demi Moore and Bobcat Goldthwait, this funny summer comedy about the amusing adventures a young cartoonist embarks on when crossing paths with an aspiring singer is not quite the classic it could have been.

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

For years, the Wayans Brothers brought us some of the sharpest movie spoofs around and one of the earliest examples is I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. Writer, director, and star Keenen Ivory Wayans sends up the Blaxploitation genre with this action-packed, laugh-a-minute comedy that has not quite stood the test of time like Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood or the original Scary Movie.

Just One Of The Guys (1985)

Before there was She’s the Man, there was Just One of the Guys. However, the 2006 Amanda Bynes-led rom-com is the more well-known film about a young woman posing as a male than this one starring Valley Girl’s Joyce Hyser.

The Hidden (1987)

Why is it that unique fusions of disparate genres like detective noir and sci-fi horror rarely get the attention they deserve? A prime example of this is the unjustly overlooked The Hidden, which stars Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri as a detective and an FBI agent pursuing an alien parasite committing various crimes as the human hosts it possesses.

Knightriders (1981)

To those who only know George A. Romero for his many classic zombie movies, we point you in the direction of Knightriders. The filmmaker writes and directs this grounded drama following a group of motorcycle-riding medieval reenactment performers and without a single reanimated corpse in sight.

Enemy Mine (1985)

One of the most heartwarming instances of enemies becoming friends in the ‘80s occurs in Wolfgang Peterson’s Enemy Mine. The futuristic sci-fi thriller stars Dennis Quaid as a human and Louis Gossett Jr. as an alien who are forced to put their respective species’ war with one another behind them when they become stranded on a deserted planet together.

My Bodyguard (1980)

Chris Makepeace’s Clifford lives every bullied teen’s dream to have someone bigger and stronger on their side in My Bodyguard. Despite its modern-day obscurity, the coming-of-age dramedy marked the film debut of several well-known stars — including Adam Baldwin, Joan Cusack, and Jennifer Beals.

Real Genius (1985)

Later, more serious roles in movies like Top Gun, The Doors, and Batman Forever have caused many to forget just how comedically talented Val Kilmer is. He gives one of his funniest performances in Real Genius as a fun-loving engineering student who discovers he and his younger roommate (played by Gabriel Jarret) have unwittingly been tasked to build a military-grade weapon. 

The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

One of the more underrated ‘80s time travel movies is The Philadelphia Experiment, which is inspired by the alleged disappearance of a destroyer escort ship in the early 1940s. The film — which also spawned a 1993 sequel — follows two WWII-era sailors accidentally transported decades forward.

The Dream Team (1989)

The same year when Michael Keaton made his debut as Batman, he led a funny crime thriller called The Dream Team. He, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, and Stephen Furst play four psychiatric patients on a day trip to New York City when their chaperone is targeted for murder.

The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988)

Arguably director Wes Craven’s most underrated film is The Serpent and the Rainbow, which is inspired by real-life anthropological researcher Wade Davis’ book of the same name. What also makes the Bill Pullman-led horror flick one of the more comparatively realistic zombie movies is its depiction of voodoo, which the original definition of the word “zombie” derives from.

Return To Oz (1985)

People who still have nightmares about Margaret Hamilton's performance as The Wicked Witch of the West in 1937's The Wizard of Oz might not have the courage to watch Disney's follow-up. A 10-year-old Fairuza Balk (of later The Craft fame) plays Dorothy in Return to Oz, which is noted by those who do remember it as one of the most visually traumatizing "kids movies" of the '80s or any decade.

Author! Author! (1982)

With how few family dramedies there are on Al Pacino’s resume, it is a shame he does not get more love for Author! Author! The Academy Award-winning legend stars as a playwright trying to balance the opening of his latest Broadway show with raising his stepchildren.

Miracle Mile (1988)

Following his scene-stealing role as Goose in Top Gun and years before he starred in ER, Anthony Edwards played the lead of Miracle Mile. Writer and director Steve De Jarnatt’s overlooked action flick follows a young man on a race against time after he becomes aware of an impending nuclear attack. 

The Night Before (1988)

Not to be confused with a raunchy holiday comedy movie from 2015 starring Seth Rogen, The Night Before is a coming-of-age rom-com with a dark mystery twist that predates The Hangover by a couple of decades. It stars Keanu Reeves as a teen whose struggle to find his missing date (played by Lori Loughlin) in L.A. is worsened by his inability to remember what happened on the way to prom.

Johnny Be Good (1988)

One of the lesser-known collaborations of Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. (including their shared one-season SNL stint) is Johnny Be Good, which also stars Paul Gleason and a young Uma Thurman. Hall plays the title role of this high school comedy about a football player struggling to decide which of the many college offers he receives would be best for him.

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

Before her untimely death, SNL legend Gilda Radner starred in several films with her real-life husband, Gene Wilder. One of the last and most unfortunately overlooked is a fun horror-comedy called Haunted Honeymoon, in which the couple play newlyweds trying to cure the husband’s fears by staying in a creepy estate.

You may think you know ‘80s cinema, but your expertise will not be complete until you give these flick a try, or even revisit them for the first time in too long.

It's hard to believe Entourage ended its eight-season run so long ago, in 2011 (not counting the less-than-well-recieved movie in 2015). For the length of the show, one thing that kept audiences coming back for more each week was the great celebrity cameos. What started as a trickle in the first season, became a flood towards the end, with big stars always showing up, usually with hilarious results. Here is our list of some of the funniest celebrity cameos on Entourage. 

Mark Wahlberg

It makes sense that Mark Wahlberg would be the first cameo on the show, appearing in the very first episode of Season 1. Entourage was (very) loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood as a young actor, and the Boogie Nights star was a producer of the show. 

David Schwimmer

A great thing about the cameos was that often the celebrities weren't afraid to poke a little fun at themselves. Take, for example, David Schwimmer's spot in the Season 6 episode "Running on E." Schwimmer sits in a pitch meeting with super agent Ari Gold's (Jeremy Piven) team and offer after offer is for the Friends star to play some sort of neurotic character for comedic effect. The frustration for Schwimmer is palpable. 

Peter Dinklage

One of the most common tropes on the show was the stars taking potshots at Ari. Ari was a character we all loved to hate, but it turns out most of the celebrities playing themselves also hated Ari. Peter Dinklage is one of those when he trades barbs with Ari at a party in the Season 2 "Sundance Kids."

John Stamos

John Stamos was the perfect type of celeb to show on Entourage. It was always fun to see how a cameo appearance might just be an opportunity to take down lovable loser Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon). In a bit of a twist, after getting insulted by Stamos a few times, the two play an epic match of ping pong that ends predicably for Drama in the Season 7 episode "Tequila Sunrise." 

Jeffrey Tambor

Jeffrey Tambor plays a jerk like few others can in Hollywood. When he's playing a fictionalized version of himself being to jerk to his kids, it's comedy gold. Fictional life as a jerk and real life have blurred together for Tambor, but his appearance in Season 6 is still really funny. 

Matt Damon

Matt Damon takes charity very seriously, so his cameo on Entourage, in the Season 6 finale, fits perfectly. It's also a rare time that Vince (Adrian Grenier) is the one getting clowned when he tries to dodge both Damon and Bono into giving money to their charity to help children.  

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer's guest spot on the show is a little different than most on this list. He doesn't play himself, but the role is so brief – and so funny – that it had to be included. In Season 1, the Top Gun: Maverick star plays a "sherpa" living in a giant house in Beverly Hills like a '60s hippie. 

Snoop Dogg

No one brings joy like Snoop Dogg. There is never a time when people are unhappy to see the legendary rapper show up somewhere on TV and Entourage is no exception. The brief interaction between Snoop, Vince, and Eric (Kevin Connolly), partly highlights the confusion of how to pronounce "Cannes" in the Season 4 episode "The Dream Team."

James Cameron

The Season 2 episode "Sundance Kids" really kicked the cameos on the show into overdrive and one of the best of the whole series is James Cameron. Vince is trying to land a role in his Aquaman movie, so Turtle and Drama try to help (and fail). The best part, though, is Cameron's interaction with a barista (played by This Is Us star Chrissy Metz). 

Tom Brady

Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is a die-hard New York Giants fan, so when he meets Tom Brady at a charity golf tournament, he does what any self-respecting fan would do, he blows him off and refuses to shake his hand. It's brilliant. 

Martin Scorsese

Entourage proved just how big it was for celeb cameos when none other than Martin Scorsese appeared for a brief scene to offer Vince a role in his fictional The Great Gatsby movie in the finale of Season 5. You know you've made it when Scorsese gets involved. 

Scarlett Johansson

Season 1 ends with a big-time star appearance when the one and only Scarlett Johansson cameos on the phone with Vince, after Eric promises him to land a date with the superstar actress. It works, though it's the last time we'd see Johansson on the show. 

Stan Lee

Comic legend Stan Lee became the king of cameos with his iconic moments in the MCU universe for years, a streak that ended with his death in 2018. It's all too appropriate that we include him on this list, not only due to Lee's status as a cameo-king but because his quick role is just so funny as he can't quite place where he's seen Vince's adult film star girlfriend, Sasha Grey, before.

Lamar Odom

Entourage was replete with professional athletes throughout its run. Lamar Odom shows up pretty early in the show's run, in "An Offer Refused" in Season 2. The cameo is notable because of the way Drama gets obsessed with how men's calves look, including Odom's, which understandably freaks the NBA star out. 

Bono

Bono's appearance in the Season 6 finale is brilliant. He only appears via computer screen, as he's on a video call with Matt Damon and teams up with Damon to gang up on Vince to guilt him into getting on board with their charity. It's vintage Bono, pushing a charity but not taking himself as seriously as the world perceives him to be. 

Bobby Flay

Ari being a jerk to someone isn't a surprise, but Ari being a jerk to Bobby Flay is, pardon the pun, pure gold. Flay is great playing himself as the chef at his own restaurant, one of Ari's favorites, but the two bicker before Flay has had enough in the Season 8 episode "Whiz Kid." 

Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara's cameo is notable because she's not playing herself. While she herself is perfect for the role as a Colombian actress auditioning for the movie Medellin, it's funny because of how ridiculous the rest of Vince's team reacts to her. The first episode of Season 2 is one of the most unique, and funniest, of the show's run. 

M. Night Shyamalan

M. Night Shyamalan's appearance in the episode "Sorry, Harvey" in Season 4 is classic Entourage. Playing himself, he's angry at Ari for not reading his latest script and confronts the super agent to call him on it. It's the kind of cameo we've come to expect from this show, a major star fighting with Ari. 

Christina Aguilera

The Season 7 finale, "Lose Yourself" is one of the saddest of the show, for a few reasons. One is Ari throwing a lavish party for his wife to keep her from leaving him complete with Christina Aguilera singing "You Are Beautiful," only to have his wife not show.  Aguilera gets mad at Ari (naturally) and demands his Lakers playoffs tickets to keep performing. 

Adrian Peterson

NFL superstar Adrian Peterson selling a dinosaur skull. Is there anything more that needs to be said? The Season 7 episode "Tequila and Coke" has a great moment poking fun at people investing in fossils, and yes, Nic Cage gets a shout-out. 

Zac Efron

It's no surprise that Ari would be trying to steal a client from another agent, but what makes Zac Efron's cameo on Entourage so funny is his interaction with a fan while on the phone with Ari. A mom using her daughter to get Efron's autograph (and pushing for, um, more) is hilarious. 

Kanye West

Vince and his crew have no problem asking anyone for a favor. Kanye West is the victim of one of the most outlandish requests when they beg him for a ride on his private plane to France, even though Ye is headed for London in "No Cannes Do" from Season 4. The rapper is stunned and doesn't hide it, but still, who can turn down Vince? No one, not even Ye.

David Spade

David Spade is the perfect star for a cameo on Entourage. In his, he's got women on both arms and plays a total jerk. While he's surely not a jerk, he somehow has that public perception, which is what makes the cameo so much fun in the Season 8 episode titled "The Big Bang." Spade is just hilarious. 

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is clearly a good sport. Despite the show taking a shot at the pro golfer's failure at the 2006 U.S. Open, he later agreed to appear on the show, if only to show up Ari. A chance meeting on the golf course between Mickelson, and Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara, led to the role. Kizmet. 

50 Cent

50 Cent makes one of the briefest cameos on the show, but it's one of the best. When he sees Turtle driving, he pulls up alongside and manages to take Turtle down a notch, despite the fancy ride he's driving in. Turtle has a rough time in his birthday episode, "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car," from Season 6.

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin's first cameo (he made two) on Entourage came in an episode named after him, "The Sorkin Notes" in Season 6. Sorkin is caught up in some drama in Ari's office that he wants no part of and is hilarious in a rare acting role for the writer and director. Now can we get that West Wing revival starring Sterling K. Brown that Sorkin had an idea for, please?

Dean Cain

Another very brief cameo comes from Dean Cain. The former Superman actor disrupts one of Drama's auditions, which crushes Drama, as he figures there's no one he can compete with Cain for the part. It's vintage Johnny Drama in the Season 6 episode "Scared Straight." It's another moment in which you can't help but feel terrible for Drama. 

Eminem

The Season 7 finale, "Lose Yourself," not only foreshadows Vince's downward spiral, but Eminem's cameo. In one of the lowest moments of Vince's life, he first insults Minka Kelly, then gets into a fistfight with Eminem. It's as sad as it is funny, a line the show walked brilliantly in the episode. 

Alex Rodriguez

How tragic would be to hear that you lost out on a ton of money from former Yankee Alex Rodriguez? That's what happens to Turtle when the shortstop-turned-third-baseman shows up on screen to tell Turtle that the tequila company he once owned a lot of stock in went public after he sold out. Ouch. 

Steve Nash

Poor Steve Nash. The NBA star was at the height of his fame when he was unwittingly cornered by Eric at his manager's office (Scott Caan). Eric dumps all of his girlfriend problems on the Canadian basketball player's feet in the Season 6 episode "Murphy's Lie," and all Nash can do is look stunned. 

Johnny Galecki

Johnny Galecki's role in Entourage was a little more than one cameo, it was more like three cameos over three episodes and he plays a fictionalized version of himself who makes Eric's life hell by dating Eric's ex-girlfriend Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui). This version of Galecki is terrible but completely hilarious. 

Jessica Simpson

As Ari tries to protect his client base, he's forced to go hat in hand to a client who's mad at him for not caring when her dog died. Jessica Simpson meets Ari at the door in "Bottoms Up" from Season 7, and in classic Entourage fashion, makes Ari look like the jerk that he is, despite his insincere attempt to gift another dog to Simpson. It sums up everything a great Entourage cameo should be. A big star, an unrepentant Ari, and some choice lines. 

This is a list that could be almost endless, and we didn't even get into the multiple cameos in the Entourage movie, one of which featured Channing Tatum that didn't actually happen. 

Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday in one of the most iconic '90s films, Tombstone, left an indelible mark on pop culture. His performance as one of the era's standout supporting characters is so beloved that it's nearly inconceivable to envision anyone else in the role. For a fascinating glimpse into what might have been, compare Kilmer's take with Dennis Quaid's portrayal of the same character in the competing film with a similar plot, Wyatt Earp. As the classic western marks its 30th anniversary, fans were treated to a delightful behind-the-scenes throwback, courtesy of Kilmer's social media.

The 63-year-old Top Gun veteran took to Instagram this week, posting videos captured behind the scenes of the 1993 Western film that hit theaters three decades ago on Christmas Day. These clips, which you can see for yourself below, offer a unique glimpse into the actor's interactions with the now-72-year-old Kurt Russell and other cast members, both on set and in their trailers. All in all, these tidbits provide fans with a nostalgic peek into the making of the film:

Kate Hudson, who happens to be the Escape from L.A. star's adoptive daughter, joined the conversation with a comment expressing her delight at witnessing throwback footage. She commented:

There's so much that can be said about Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell teaming up to bring the iconic figures of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp to life in Tombstone, a gritty exploration of the 19th-century Old West that helped define 1993. Kilmer’s magnetic portrayal of Holliday didn’t just captivate audiences; it also snagged him two well-deserved nominations at the 1994 MTV Movie + TV Awards.

The Batman Forever star hasn’t shied away from sharing behind-the-scenes facts about Tombstone and his personal experience from the set of the Western. In 2017, he took to his blog to laud Kurt Russell for being the linchpin of the film’s triumph, especially navigating the storm when the directorial reins changed mid-production, as per The Hollywood Reporter. The Kiss Kiss Bang Bang alum went as far as telling the trade:

Fortunately for us, Kurt Russell's commitment wasn't in vain, and fans were treated to one of the finest Westerns ever made. The 30th-anniversary flashback serves as a poignant reminder of the movie's enduring legacy and the profound impact it, along with its stellar cast, has left on the cinematic landscape.

Val Kilmer returned to the silver screen with a cameo alongside Tom Cruise, reprising his iconic character, Tom "Iceman" Kazinsky in last year's Top Gun: Maverick — a must-watch available with a Paramount+ subscription. But if you're in the mood to relive Kilmer's stint as Doc and the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone is ready to stream with a Hulu subscription. So, whether you're into high-flying jet action or Old West showdowns, there's something for everyone regarding the best Kilmer movie offerings.

It’s rare for a TV show to celebrate its 20th anniversary and still be on the air, but NCIS is one of those lucky few. Two decades ago, just a few months after being established in a two-part backdoor pilot on JAG, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team started leading their own stories on CBS. But before Harmon was selected for the role, it turns out Harrison Ford and some other A-listers were tossed out as options for bringing the special agent to life.

This was revealed in an oral history published by THR commemorating NCIS’ 20th anniversary, with Charles Floyd Johnson, executive producer on JAG and NCIS, recalling the process of how Gibbs was cast. After Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment president, commended the JAG writers for writing “real people,” Johnson said:

You have to remember that the TV landscape looked a lot different in the early 2000s compared to now, in that it was rare for a thriving movie star to agree to star in a TV show. At this point in time, along with retaining his well-deserved popularity as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford was also appearing in movies like What Lies Beneath and K-19: The Widowmaker. Peter Golden, the former head of CBS casting, acknowledged this in the article, noting how even if the chances weren’t good for looping in someone of Ford’s caliber, that didn’t stop the people behind a show like JAG from putting him on “the list.”

But it didn’t just end with the man who’s now playing Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Susan Bluestein, the NCIS casting director, didn’t recall Harrison Ford being thrown into consideration, she did remember plenty of other noteworthy names, saying:

All these men would have been major scores for NCIS, and to be fair, some of these actors did go on to lead/play important roles in TV shows, including Baldwin in 30 Rock, Bacon in The Following and City on a Hill, and Swayze in The Beast right before he died. Charles Floyd Johnson also mentioned that Silence of the Lambs and Daredevil’s Scott Glenn was considered “very strongly” for Gibbs, and Susan Bluestein added that he was being considered for Donald “Ducky” Mallard too. Ultimately Glenn, as well as  passed on participating in JAG and NCIS, and while Andrew McCarthy of St. Elmo’s Fire fame also talked with co-creator Donald Bellisario about playing Gibbs, nothing ever came of that.

As far as Mark Harmon goes, he was already a well-established TV presence from shows like St. Elsewhere, Reasonable Doubts and Chicago Hope, so leading a procedural was well within his wheelhouse. Bluestein also had history with Harmon, having cast him to play John Dillinger in a TV movie about the outlaw, and Golden recalled, once the actor met with Bellisario, they “hit it off.” Harmon would go on to play Gibbs for 19 seasons of NCIS, exiting in the episode “Great Wide Open,” and he also made four guest appearances in the spinoff NCIS: New Orleans.

It remains to be seen if Mark Harmon will ever reprise Leroy Jethro Gibbs, especially considering that as of this past July, there’s allegedly some behind-the-scenes drama around his potential NCIS return. Still, if you’d like to view any of the hundreds of episodes he did appear in, those can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. NCIS itself has been renewed for Season 21, and while we wait for concrete details about what it holds in store, look through our 2023 TV schedule to see what’s currently airing or will be soon.

George Clooney as Ferris Bueller? Eddie Murphy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Sammy Davis, Jr as… Beetlejuice? These are just a few actors who almost starred in classic ‘80s movies and could’ve changed film history. They aren’t the only ones either. Here is our list of 20 actors who almost starred in classic ‘80s movies.

Tom Selleck (The Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

In one of the more infamous casting decisions of all time, Tom Selleck was offered the part of one of the most iconic characters in film history, Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. It’s often falsely reported that Selleck turned the offer down, but as he explained to Rachel Ray, he didn’t say no to director Steven Spielberg, CBS did. The network decided to pick up the pilot he shot for Magnum PI and they wouldn’t let him take the time to shoot Raiders. Harrison Ford is very grateful for it.

George Clooney (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

Yep, that’s right, everyone’s favorite truant, Ferris Bueller, was almost played by George Clooney, instead of Matthew Broderick, in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. According to casting director Janet Hirshenson, she had Clooney read for the part but thought he was too mature for the role and would’ve been "the college student version of Ferris Bueller."

Ethan Hawke (Stand By Me)

River Phoenix had his breakout role as Chris Chambers in Stand By Me, but director Rob Reiner also thought another up-and-coming actor at the time would have been great for the part. In an interview with The Guardian, Ethan Hawke explained that Reiner told him, "You’re really good, but I just gave the part to another kid with a bird name." 

Nicolas Cage (Fast Times At Ridgemont High)

Nicolas Cage did make his big screen debut in a small part in one of the best high school movies of all time, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, but he almost had a much more significant role. According to Judge Reinhold, who played the lead, Brad Hamilton, the producers were going to cast Cage (then known by his given name, Nic Coppola) in the Brad role. The part ended up going to Reinhold because Cage was under 18 at the time and that would’ve required working fewer hours due to child labor laws.

Yaphet Kotto (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

In one of the coolest and most interesting “what could have been” moments, the now legendary role of Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back wouldn’t have been played by Billy Dee Williams. Alien star Yaphet Kotto was the first person offered the part of the former smuggler-turned-Empire bureaucrat, as Kotto was asked by Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner to star as the character. According to the actor, he turned it down because after having just starred in Alien, he was worried about staying "up there," saying,  

You can't blame a guy for worrying about being type-cast, but missing out on Star Wars must have stung! 

Eric Stoltz (Back To The Future)

In another of the more famous “almost-was” casting decisions, it was almost Eric Stoltz, not Michael J. Fox, as Marty McFly in Back To The Future. For six weeks, they filmed Stoltz in the lead role before deciding he wasn’t right for the humor. They went back to their first choice, Fox, who found a way to cram the film into his busy schedule shooting Family Ties, and the rest is history. 

Dustin Hoffman (Dead Poet’s Society)

Of all the roles on this list, the one that would’ve dramatically changed its film most (pun intended) is Dustin Hoffman as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Hoffman was cast in the part early on and according to writer Tom Schulman, the movie would’ve been very different. In the original script, Keating was dying of leukemia, something Hoffman was ready to embrace in the character, per Schulman:

A dying John Keating played by a dour Hoffman sounds intriguing, but the tone Robin Williams struck makes for much better movie. 

Dustin Hoffman (Blade Runner)

Speaking of another movie that would have been quite different if it had starred Dustin Hoffman, the Rain Man actor was director Ridley Scott’s first choice to play Deckard in Blade Runner. According to the Mirror and production executive Katy Haber, the producers weren’t thrilled with Hoffman, and for the second time in his career, Harrison Ford caught a break and was cast in a film that would become a franchise. 

Matthew Modine (Top Gun)

It’s impossible to image anyone other than Tom Cruise in the role of Maverick in Top Gun, or its sequel Top Gun: Maverick, but it almost happened. The part was originally offered to Matthew Modine, but the Stranger Things star turned down the film because of his personal politics, telling Salon, 

You have to admire Modine for sticking to his personal morals, even if the role he turned down made Tom Cruise one of the biggest stars of all time, to the point where the 2022 sequel hit some major milestones at the box office. 

Mickey Rourke (Beverly Hills Cop)

Well, this one is just bizarre. Before Beverly Hill Cop helped establish Eddie Murphy as one the most bankable stars of the 1980s, it was a very different movie. So different, in fact, that the actor originally attached to play the Axel Foley character was Micky Rourke. The idea was for it to be an action flick, not a comedy, and, as producer Jerry Bruckheimer explained, they contracted Rourke to star for a whopping $400,000. Eventually, Bruckheimer changed his mind and we’re all grateful for it. 

Eddie Murphy (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

Eddie Murphy isn’t immune from making the wrong call, either. While visiting with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Murphy talked about how he was offered the role of Jimmy Valient in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. According to the Shrek star,

At least it sounds like Murphy is pretty good at not turning down hits on a regular basis!

John Belushi (Ghostbusters)

Sadly, this isn’t a case of an actor or a producer making the wrong (or correct) call by casting someone else in a role, this happened because the actor tragically died. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd were close friends and often castmates. As such, when Aykroyd wrote Ghostbusters, he wrote the role of Peter Venkman with Belushi in mind. Luckily for us, Bill Murray stepped into the part and the film still became a classic. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger (RoboCop)

The part of the titular RoboCop is a little different than most others. This time, a big star was very interested in the role but lost out. According to The Movies That Made Us on Netflix, Fubar cast member Arnold Schwarzenegger was very keen to play the role and was riding a wave of success. It all makes sense, right? Well, no, and somewhat ironically, it was Schwarzenegger’s legendary physique that might have lost him the job. While his bulging biceps helped make him a star, the producers of RoboCop were worried he wouldn’t fit into the suit, so the gig went to Peter Weller. 

Kris Kristofferson (The Shining)

This one is almost too hard to even contemplate. There is no one that could be Jack Torrance in The Shining other than Jack Nicholson, right? Well, it almost didn’t happen that way. While Nicholson was director Stanley Kubrick’s first choice to play the writer-gone-psycho Jack Torrance, there was a backup plan in case a deal couldn’t be made for the star. Kris Kristofferson was that plan, according to Kubrick historian Lee Unkrich. 

Billy Zane (Dirty Dancing)

There has rarely been on-screen chemistry like that between Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. Would you believe it almost never happened? According to writer Eleanor Bergstein in The Movies That Made Us, it was almost Billy Zane in the legendary role of Johnny Castle. Unfortunately for Zane, but fortunately for the rest of us, Bergstein said he danced, "like someone who looked like he had learned to dance beautifully for his bar mitzvah."

Frank Sinatra (Die Hard)

In what must have been the most ridiculous casting pitch of all time, the producers of Die Hard were contractually obligated to offer the role of John McLean to Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. You see, Die Hard was adapted from a book called Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. That book was a sequel to his 1966 novel The Detective, and that was adapted in 1968 into a movie of the same name starring Sinatra. Because of all this, the legendary singer/actor had the first right of refusal to play the role in future films. Of course, a 70-year-old Sinatra turned down the role and fans rejoice every Christmas when we get to watch Bruce Willis as McLean taking out the terrorists. 

What If…

Finally, a few “what ifs” that were never particularly close to being cast, but directors were interested in filling some iconic roles with some really out-there choices. Take, for example, Tim Burton’s desire to cast Sammy Davis, Jr. as Beetlejuice, instead of Michael Keaton. It’s got to make you giggle at least a little bit to picture Davis trying to drive the Deetzes out of their home by crooning “The Candyman Can.”

How about instead of Sly Stallone as the grizzled Vietnam vet John Rambo, audiences got 1970s superstar, Burt Reynolds? The Smokey & The Bandit star was one of many big-name actors the producers contacted in hopes of landing them for the role. In an interview with Empire, Stallone once mentioned a few names that the part was offered to, including Reynolds, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino. Frankly, the movie might have worked with any of them, but we’re lucky it “fell” to Stallone. 

Burton also had an out-of-the-box thought for the Joker in his Batman. Instead of Jack Nicholson owning that role, just imagine, for a second, David Bowie as the Clown Prince of Crime. Ziggy Stardust was the director’s dream pick, but it’s pretty safe to say that “settling” on Nicholson is a win for audiences, like almost every casting call on this list.

Somewhere in an alternate universe, all these parts were played by different actors and you have to wonder how the butterfly effect could have changed the course of careers and, indeed the film industry if these casts were different. We all believe the right choices were made, but were they? We'll never know. 

Auditions can be brutal, because even when they’re done right, there’s always a chance that another candidate winds up with the upper hand. Oscar winner Patricia Arquette recently shared some experiences about how even she has had some bad audition experiences. In her case, one of those failed auditions was for a Tom Cruise classic. 

The Tom Cruise Movie That Patricia Arquette “Blew It” During The Auditions

Speaking with Variety during the SAG red carpet this past weekend, Arquette revealed that she sounded like a shoo-in for the role of Dorothy Boyd in Cameron Crowe’s rom-com hit Jerry Maguire. At least, that’s what she was told heading into the auditions, which Patricia Arquette revealed in her tale of a woefully horrific tryout. The Severance star felt it all shook out as best as it could have, as she revealed in this anecdote:

For Renée Zellweger, Jerry Maguire was a breakout role that propelled her into stardom that would see her later nab roles like the leads of Bridget Jones’ Diary and the Judy Garland biopic Judy. The latter role would win Zellweger her second Academy Award as 2020’s Best Actress pick, just five years after Patricia Arquette picked up her statue for Boyhood as one of 2015’s Oscar winners. 

Things may have turned out way differently if either of these golden titans had swapped places to romantically complete Tom Cruise back in 1996. However, that’s not the only audition story that Arquette shared that would have put her into another rather interesting case of recasting.

Another Patricia Arquette Audition That Actually Went Well, But Still Didn’t Land Her The Part

Picture this: legendary filmmaker/ReelBlend guest Oliver Stone is casting his biopic The Doors, which tells the story of that eponymous rock  band’s heyday in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The history we know cast Val Kilmer and Meg Ryan in the roles of Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson, respectively. 

However, Patricia Arquette recently learned that her audition with Brad Pitt for those very roles could have landed the two of them those prime positions. Here’s how Arquette learned about how this situation played out, a little over 30 years after the fact:

While she may not have landed roles in Jerry Maguire or The Doors, Patricia Arquette’s resume still saw her land some incredible credits. Coincidentally, she, Val Kilmer and Brad Pitt would all be a part of Tony Scott’s True Romance just a couple of years removed from that Oliver Stone film, but it would be Arquette who landed one of the leads in that Quentin Tarantino-penned project. 

Like it or not, every gig comes down to the power of the audition. In cases like her roles on TV series like Hulu’s true-crime drama The Act, or even Arquette’s recurring Boardwalk Empire gig, those tryouts worked in her favor. Rounding out her discussion on this time honored traditional of testing the waters for any new job, Patricia Arquette theorized that she’s not too good at auditioning because of the following factors: 

'Take to take' is exactly what’s built Patricia Arquette’s storied career, and what will continue to make it exciting to follow. Though she’s not on the books for any film projects this year, Arquette could make an appearance on the 2023 TV schedule, provided that Season 2 of Severance debuts this year. Those of you who haven’t seen that series yet can catch up on Season 1, if you have an Apple TV+ subscription. 

Collaboration is key when making any artistic endeavor into a reality, but filmmaking is a craft where that sort of enterprise is especially rewarding. Top Gun: Maverick proved that point several times over, as director Joseph Kosinski’s legacy-quel just might be one of the best action movies, while also being one of the most emotional. One of the film’s most poignant emotional beats came from none other than Val Kilmer. 

As he shared some behind the scenes stories with Deadline, Kosinski dug deeper into the emotional core of the recent Tom Cruise blockbuster. Part of that resonance came from the storyline between Maverick and Iceman, which saw the latter dealing with the same cancer that Kilmer has been fighting off screen. That link was the key to bringing Val Kilmer back to the franchise, as Joseph Kosinski revealed in the following story: 

Seeing as Val Kilmer’s return was pretty much required for Top Gun: Maverick to happen, shaping the role so that the actor could participate was a big deal. In the end, our return to the story of Capt. Pete Mitchell clued us all into the fact that former rival Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, now an admiral, became Maverick’s greatest defender. Barely able to speak, but still very much in contact with Tom Cruise’s character, we see one last scene of the Val Kilmer’s character mentoring his old friend before he eventually dies off-screen. 

The big Iceman suggestion absolutely works too, as that final chat between Maverick and Iceman is an emotional lynchpin to Top Gun: Maverick’s overall story. It certainly paid off when even the man himself saw his Top Gun: Maverick scene, and Val Kilmer approved of the emotional payoff. Reading the stories of him and Tom Cruise reminiscing about shooting Tony Scott’s 1986 original only makes the character dynamic between the two on screen that much more effective. In other words, even the toughest man probably had issues trying to not shed a tear throughout that touching scene.

It’s unfortunate that should there be a Top Gun 3, there will be no Iceman returning to dish out sage advice once again. Then again, getting Kilmer back for one last appearance was a fortunate occurrence, closing out his character’s story in a fitting manner. If Maverick is the end of the Top Gun legacy, the same could be said for that impressive feat of collaborative storytelling. But should it continue, there will be plenty of room for actors like Monica Barbaro and Lewis Pullman to do some character tweaking, like they did with Maverick's initial story.

Top Gun: Maverick can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home, as the movie buzzes the tower we all know as awards season. In addition to being available for purchase on physical media, it’s also available currently streaming. Should you have a Paramount+ subscription, you can enjoy a double feature of both films in the Top Gun series, or focus more on one of 2022’s breakaway hits.

While people have been praising Top Gun: Maverick for its groundbreaking action and adrenaline-rush-inducing moments, another reason audiences love the most successful entry on the 2022 movie schedule is its emotional heartbeat. This is especially true when it comes to the heartfelt scene that reunites Tom Cruise with his Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer. Now, Joseph Kosinski is reflecting on what it was like to film that tear-jerking moment with the two action stars. 

In Total Film’s Q&A with Top Gun: Maverick’s director one of the most heartfelt scenes in the movie came up. Kosinski opened up about what it was like filming the scene between Ice Man and Maverick saying (via Games Radar): 

The scene truly is one of the most heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments in the film. You can tell it was emotional to shoot for both Cruise and Kilmer, and watching it in a theater it felt like everyone was sniffling and looking for tissues during their brief interaction. 

Kosinski has been very open about how much it meant to get Kilmer into the Top Gun sequel. He also explained that it’s one of his “favorite parts” of the film. It’s touching to hear how much the scene meant to the director and the two actors, because I know I was tearing up thinking about the history and meaning involved with Kilmer playing a role in Top Gun: Maverick. 

The scene is even more meaningful because of how Cruise “rallied” to get Kilmer into the sequel. The action star explained that he thinks very highly of his co-star, and said the scene was “very special,” and Kilmer was “beautiful” in it. Kosinski also explained that when he showed the reunion to Kilmer, the actor had a beautiful response, and was “happy” and “moved” by the sequence. 

It turns out, Kilmer actually played a massive role in Iceman’s return. Kosinski explained on CinemaBlend’s podcast ReelBlend, that the OG Top Gun actor came in early and “really cracked” the story for his character. He said their reunion was extremely meaningful following the first movie because it showed the arc of Maverick and Iceman going from rivals to friends. And I can safely say all that work, and history paid off, because it's a beautiful moment in the film. 

Lucky for all of us, we can now rewatch this moving reunion anytime we want because Top Gun: Maverick can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. 

When Disney bought Lucasfilm it wasn’t exactly a shock to learn we would get new Star Wars and new Indiana Jones movies, but one property that nobody was necessarily expecting to ever see again was Willow. George Lucas’ magical fantasy story certainly had fans, but it never went past the one movie so it didn’t have the franchise power of those other names. And yet, here we are with a Willow sequel series on Disney+ and even Val Kilmer can’t believe that it’s happening.

On the eve of the first episode of the Willow series dropping, writer Jon Kasdan shared a picture of himself with Warwick Davis from the set of Solo: A Star Wars Story, a film Kasdan co-wrote and Davis appeared in multiple cameos. It was there the idea for the new Willow series was actually born. Kasdan said the idea of making a sequel series wasn’t a case of dreaming big, it was in fact dreaming “crazy.” Val Kilmer then retweeted the image and agreed everybody involved was quite mad. 

Kilmer calls Kasdan and Davis, “madmen” a nice reference to his own Willow character Madmartigan. It’s certainly a fitting response. Evan Kasdan doesn't seem to believe that the show actually happened. I guess this is another case of believing in yourself and taking your shot, because you never know what might actually happen. 

For what it's worth a Willow sequel actually makes more sense then a lot of other legacy projects. That movie was all about a baby that was supposed to grow up and do great things, and while the attempt to stop her as an infant failed, fans are still going to want to see what happens when she actually grows up.

As far as we know, Kilmer himself does not appear in the series, the actor has been dealing with the fallout from throat surgery and is thus all but retired. Kilmer did appear in another major sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, but it seems unlikely that a similar Willow cameo would have worked with the story. The character’s absence is addressed directly, and two of the main characters of the new series are his children.

The subject of a Willow sequel was something that would be brought up from time to time. There were certainly people that would have loved to have seen such a thing, but there would certainly have been a question as to whether or not there was enough of an audience to make it worthwhile. 

I had a chance to talk to Warwick Davis following the production of Solo: A Star Wars Story and he mentioned at the time that Willow had come up in conversation. Of course, I’m sure any number of ideas get brought up in moments like that, but they don’t always actually happen. 

One hopes Val Kilmer is one of the Willow fans who has been enjoying watching the new series. 

While Iceman and Maverick’s rivalry in the first Top Gun movie may have caused a small real-life rivalry between Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise, the actors have always had a strong respect for each other. When it was time to get to filming the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise “rallied” to get Kilmer back for the movie. Their characters' reunion scene ended up being such a sweet and emotional moment, and recently Maverick’s director opened up about what it was like showing the scene to Kilmer for the first time. 

Joseph Kosinski, the director of the sequel, explained that getting Val Kilmer back as Iceman meant a lot. In the movie, Ice is the one who ultimately calls Maverick back to teach at TOPGUN. Ultimately, the two former frenemies share a nice scene, in which Iceman reassures Maverick that he is right for the job after having a tough time with the students and leadership at the titular aerial program. Kosinski has said this scene is one of his favorites and recently explained to THR that Kilmer's response to the scene was just what he and his colleagues were hoping for.

They sure did get it right. The most poignant moment arguably occurred when Iceman goes from typing what he wants to say on the computer to verbally speaking to his old. This was possible because the filmmakers reconstructed the Batman actor's voice through an AI. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer a few years ago and hasn't been in the public eye much, making his return for the highly anticipated sequel all the more emotional

The star himself seems to have truly relished the opportunity to reprise one of his most iconic characters. After the release of Top Gun: Maverick, Val Kilmer shared a sweet throwback on Instagram. Posting a photo of him as Iceman in the sequel, he captioned it with:

All of the love and care put into this movie is palpable and has clearly resonated with audiences -- and the cast and crew involved in making it. Since its release early this summer, Maverick has not stopped making money and has become one of the biggest 2022 movie releases. Given the subject matter, I guess it's appropriate that film is soaring to great heights. 

I don't know about all of you, but I'll never forget Val Kilmer's return for the movie and, if you haven't already you should definitely check it out. Top Gun: Maverick is now available on Digital HD and will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on November 1.

Having risen to Hollywood stardom through movies like Real Genius, Top Gun, Willow and Tombstone, Val Kilmer scored a particularly notable cinematic honor in the mid-1990s: being cast as Batman. Kilmer was selected to succeed Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne for what became Batman Forever, which pitted Kilmer’s Caped Crusader against Jim Carrey’s Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face. While Kilmer’s time as Batman was a one-and-done affair, following his reprisal of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick, the actor has shared his thoughts on donning the cape and cowl again.

Back in 2020, 25 years after Batman Forever’s release, Val Kilmer shared that he decided to stop playing Batman because he realized that it didn’t matter who was wearing the costume. A year later, Kilmer described playing Batman as being “so isolating,” but evidently he hasn’t shut the door on a Batman return entirely. The following exchange occurred while Kilmer spoke over email with IGN’s Jim Vejvoda:

The age of the multiverse is upon us with superhero movies, from last December’s Spider-Man: No Way Home teaming Tom Holland’s Peter Parker with the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions of the same characters, to next year’s The Flash bringing Michael Keaton’s Batman back into play (unfortunately, we’ll never what he did in the now-scrapped Batgirl). So now that the proverbial table is set for actors who’ve played superheroes many years earlier to reprise their roles, Val Kilmer will at least entertain the possibility of a second outing as Batman. Kilmer was the third actor to play the DC Comics superhero in a live-action feature-length movie, following Keaton and Adam West.

It is important to mention that because of his battle with throat cancer, Val Kilmer now speaks with a raspy voice, and oftentimes communicates with an electric voice box plugged into his trachea. So if he were to play Batman again, obviously he wouldn’t sound like he did in Batman Forever. But that complication aside, it would be interesting to see Kilmer back in the Batsuit, whether he was silent or spoke a few words. During his appearance in the aforementioned Top Gun: Maverick, Kilmer primarily communicated over text as Iceman, but at the end of his emotional scene with Tom Cruise’s Maverick, he did say a few lines, and his voice was later digitally altered for clarity.

Going back to the multiverse, while there may be a reality where Val Kilmer stuck with the Batman film series for at least one more entry, in our universe, George Clooney took over for Batman & Robin. Considering the negative critical reception that DC movie received and how many times Clooney has apologized for Batman & Robin in the years since, it’s safe to say that Kilmer dodged a bullet by not suiting back up. Between Michael Keaton’s next outing as Batman and Ben Affleck reprising his take on the Dark Knight in both Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash, as well as Robert Pattinson’s Batman anchoring his own corner of the DC multiverse, we may be set on live-action Batmen for a while. Still, should the opportunity arise for Kilmer to bring his Batman back for one final outing, we’ll pass that news along as part of our coverage on upcoming DC movies.

For those of you wanting to see Val Kilmer back on the big screen, Top Gun: Maverick is still playing in theaters with numerous other 2022 movie releases, but the blockbuster can also now be purchased on digital platforms. 

Among the many exciting 2022 movie releases that have brought audiences back to movie theaters in a big way following a troubling time for the big-screen business, Top Gun: Maverick ranks No. 1 so far. It has proven to be among the most successful legacy-quels of all time, and the return of Val Kilmer as Iceman is very much part of that. The movie balances its original and new cast members, and Glen Powell has shared a great moment involving Kilmer toward the end of shooting the hit movie. 

While speaking at the CinemaCon panel for Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell spoke about the time when he and Val Kilmer were in the same elevator during production of the now summer mega-blockbuster, and it's a funny tale:

Amazing. Glen Powell plays Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick and essentially fills the role of Iceman for its new generation of pilots. (They even look rather alike). So it feels fitting that at the end of the Top Gun newbie’s journey on set of the movie he’d run into Iceman himself, who was totally seeing deja vu in the new recruit. What makes it even funnier is that Kilmer took a picture of his bag for his own memories. 

Tom Cruise “rallied” for the co-star of the 1986 film to be featured in the long-awaited sequel, reportedly saying that he would not make the movie without Val Kilmer, per producer Jerry Bruckheimer. When Kilmer was approached for the role, the actor actually helped the filmmakers figure out Iceman’s place in Top Gun: Maverick, which is a quite emotional element in the feature. 

The odds weren’t exactly in Val Kilmer’s favor to return as Iceman after all these years, particularly because he's been battling throat cancer for years and uses an electric voice box in his trachea in order to talk. It's worth noting, however, that no cutting-edge A.I. tech was used in the making of Top Gun: Maverick.   

Top Gun: Maverick continues to not only be played in theaters after nine weeks at the box office, but make some money. The movie added $16.4 million to its international box office this past weekend, it's global total presently standing at $1.323 billion (making it the highest grossing movie of 2022 so far). Talk about a need for speed!

Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell wasn’t the only familiar face back in play for Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel that arrived 36 years after its predecessor also featured the return of Val Kilmer as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Now that Maverick’s had several weeks to shine in theaters, Kilmer has shared a sweet throwback about how his time on the 2022 movie with Cruise.

Fans of the original Top Gun will recall how Iceman started off as Maverick’s rival during their time together at TOPGUN, but following the death of Anthony Edwards’ Goose, the two men buried the hatchet, and Top Gun: Maverick laid out how they became close friends in the decades afterwards. In that vein, Val Kilmer’s Instagram post exemplifies how far these two come since we first met them.

While Val Kilmer wasn’t initially interested in doing Top Gun back in the day, he ultimately found the experience “enjoyable,” and it became one of his most well-known movies alongside the likes of Real Genius, Tombstone, Batman Forever and Heat, to name a few. When it came time to put Top Gun: Maverick together, Tom Cruise “rallied hard” for Kilmer to be brought back, just like he’d done with his co-star on the first movie, and director Joseph Kosinski said in April that the scene these two shared in the sequel was “a really special moment.” You can tell Kilmer feels the same way, and in addition to acting in the scene, he also played a major role in crafting it before filming began.

Warning: SPOILERS for Top Gun: Maverick are ahead!

In Top Gun: Maverick, we learned that Val Kilmer’s Iceman was now Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and he was responsible for Tom Cruise’s Maverick still being in the Navy rather than kicked out for his recklessness and multiple defiances of authority. For most of the movie, Maverick and Iceman only communicated through text messages, but the former is eventually called to the latter’s home, where it’s revealed that Iceman is suffering from throat cancer and primarily communicates by typing on a computer. Iceman urged Maverick not to give up on the pilots he was training, and a few days later, Kilmer’s character passed away. Due to Kilmer’s own throat cancer taking away his ability to express himself vocally, the actor’s voice was digitally recreated by Sonantic, the AI voice platform, for the brief moment when Iceman spoke to Maverick.

While Val Kilmer didn’t have a lot of screen time in Top Gun: Maverick, Iceman’s presence was definitely throughout the entirety of the movie, and his cameo is among the ways that this sequel improves the original Top Gun. As far as Maverick as a whole goes, not only has it enjoyed critical acclaim, including CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg giving it 4 out of 5 stars in his review, it’s also a box office powerhouse, currently ranking as the second highest-grossing movie of 2022 worldwide with its $783.8 million worldwide haul. Among the box office milestones Maverick has hit is becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2022 domestically so far and surpassing War of the Worlds as Tom Cruise’s best domestic release.

Top Gun: Maverick’s theatrical run is still going, and Paramount+ subscribers will be able to stream the movie in the comfort of their own home sometime later this year. Look through the 2022 release schedule to learn what movies are arriving in the coming months. 

With Top Gun: Maverick currently taking over the box office in such a dominating way that isn’t fully surprising anyone — even if Tom Cruise’s titular character is used to only topping out at second place — many moviegoers across the country have spent a little time reconnecting with Tony Scott’s beloved original and all of its ‘80s glory. Having not watched Top Gun in its entirety in the past 15-20 years or so, I popped my nickname-emblazoned helmet on and jumped right into that Navy-sponsored bandwagon with gusto. (The 1986 classic available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.) And, I was happy to find out the high-flying drama was nearly as enjoyable today as it was when I’d previously watched, which may or may not have involved the use of a VCR.

Of course, because I’m around two decades older than I was the last time I watched, and maybe five years more mature, my thoughts on Top Gun passed through a slightly different filter, even though some of those musings were likely similar to ones I’d had years ago. Without further ado, let’s embark down this reflection-filled highway to the danger zone…well, maybe not all the way into the danger zone, but somewhere on the outskirts. 

Val Kilmer’s Iceman Is Top Gun’s True Protagonist 

In a military-geared movie like Top Gun, the true enemy is always going to be “another country’s soldiers,” but Val Kilmer’s Iceman is supposed to be seen as the central antagonist. On the one hand, it’s understandable, because Kilmer’s Tom Kazansky is so smugly confident, with a toothy smile whose core purpose is to gnaw through Mav's thin skin. 

But, that’s really about as far as his villainous behavior goes, because otherwise, Iceman essentially just dishes out good advice and repeatedly calls Maverick out for being a danger to himself and his fellow pilots. Plus, Iceman stayed on top of the rankings throughout the process, and in the film’s climactic sequence, he was out-maneuvering five different enemy planes at once ahead of Maverick “saving” him. Kilmer’s pilot got robbed as hard as any wrongly presented movie character ever has. Thankfully, the sequel gives Iceman his due in a certain sense, but I'm still going to start a #ReleaseTheIcemanCut campaign.

I'd Never Make It Into Top Gun If I Had A Zillion Years Of Practice 

Considering I’m sitting here writing this article as opposed to breaking sound barriers in taxpayer-funded aircraft, it’s probably obvious that I’m not wearing a patch-covered jacket indicative of a decorated Naval pilot, due to not being a decorated pilot in any capacity. 

And, even though I know the real-life duties and responsibilities required dwarf the entirety of what we see happening in Top Gun — even if Tom Cruise is all about learning the craft himself — the movie’s events alone were enough to confirm that my handwriting probably isn’t even good enough to make it through that program. Give me a Top Gun video game, though, and…well, it would take a long time, but I could probably do okay with it, if it’s not THAT hard. 

Characters Sweat At Troubling Levels All Too Often 

Even during some of its peak machismo moments, Top Gun is a fairly stressful movie that puts a lot of its characters through dire and sometimes life-threatening circumstances. I have to think the creative team felt that the best way to show off that distress without verbalizing it was to make it appear as if everyone just escaped an angry thunderstorm. 

James Tolkan as Commander Stinger in particular deserves some sort of ever-glistening award for his efforts. It’s 100% most apparent during scenes within the aircraft carrier, where all visible skin implied an epidemic of dehydration was imminent. One early sign of swampy and un-towel-able things to come was John Stockwell’s Cougar, both in the cockpit and when he was turning in his wings (as seen above). I know it’s not all real perspiration, mind you, but specifically within the fictional narrative, it’s pretty fucking weird for people everywhere to just sweat buckets out of their necks without wiping anything off, but then nobody’s suffering from their neck being all chafed from wet collars.

Maverick’s Bar Serenade Remains Charming, Despite All Logic 

Looking past the dubiousness of an entire bar singing at a woman in the hope of one of them getting booty, and not thinking about how many other times Mav and Goose pulled that move in other (probably far less savory) locations, Top Gun’s use of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” still rocks. For most of my life, that song has instantly brought Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards to mind, with the group’s too-quick rendition just adding to the charm. I still think Kelly McGillis’ Charlie should have been around 70% less into it from the jump, but maybe it’s just because I haven’t had an entire bar singing directly at me out of nowhere.  

“Take My Breath Away” Is Both The Best And Worst Song Cue 

While we’re on the subject of music, Top Gun also turned Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” into a chart-topper, as it was rather iconically used during the film’s “sex” scene, which was really the “open-mouth tongue-tapping” scene. Can’t dispute how well-done that was, so good going, everyone. Bu-u-u-ut, that signature synth bassline quickly became a parody of itself every time it crept up elsewhere. By the end, it tapped into the same synonymous vibe as the “boww-chicka-bowwow” guitar lick of ‘70s porn. But I still kinda loved it every time? Plus, to say nothing of Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” serving as Top Gun: Maverick’s romantic hook, I did miss the synth during Tom Cruise’s scenes with Jennifer Connelly’s Penny. 

Maverick Can Be A Real Turd 

I won’t directly echo the above thought that Iceman is a better Top Gun hero than Maverick, but I will expound upon the idea that Maverick is a total shithead sometimes. In watching the movie with my eleven-year-old daughter, I found myself wanting to tell her “You realize that Charlie is making the wrong choices here by playing into this ego-driven dude’s childish bullshit, right?” 

The number of times characters say “Goddammit!” because of Maverick’s actions would be more genuinely endearing in a movie whose protagonist was a winner amongst adversaries, instead of a narcissist amongst qualified professionals trying to thwart him from destroying expensive planes and people’s lives. Tom Cruise’s smile goes a long way, though.

Goose’s Peer Pressure Skills Ultimately Killed Him As Much As Anything 

Over the years, I’d truly forgotten how much of a backseat influence Goose had on Maverick before his tragic death, and viewed him as more of a kindhearted innocent. I’m not victim-blaming here, but goddamn, Goose was absolutely guilty of goading Maverick and stoking his ego during their scenes together. Even the moments where Goose questioned his BFF quickly morphed into “Git ‘em, Mav!” rally cries, including his final flight. Had they not been feeding off of each other’s ramped-up intentions to show Iceman up, things wouldn’t have gone so fatally awry. Goose could have probably done more good than harm by talking sense into Maverick every so often, but nobody likes to talk about that, because Goose fucking rocks.

I Wish Tom Skerritt Characters Were My Dad 

No matter who Tom Skerritt plays, from small town sheriff to Congressman to Naval Commander, that character will be known as a rule-enforcer first and foremost, but one with compassion to spare at the end of the day. And no disrespect to my own father — R.I.P. — but I feel like he’d agree that a Tom Skerritt character could probably do as well, if not better, than he did. Even when the actor is playing a truly ruthless character, I’m still projecting empathy onto him, so it still counts. 

Every Bit Of Mourning In Goose’s Name Is Justified 

For all the bazillions of cinematic deaths that have taken place in the past century, rare is it for characters to be given the time to formally grieve, at least in movies that aren’t specifically known for being grief-heavy dramas. But, Top Gun thankfully does right by its co-lead, and it’s legitimately surprising how much screen time (relatively speaking) is devoted to Maverick being bummed out that Goose is gone while dealing with the aftermath. 

Obviously, the Goose of it all is at the heart of the sequel, with Miles Teller playing his son, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, which only bolsters the attention paid to mourning his death in the original film. You know what the best thing about Top Gun is? If you stop watching it halfway through, Goose never dies. 

Now that the original film has been completely recontextualized, or something slightly less dramatic sounding, everyone can feel free to go and witness the majesty of Top Gun: Maverick in theaters everywhere in just about every kind of format imaginable, and you cannot go wrong with a D-Box ticket in this case.

Top Gun: Maverick is finally here and proves not only that there is no Top Gun without Tom Cruise’s beloved leading man. But it also solidifies the fact that he's not the only original cast member that needed to come back to the big screen over 35 years later to do the flick justice. Val Kilmer’s Iceman returns, and the 62-year-old actor, who has been recovering from his battle with throat cancer, was heavily involved in how his iconic character returned, too. This fact came directly from director Joseph Kosinski, who revealed the major contribution Kilmer made before filming even commenced.

During the ReelBlend podcast’s interview with Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, the hosts asked how Val Kilmer became involved in the long-awaited sequel. In Kosinski’s words to the CinemaBlend show: 

Maverick and Iceman were memorably rivals in 1986’s Top Gun but, after the core events of the film, the two Navy pilots decide to put aside their differences. And in the film's closing moments, Ice delivers the line “you can be my wingman anytime.” As previously reported, Tom Cruise “rallied hard” for the actor to be in the sequel and, per the director’s words, Kilmer also was involved in creating the beautiful Iceman scene in Maverick. Joseph Kosinski also said this: 

The original Top Gun was Val Kilmer’s third film, and the actor has since admitted that he thought the movie was “silly” and only took the project because he was under contract with Paramount Pictures. Years later, ahead of the sequel being made, Kilmer actually campaigned for a role in the follow-up.

The actor has had a reputation for being difficult to work with, and he and Tom Cruise reportedly had actual tension on the set of the original movie. This was due to the Iceman actor’s decision to practically go method on set and “purposefully play up the rivalry.” However, that was not characteristic of their actual off-camera relationship, per his documentary, Val. 

In late 2017, Val Kilmer revealed that he had undergone a two-year battle with throat cancer, which included chemotherapy and two two tracheostomies. As a result of the surgeries, he uses an electric voice box in his trachea in order to talk and requires a feeding tube to eat. 

Scientists actually helped recreate Val Kilmer's voice for the sequel with cutting edge A.I. technology, per Fortune. There were a lot of factors working against Kilmer returning to for the movie, which was filmed between 2018 and 2019, but it’s great to see the actor within Maverick’s stacked cast, and to hear that he helped contribute to the flick in such an important way.

The Tom Cruise-led sequel, one of 2022's biggest new movie releases, is now playing in theaters. Be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Top Gun: Maverick cast if you're still feeling the need for speed for the sequel. 

You may remember the character of United States Naval Aviator “Iceman” from Top Gun who was a rival to Tom Cruise’s “Maverick." While its sequel Top Gun: Maverick has the return of Tom Cruise, a Top Gun movie would be nothing without “Iceman.” After begging for a role in Top Gun: Maverick, Val Kilmer's wish came true. To show us how proud he is about his return in the memorable role, Val Kilmer shared an OG throwback of himself from the previous film. His daughter also talked about how she felt seeing her father film the sequel.

It’s hard to imagine Top Gun without Val Kilmer. Can you believe that he originally hated the idea of the original movie? Luckily, Kilmer had no regrets as he found the whole experience of making Top Gun "enjoyable." To further prove how proud he was of his experience with Top Gun, he share on Twitter a throwback photo of himself and the rest of the cast from the original Top Gun movie. The Batman Forever star also mentioned in his caption that actual Navy Air Force Top Gun Advisors are also featured in the photo! Talk about an honor.

Val Kilmer coming back in a brief appearance as “Iceman” in Top Gun: Maverick has not only been a joy for director Joe Kosinski, but for the actor's kids as well. While Val Kilmer’s son, Jack, was starstruck by Tom Cruise when he visited the Top Gun: Maverick set, his daughter, Mercedes, was more starstruck by her own father. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mercedes told The New York Post about the experience she had watching her dad on set reprising his iconic role.    

It’s amazing to know that Val Kilmer will be making a return considering the health challenges he’s had to go through. Mercedes spoke to THR last year about her father losing the ability to speak because of the radiation and chemotherapy treatments he had to go through for throat cancer. Thankfully, Val Kilmer got his voice back, in a sense, by having his voice reconstructed through AI technology using archival footage. It sounds so much like his signature deep voice that you would never know it's through the workings of a machine! Val Kilmer is now cancer-free with his loving family always by his side.

Turns out that we actually have Tom Cruise to thank for rallying to get Val Kilmer back for the sequel. Just like he rallied hard for Kilmer to be in the previous Top Gun film, according to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Cruise said for Top Gun: Maverick, “I’m not making this movie unless Val’s in it.” Bringing legacy characters back is a great way not only to draw fans of the original but for a new generation of fans to learn about the infamous pilot rivalry and see the chemistry between the two leads years later. I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of filming Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise said back to Kilmer, “You can be my wingman anytime.”

Be sure to check out Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in the new movie release Top Gun: Maverick in theaters on May 27th.   

Top Gun: Maverick has carried a bunch of questions on its back since first being announced. One of the most important, and most powerful, was whether or not the sequel to one of Val Kilmer’s best movies would see him reprise the role of Iceman. We’ve known for some time that yes, Tom Kazansky will be back. However, what we didn’t know was the sweet story of how hard Tom Cruise rallied behind his return. 

Cruise himself laid it out during the world premiere for Top Gun: Maverick in San Diego. As he spoke with ET at the event, the man himself folded some information from the past to bolster his case for including Kilmer in this next chapter. Just as he had Val’s back in 1986, Tom Cruise had his back in the present day for the following reasons: 

Inverting from enemies at the academy to brothers forged in battle, Captain Pete Mitchell and now Vice Admiral Tom Kasansky had quite the history in Top Gun. The same could be said for the actor’s themselves, especially when Val Kilmer initially hated the idea of the film's plot. After being convinced to enlist alongside Anthony Edwards, Tim Robbins, and other fresh faced aviators in the cast, Kilmer found himself ready to jump back in when it finally came time to make the sequel.

Another party who totally understood Tom Cruise’s fight to get Kilmer back for Top Gun: Maverick was producing legend Jerry Bruckheimer. A vital player in the Top Gun ecosystem, Bruckheimer has previously noted Cruise’s adamance when it came to this matter. Most recently, that story was told again during a luncheon that CinemaBlend had attended at 2022’s CinemaCon, with Jerry Bruckheimer further confirming his lead actor's dedication as follows:

That dedication, for better or worse, is part of what Tom Cruise brings to the table. It can fire musical artists to pave the way for Lady Gaga and her barnstorming vocals, and it can also bring old friends back for another ride. That being said, I’m even more afraid we’ll be seeing Val Kilmer’s Iceman laid to rest, as the remarks above specifically limit his appearance to “one scene.” 

Having Val Kilmer back as Iceman has been long touted as a huge moment for this Tom Cruise sequel, and that's part of why his presence was fought for to begin with. There’s very few reasons Maverick would shed like the ones we saw in the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. Losing his wingman definitely counts as one of them, and those tears won't only be on the screen if this happens to be true.

It won’t be long until the truth is revealed, as May 27th is the day of speed for Top Gun: Maverick to head into the danger zone of theaters all over. In the meantime, the upcoming movies of 2022 are waiting for anyone who’ll check them out. Don’t worry about that list going anywhere, because these titles will be your wingman any time. However, if you’re a Netflix subscriber, you have until the end of May to revisit Top Gun, before it loses its spot in the pattern. 

When critics had the chance to screen Top Gun: Maverick at CinemaCon last month, the first reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Tom Cruise knows his way around an action movie, and the sequel to his 1986 classic also seemed to provide plenty of heart to go along with the insane flight sequences. Now critics' full reviews are in, and sure enough, they seem hyped about the wild ride this movie takes its audience on.

Tom Cruise returns for this sequel more than three decades later as test pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who has dodged advancement over the years, and now finds himself in charge of training a new group of recent Top Gun graduates for a special mission. Among this new group is Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late friend Goose. Val Kilmer has also reprised his role from the original movie, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, who is the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. 

Let’s see what the critics are saying about this long-awaited blockbuster, starting with our CinemaBlend review of Top Gun: Maverick. Our own Eric Eisenberg gave the movie 4 stars out of 5, saying this film will take your breath away. He says the story is more compelling and exciting than its predecessor's, and while audiences will feel like they're on a ride for the whole movie, the third act brings cinematic fireworks:

Peter Debruge of Variety calls the film a barrier-breaking sequel, saying the leading man deserves an Oscar for pulling off what the role requires of him. The flight scenes will have audiences feeling like they're right there in the cockpit:

More than one critic has said this is a movie that audiences need right now, and Pete Hammond of Deadline says Top Gun: Maverick soars on a different level than the 1986 classic, not just for its special effects, but for its message that we all need a wingman:

The movie is undoubtedly formulaic, David Rooney of THR says, but there’s no denying that it delivers in terms of both nostalgia and reinvention. He and a number of other critics implore audiences to see Top Gun: Maverick on the biggest screen possible:

Mike Ryan of Uproxx raves about Top Gun: Maverick, saying it's now among his favorite movies of all time. He says the simple plot helps it avoid the pitfalls of other blockbusters, which include too many characters and too many stories. This movie is about the mission, and the action:

It sounds like Top Gun: Maverick had this group feeling the need for speed, so if you’d like to start your summer off with a sonic boom, you can catch this Tom Cruise-led blockbuster in theaters on Friday, May 27. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to start planning your next movie night.

Fans of the original Top Gun have been waiting for decades for a sequel and while it has taken even longer than expected due to numerous release delays, Top Gun: Maverick is almost here, and the film will see the return of not only Tom Cruise’s title character, but others from the original film, including Val Kilmer’s Iceman. And the director of the sequel is hyping reuniting Maverick and Iceman, saying shooting the scene was one of his favorite parts of making the new movie. 

We’ve known from early on that Val Kilmer’s character from the original Top Gun would be making a return in the new movie, but beyond the fact that it was happening, we didn’t know much of anything. Director Joe Kosinski recently spoke with Total Film (via GamesRadar) about the return and while he doesn’t give away much context to the scene that was shot, he does confirm that there is at least one scene with Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer together and he says shooting that was a special moment. Kosinski says…

We learned a few details about Iceman’s return along with the release of the final trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. We see a photo of the man, and learn that he’s become an Admiral, and Iceman is the one who has requested that Tom Cruise Maverick be brought in to teach at the Top Gun school. The good news is that the reference doesn’t end there. There is a scene between the two characters. When it will happen or how it all fits in the story we don’t know, but that’s perhaps less important.

While seeing Maverick and Iceman together again was likely something most Top Gun fans really wanted to see, and that Tom Cruise himself really wanted to see, there were more than a few questions about just how possible it would be. Val Kilmer has been dealing with throat cancer which has made his acting jobs fewer and farther between in recent years. The possibility that he just wouldn’t be able to return was certainly out there. Luckily he was able to make it work.

The actor recently under went a tracheotomy as part of throat cancer treatment, but Kilmer has been able to get his voice back thanks to AI technology. Whatever we see in Top Gun: Maverick fans are going to be thrilled to see these actors share the screen again.

The 1980s gave birth to some of the most iconic movies of all time and turned dozens of actors into international superstars and box office heavyweights. Names like Michael J. Fox, Holly Hunter, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Whoopi Goldberg are just a handful of great ‘80s actors who made an impact on movies, and pop culture in general, in one way or another. 

But with time, some of use have forgotten what the heroes and villains of those beloved ‘80s movies and TV shows have been up to in the decades since they made their mark on the world. Well, not any longer, as we have put together a rather comprehensive list of those familiar faces and what they’ve been up to all these years. 

Whoopi Goldberg

Throughout the 1980s, Whoopi Goldberg proved time and time again that she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood, receiving multiple accolades and awards for movies like The Color Purple and Jumping Jack Flash. Even though she is not in as many high-profile movies as she was in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Goldberg has remained a major player in show business as one of the hosts of the long-running daytime talk show The View, with a major role in the 2021 adaptation of The Stand, and in the Amazon original series Harlem. 

Elisabeth Shue

The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting, and Back to the Future Part II, are just a few iconic ‘80s movies Elisabeth Shue appeared in throughout the early stages of her career. The Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee (1995’s Leaving Las Vegas) is still doing what she does best all these years later, with a collection of movies and TV shows including Greyhound, The Boys, and most recently, Cobra Kai, in which she reprised her beloved character, Ali Mills. 

Judd Nelson

Judd Nelson, the Brat Pack member who made a name for himself with his portrayal of bad boy with a heart of gold John Bender in The Breakfast Club, has remained just as busy in the decades since he became an undeniable heartthrob. More recently, Nelson has provided voice work for animated series like Transformers: Power of the Primes and Ben 10: Omniverse, and appeared in movies like Dead Water and Girl in the Basement. He is set to appear in the upcoming remake of The Most Dangerous Game, per Deadline.

Michael J. Fox

There are few actors who can match the talent, charm, and likability of Michael J. Fox, and with movies like Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, and The Secret of My Success, it’s hard to deny that. Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998, Fox remained busy in film and television throughout the first two decades of the 21st Century with appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Scrubs, and his own sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show. However, Fox stepped away from acting in November 2020 due to ongoing health issues, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Molly Ringwald

Between 1984 and 1986, Molly Ringwald appeared in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, all of which are arguably some of the best ‘80s movies. Ringwald’s success continued through the ’90s, into the 2000s, and even today with roles in romantic comedies like The Kissing Booth franchise, Creepshow, and Riverdale, on which she portrays Mary Andrews. 

Chevy Chase

In the 1980s, Chevy Chase went from Saturday Night Live stand-out to one of the biggest box office draws with Caddy Shack, Fletch, and the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise, to name only a few. All these years later, Chase remains a major star in the world of comedy with shows like Community and a list of movies that includes The Last Laugh, The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, and Panda vs. Aliens.

Anthony Michael Hall

Michael Anthony Hall appeared in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s, including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science, those final two coming out just months apart. Hall is just as busy these days with appearances in movies like the 2021 horror flick Halloween Kills and a list of TV shows that includes Riverdale, The Blacklist, and The Goldbergs.

Holly Hunter

Throughout the 1980s, Holly Hunter found success with a variety of roles, including standout performances in Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, and End of the Line, all of which came out in 1987. Over the years, Hunter has continued to bring characters to life in movies like The Big Sick, The Incredibles franchise, and multiple TV shows like The Comey Rule, Mr. Mayor, and Succession, to name only a few. 

Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez had only appeared in two of his father’s movies — Badlands and Apocalypse Now — by the time the 1980s kicked off, but he would be a major Hollywood force by the time the decade wrapped up, thanks to roles in The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Young Guns. Estevez has spent much of the past decade-and-a-half writing and directing various film and television projects, but he did return to the small screen in 2021 to reprise his role of Gordon Bombay in the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe became one of the biggest heartthrobs of the 1980s thanks to appearances in The Outsiders, St. Elmo’s Fire, and several other iconic movies. In the years since then, Lowe has found tremendous success on television, including shows like The West Wing, Parks and Recreation, and most recently, 9-1-1: Lone Star, a series he has led since its inception in 2020.

Val Kilmer

In the 1980s, Val Kilmer played an assortment of roles in movies like Top Secret!, Real Genius, Top Gun, and Willow, carving a place out for himself in the annals of Hollywood greats. That success would follow Kilmer throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, but the talented actor would face a major challenge later on when he was diagnosed with throat cancer, a battle that would end with him losing the ability to speak. Despite that, he released the heartfelt and enlightening documentary, Val, in 2021.

Ralph Macchio

Whether he was making us cry in The Outsiders or leaving us on the edges of our seats in The Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio gave it his all in the 1980s, turning out a number of box office hits. Since 2018, Macchio has once again been playing Daniel LaRusso, though instead of on the big screen, Cobra Kai is leg sweeping the competition on Netflix.

Winona Ryder

In the final two years of the 1980s, Winona Ryder made a name for herself with stellar performances in Beetlejuice, Heathers, and Great Balls of Fire!, and she has really not stopped since. Since 2016, Ryder has been one of the biggest stars of the Netflix series Stranger Things, which is slated to return for a fourth season at some point in 2022.

Ally Sheedy

The fifth and final member of The Breakfast Club cast to be featured on this list, Ally Sheedy was a massive star in the 1980s with movies like WarGames, St. Elmo’s Fire, Short Circuit, and several others. Sheedy’s most recent film appearance came in 2016 with a cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Matt Dillon

In the 1980s, Matt Dillon starred in movies like The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, Drugstore Cowboy, and nearly a dozen others, cementing his place as one of the most prolific actors of the decade. Dillon hasn’t really slowed down all that much since then, with his most recent projects including titles like Land of Dreams, Capone, and Wes Anderson's mysterious upcoming movie, Asteroid City.

Jennifer Grey

Jennifer Grey will always be remembered as Frances “Baby” Houseman in Dirty Dancing, a role that capped off an impressive run that also included Red Dawn and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. More recently, though, Grey has been in movies like Untogether and Bittersweet Symphony as well as several TV shows including Dancing with the Stars (which she won), The Conners, and a three-episode arc on Grey’s Anatomy.

Jennifer Beals

Jennifer Beals became an international sensation upon the release of Flashdance in 1983, and she hasn’t really slowed down since then. Over the course of the past few decades, Beals has made appearances in successful movies and TV shows, including Swamp Thing, The L Word: Generation Q, and the Star Wars upcoming series The Book of Boba Fett for Disney+.

Lea Thompson

All the Right Moves, Red Dawn, Back to the Future, Howard the Duck, and Back to the Future Part II are just some of the movies that featured Lea Thompson in the 1980s, a decade that would kick off one hell of a career. Thompson has remained busy over the years and has even directed her fair share of projects. This list includes everything from The Goldbergs to Stargirl, and Mom to Young Sheldon, with multiple others in-between.

Eric Stoltz

Even though he was recast in Back to the Future, Eric Stoltz had and impressive run in the 1980s with Mask, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Say Anything…, to name only a few. That run of successes continued as the years went by and eventually turned into work for Stoltz behind the scenes, including directing credits on shows like Law and Order, Glee, and Madame Secretary, and movies like Class Rank and Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk.

Lou Diamond Phillips

Lou Diamond Phillips will probably always be remembered for his performances in La Bamba and Stand and Deliver, and rightfully so, but the talented actor has made several other contributions over the years. Recently, Phillips has landed roles on Longmire, Blue Bloods, Fear the Walking Dead, Prodigal Son, and multiple other projects in film and television.

Mary Stuart Masterson

Mary Stuart Masterson, who would go on to lead movies like Fried Green Tomatoes and Benny and Joon in the 1990s, found success in the 1980s in Some Kind of Wonderful, Chances Are, and Immediate Family, to name only a few. Following a 13-year absence from the big screen, Masterson returned in 2017 with As You Were, which she followed up with Skin and Daniel Isn’t Real. More recently, Masterson had a main role on the ABC legal drama, For Life.

Kevin Kline

The 1980s were good to Kevin Kline, who appeared in The Big Chill, Silverado, Cry Freedom, and A Fish Called Wanda (a role that earned him an Academy Award), though the good times never really stopped for the versatile actor. In 2021 alone, Kline appeared in Here Today, The Starling, The Good House, and continued to provide the voice of Mr. Calvin Fischoeder on the hit animated series Bob’s Burgers. Still no word on a Dave sequel, though.

Sean Astin

Sean Astin made his film debut in The Goonies in 1985, and his career has been one of the most consistent in Hollywood ever since. The past 35-plus years have seen him show up in Rudy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and countless other successful movies. His television career is just as impressive, with everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Stranger Things, and Supergirl to Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

Adrienne Barbeau

Adrienne Barbeau kicked off the 1980s with appearances in three of the best John Carpenter movies — The Fog, Escape from New York, and The Thing (she was the voice of the computer and only woman in the cast) — as well as other classics like Creepshow and The Cannonball Run. In recent years, Barbeau has appeared in TV adaptations of Swamp Thing and Creepshow, as well as American Horror Stories and Cowboy Bebop.

Jerry O'Connell

Jerry O’Connell gave an unforgettable performance as Vernon “Vern” Tessio in Rob Reiner’s Stephen King adaptation Stand By Me in 1986, one that people still talk about 35 years after the fact. O’Connell has remained quite busy over the years, with multiple animated films that have seen him voice Superman. On top of that, he has been featured on The Big Bang Theory, Carter, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and even his own daytime talk show, Jerry O’.

Corey Feldman

In the 1980s, Corey Feldman became one of the most dependable young actors, with movies like Gremlins, The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, and The ‘Burbs. Over the years, Feldman has appeared in countless movies, TV shows, and documentaries, with his most recent appearance being in the 2021 slasher 13 Fanboy, in which he plays a version of himself. He has also written a series of albums, including the 2021 release, Love Returns.

Patrick Dempsey

The 1987 release of Can’t Buy Me Love instantly made Patrick Dempsey a household name, and he hasn’t let go of his place in pop culture since. Whether it’s with Grey’s Anatomy or Enchanted (which has a sequel, Disenchanted, on the way), Dempsey has remained a dreamy leading man on the big screen and small screen alike, and it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Steve Guttenberg

Between the Police Academy movies, Cocoon, and Short Circuit, it’s safe to say that Steve Guttenberg had a nice run in the 1980s, and lucky for him (and us), the hits never really stopped coming. In recent years, “The Gut” has balanced between comedy series like The Goldbergs and legal dramas like Roe v. Wade, with all kinds of other work to boot, including a 2020 appearance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Zach Gilligan

Zach Gilligan’s run in Hollywood started with a little 1984 movie called Gremlins, which he followed up with Nothing Lasts Forever and Waxwork to close out the decade. Since then, Gilligan has appeared in countless film and TV roles, and even appeared as his Gremlins character (alongside Gizmo) in the Mountain Dew Super Bowl commercial.

Michael Winslow

Michael Winslow, also known as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects, had an insane record in the 1980s, appearing in Spaceballs, Police Academy, Gremlins, and multiple other timeless classics. Winslow has continued to share his talents with the world in the decades since breaking out as one of the most talented beat-boxers around. In 2021, he even appeared on America’s Got Talent.

This may appear to be an exhaustive list of iconic '80s actors, but this is barely scratching the surface. Who knows, maybe we'll make another list of all the stars we forgot, or perhaps touch on those big names of the 1990s.

Val Kilmer’s return to the Top Gun franchise was somewhat of a miracle. Several years ago, the actor seemingly disappeared from the public eye as reports surfaced of his throat cancer diagnosis. This led many to call his acting career into question, including his participation in Top Gun: Maverick. Despite all that, Kilmer has managed to keep working while dealing with his health issues. With the Top Gun sequel months away, the Birthday Cake star decided to unleash an unexpected gift for his fans – the return of his voice. It was reconstructed through AI with amazing results viewers should hear.

That’s right! Moviegoers will once again hear Val Kilmer’s light and deep voice. Unfortunately, Kilmer’s throat cancer battle took away his ability to express himself vocally. Thankfully, he teamed up with AI company Sonantic to let fans hear his voice once more. In an online video, the Top Gun: Maverick star’s AI voice shared his journey after his cancer battle:

Val Kilmer’s words were both reassuring and saddening to his fans. Kilmer being more open about his cancer battle marked a change from his initial denials. Even as an AI voice, the Top Gun: Maverick star seemed more than ready to communicate with his devoted fans as if cancer never affected his voice. At least moviegoers can now “hear” the actor’s signature voice again. To hear Kilmer’s docile and clear tone come through once more, check out the game-changing collaboration below:

Hearing Val Kilmer’s voice once more will surely make a lot of fans emotional. His gentle and authoritative voice seemingly elicits memories of the original Top Gun, Tombstone and The Prince of Egypt. While AI can be robotic and cold at times, this special collaboration replicates the warm and husky tone of Kilmer’s voice, while simultaneously showing how masterful Sonantic is in its field. Hopefully, this is just a preview of what fans can expect from Kilmer and the AI company down the road.

While viewers wait to hear more from Val Kilmer’s AI voice, they can hear some of this work in the actor’s Hulu documentary Val. Thankfully, Kilmer has other projects coming down the pipeline. Fans can get to know him even more before he reprises his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick. After a year of delays, the Top Gun sequel will finally arrive in theaters on November 19.

Tom Cruise recently showed off 15 minutes of Top Gun: Maverick and, with that, the film's release is becoming that much more real. The new Top Gun will mix new players like Miles Teller and the veteran stars like Cruise and Val Kilmer. Fans are probably most excited to see Kilmer and Cruise mix it up again on screen and, as you might expect, making the reunion happen wasn't all that easy. But as it so happens, Cruise is a major reason why Kilmer was able to land his role in the long-awaited sequel.

Legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently spoke to People about Top Gun: Maverick and it what it was like to develop the upcoming film. But what was most interesting was his insight into how Tom Cruise pushed to have Val Kilmer in the movie. Bruckheimer explained:

Val Kilmer played Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the original film and started out as the rival to Tom Cruise’s Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, before eventually becoming his partner in the air or “wingman.” It will be interesting to see where both characters are in the sequel and if (or how) their relationship has changed. Even though it's unclear what's in store for the two characters, Jerry Bruckheimer said that seeing the two actors together on set was somewhat "emotional" for him. He continued:

Interestingly, Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise had a rivalry off screen, which developed because of Kilmer’s acting process and his intense method of truly diving into his character. Kilmer has previously discussed the origins of the feud and where he and Cruise currently stand. That aside though, it would seem the two actors enjoyed their time working together on Tony Scott's classic aviator film.

A Top Gun sequel has been discussed for years, but it seems it took a while to get things off the ground. Apparently, even Tom Cruise needed to be convinced to return to his iconic character. The actor has proven to be very meticulous about his projects, so things have to feel right for him to jump on board. Let's just be grateful that Maverick passed the test and that we'll get to see the actor take to the skies once again, for the first time in over 30 years.

Top Gun: Maverick has faced numerous delays due to the pandemic but is currently set to hit theaters on November 19. The movie looks insane, and the challenging nature of its production is evident by the authentic high-flying action, which should make for a thrilling big-screen experience. One can only imagine what lies ahead for Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and the rest of the new additions in the highly anticipated sequel, but it'll be exciting to find out.

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Val Kilmer has been a major player in Hollywood for nearly 40 years now, but it seems like the Juilliard-trained actor never really got to tell his story until the release of his Val documentary. One of the best movies on Amazon Prime, this personal journey through Kilmer's life, career, and battle with throat cancer is told through decades of personal footage that the actor captured at home, on the sets of some of his biggest movies, and other places around the world that are near and dear to his heart.

After finishing Val, you may be wondering about other documentaries to watch that capture some of the same energy or break down the barriers actors, singers, and other celebrities put around themselves. Below is a collection of some of the best documentaries that fit that mold, as well as where you can watch some of the movies featured in Val in case you’ve never seen them before or just want to go back for a rewatch…

Kid 90 (Hulu)

The 2021 Hulu documentary Kid 90 follows Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye as she examines thousands of hours of personally recorded video dating back to the late 1980s, though it spends the majority of its runtime detailing her post-sitcom life in the early 1990s, including being young and in love in New York City. By exploring her own troubled past, grief, and the meaning of life, Frye provides audiences with a stripped down and unfiltered glimpse into her chaotic journey.

Why it’s worth checking out: Just like Val Kilmer, Soleil Moon Frye has long been obsessive about capturing nearly every moment of her life on film and Kid 90 does a remarkable job of turning boxes and boxes of videotapes into a moving story of a young woman trying to discover who she is and what she wants to be.

Stream Kid 90 on Hulu.

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (HBO Max)

Released four years after the shocking August 2014 death of the comedy legend, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is a hilarious, heartbreaking, and intimate examination of the late icon and his journey from a fledgling standup comedian to one of the biggest figures in pop culture. Told mostly through his own words (which are played over rare or never-before-seen footage) paint a beautiful picture of this warm soul.

Why it’s worth checking out: Like Val, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is just as much of a time capsule as it is a moving documentary film and takes viewers through multiple periods in the comedian-turned-actor’s life and career, pulling back layer after layer to expose the beating heart behind the energetic and charismatic figure.

Stream Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind on HBO Max.

Rent Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind on Amazon.

I Am Heath Ledger (Hoopla)

The 2017 documentary I Am Heath Ledger takes footage the late actor compiled on his personal video camera throughout his life and career and paints a brilliant portrait of the artist whose fire was extinguished far too early. Supplemented with interviews of those who knew Ledger better than anyone else, this eye-opening exploration of the actor’s spirit.

Why it’s worth checking out: Much like Val, I Am Heath Ledger helps show a side of Academy Award-winning actor that goes beyond movie star and instead into the realm of endearing and expressive artist who lived his life full of passion, love, and a desire to never stop learning or caring.

Stream I Am Heath Ledger on Hoopla.

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Miss Americana (Netflix)

One of the best movies on Netflix, Miss Americana follows Taylor Swift as she completes her massive Reputation Stadium Tour and begins work on her Grammy-nominated album Lover, while also showing a more emotional and raw side of the pop star that has rarely been seen before. This emotional and transformative journey also sees Swift pull back her armor to expose her struggles and feelings on the world around her.

Why it’s worth checking out: There is something about documentaries like Miss Americana and Val that tell you more about a person in a couple of hours than you have known for years watching them on stage or on the screen. Both are highly intimate and shed a light on each artist that shows them as real people and more than just performers.

Stream Miss Americana on Netflix.

Amy (Showtime)

The 2015 documentary Amy details the unparalleled rise to fame experienced by British jazz-pop vocalist Amy Winehouse as well as how that the chaos of a life in public view can have an impact on someone. Released four years following her shocking death in July 2011, this personal exploration of Winehouse’s spirit and legacy is at times extremely uplifting while at others a sad cautionary tale.

Why it’s worth checking out: Hearing someone’s story being told through their own words is just one thing Amy and Val have in common. These two touching documentary films also show artists in crisis and how they try to not lose touch of who they are in the midst of superstardom.

Stream Amy on Showtime.

Rent/Buy Amy on Amazon.

Madonna: Truth Or Dare (Amazon Rental)

One of the most iconic music documentaries of all time Madonna: Truth or Dare follows the legendary pop star at the height of her fame: during the famous 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. With a combination of footage from on stage as well as behind the scenes, the documentary shows all the different sides of Madonna and how she made the most of her fame and power during one of the craziest periods of her life.

Why it’s worth checking out: When Madonna: Truth or Dare was released in 1991, it was loved by fans and revered by critics for the way it helped demythologize Madonna the superstar and show the caring, loving, and highly driven woman behind the persona. Thirty years later, Val doe something similar in showing a more vulnerable side of one of Hollywood’s leading men.

Rent/Buy Madonna: Truth or Dare on Amazon.

Real Genius (Amazon Rental)

One ‘80s movie that is due for a revisit at some point, Real Genius follows Pacific Tech freshman Mitch Taylor (Gabe Jarret) during his freshman year of college, but the real star is his senior roommate Chris Knight (Val Kilmer), a brilliant scientist who is a charming and funny as he is smart. While working on a laser project that is believed to be impossible, the unlikely pair become close friends.

Why it’s worth checking out: Touched on briefly in Val, this 1985 comedy sees a young and on-the-rise Val Kilmer, one that you want to go back and revisit after seeing where his head was at during this stage in his career.

Rent/Buy Real Genius on Amazon.

Top Gun (1986)

Tony Scott’s Top Gun may be an overly-macho love letter to the military-industrial complex, but there are plenty of reasons this 1986 summer blockbuster is still one of the most talked about, quoted, and beloved action movies of all time. Centering on the rivalry between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Iceman (Val Kilmer) this quintessential ‘80s movie sees the two hotshot pilots duke it out at the most prestigious fighter pilot school.

Why it’s worth checking out: A large chunk of Val is devoted to the making of Top Gun, and for good reason. This was the movie that took everyone involved, including Val Kilmer, to the next level. And after learning about how Kilmer added his own flash to the character of Iceman, you know want to revisit this classic.

Stream Top Gun on Starz.

Rent/Buy Top Gun on Amazon.

Willow (Amazon)

Directed by Ron Howard, the 1988 fantasy film Willow tells the story of an unlikely hero named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) as he is tasked with breaking free of the doldrums of everyday life to protect a young child from forces of evil. Though a seemingly impossible task, Willow’s journey is made all the more achievable thanks to the swordsman Madmartigan (Val Kilmer).

Why it’s worth checking out: In Val, it is revealed that Kilmer met his ex-wife Joanne Whalley on the set of Willow (a few years after he couldn’t get the nerve to talk to her in London), which starts the next chapter of his life. There is that reason as well as the fact that this fantasy story is one of the best of its kind.

Stream Willow on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Willow on Amazon.

The Doors (HBO Max)

Oliver Stone’s 1991 biographical drama The Doors tells the story of the seminal American rock band and its free-spirited frontman Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer). Not holding anything back in its portrayal of the late rock and roll singer, the film focuses on what made Morrison the legend fans love years after his death as well as part of his personality that drove away those who knew and loved him the most.

Why it’s worth checking out: In Val, it is shown just how much Val Kilmer (and his young family) sacrificed while he was preparing to take on the role of Jim Morrison, which pushed everyone to their limits and then some.

Stream The Doors on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy The Doors on Amazon.

Tombstone (Amazon)

Released in 1993, the western epic Tombstone tells the tale of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), his two brothers, and best friend, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), as the gang attempts to settle down and clean the boomtown of the ruthless Cowboy gang and its deplorable and lawless ways.

Why it’s worth checking out: There are few movies that get discussed in Val as much as Tombstone, and there’s a good reason for that: it’s one of Val Kilmer’s best movies. On top of that, it is also one that we associate Kilmer with the most today, a point that is proven with the Tombstone festival the actor attends near the end of the documentary.

Stream Tombstone on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Tombstone on Amazon.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau (Amazon Rental)

Based on H.G. Wells’ novel of the same name, the 1996 sci-fi horror movie The Island of Dr. Moreau follows United Nations negotiator Edward Douglas (David Thewlis) as he becomes stranded in a community of ghastly creations from the mind of mad scientist (Marlon Brando) that go beyond terrifying.

Why it’s worth checking out: Although panned by critics and avoided by audiences, The Island of Dr. Moreau did give Val Kilmer the opportunity to work with his hero: Marlon Brando. This is shown in great detail throughout Val, even if production on the movie was a literal nightmare.

Rent/Buy The Island of Dr. Moreau on Amazon.

And this is just the beginning of all the movies worth checking out after taking in Val. The documentary sheds so much light on Val Kilmer’s various projects over the years and really gives you a better understanding of the artist behind the man.

After kicking off the Batman film franchise with Tim Burton, Michael Keaton decided not to return for a third Batman movie because he didn’t care for the story. As such, the search for a new actor to don the cape and cowl began, and Val Kilmer, best known at the time for movies like Top Gun and Tombstone, was ultimately selected to play the DC Comics superhero in Batman Forever. Hilariously enough, the way in which Kilmer found out he’d scored the role sounds like it was ripped straight from a tale starring Bruce Wayne.

In Val, the documentary focused on Val Kilmer’s professional and personal life, the actor recalled how he learned he’d been selected to play Batman after leaving an unusual location in Africa. As Kilmer explained:

I can’t be the only one who’s imagining a version of Batman Begins where, instead of the big moment happening in what becomes the Batcave underneath Wayne Manor, Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is overcome by the swarm of bats and realizes he’s conquered his childhood fear while visiting an actual bat cave elsewhere in the world like Val Kilmer did… but I digress. Whether you see that moment as a “sign” like Val Kilmer did or mere coincidence, that officially began his journey as Batman. However, once Warner Bros cast Kilmer as the Caped Crusader for Batman Forever, the studio dropped Rene Russo from the role of Chase Meridian, reportedly because the executives felt she was too old to be paired with Kilmer, and Nicole Kidman took her place.

Directed by Joel Schumacher, Batman Forever’s cast also included Jim Carrey as Edward Nygma/The Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent/Two-Face and Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson/Robin, along with Michael Gough and Pat Hingle reprising Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner James Gordon, respectively. While Batman Forever wasn’t as critically well received as Batman and Batman Returns, it surpassed the latter movie’s commercial performance with a $336.6 million worldwide haul. Batman Forever has also been discussed more frequently over the last year after it confirmed that the darker “Schumacher Cut” exists, though Warner Bros hasn’t announced plans to release it.

Ultimately, Batman Forever would mark Val Kilmer’s only outing as eponymous protagonist. Along with being unable to return for another Batman movie due to scheduling conflicts with The Saint, Kilmer also grew bored with the role, realizing during the filming of Forever that it didn’t matter who was wearing the Batsuit. Furthermore, the actor said in the documentary Val that he found playing Batman to be an “isolating” experience, which also factored into his decision to leave the role behind. George Clooney was hired to take over as Bruce Wayne for 1997’s Batman & Robin.

Those you interested in learning more about Val Kilmer can stream Val on Amazon Prime Video. As for Batman, along with the Robert Pattinson-led The Batman coming out on March 4, 2022, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton will reprise their versions of the character in The Flash, which arrives November 4 of the same year.

Some movie rivalries were meant to go down in history, and the one at the heart of the ‘80s classic Top Gun was always going to be one of them. Val Kilmer’s Iceman and Tom Cruise’s Maverick are a classic pair of pilots pushing each other to the limits, and encouraging their egos to write checks their bodies can’t cash. Now, Val Kilmer is speaking out about what happened on set and how his relationship with Tom Cruise is years later.

In Amazon Prime Video’s documentary Val, Kilmer talks about the Top Gun experience to a fantastic degree. Through home videos he shot during the production, as well as his personal recollections narrated by his son Jack, the portrait of a fresh young cast engaging in an on-set rivalry is told with great fondness. And part of that came from Val Kilmer’s work developing Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, which according to his recounting of events, wasn’t that deeply drawn in the original script:

While some may have thought that the rivalry between Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise was as fiery as seen in their Top Gun back and forth, it was actually more of an acting exercise than anything. Rather than being an actual showdown between the soon to be superstars and their respective factions, Kilmer and Cruise were engaging in something that would take director Tony Scott’s blockbuster into the history books. And eventually, the two would reunite for the upcoming legacy-quel Top Gun: Maverick.

The legacy of Val Kilmer’s Top Gun performance is one that’s just as iconic as Tom Cruise’s, with both actors using the fire on and off the screen to make movie magic. Which only makes the fact that Kilmer initially didn’t want to take part in the film all the more interesting. If it wasn’t for Tony Scott’s vision luring the actor into jumping on board, we might have lost out on this duo and their eventual movie triumph in a franchise that is about to be revitalized.

History was made when Top Gun flew into theaters, and now it’s about to happen again with Top Gun: Maverick. Set to land at the movies on November 19th, we’ll get to learn more about how the years have treated Iceman and Maverick. So don’t forget to mark that date on your calendar, and be sure to check out Val, which is currently streaming on Prime Video.

It’s hard to think of a Top Gun without Tom Cruise’s Maverick and Val Kilmer’s Iceman making the late director Tony Scott’s ‘80s classic into the beloved hit that it is. Going from a rivalry that was both playful and contentious to a friendship forged in battle, the fact that Kilmer didn’t want to do the film at first makes the movie we got out of the deal all the more special. And you can thank Scott himself, as it was ultimately his touch that made Val Kilmer a believer.

During the segment of the Prime Video documentary Val, the Top Gun legend shares a lot of behind-the-scenes home videos, as well as quite a few interesting tidbits about his initial relationship with the movie. Initially, Val Kilmer was saddled with the role of the smart ass Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, competition to Tom Cruise’s equally iconic Lt. Pete Mitchell, thanks to his role in Paramount’s Top Secret. But as discussed in his own words, narrated by his son Jack, Val explained how his feelings on that film changed as follows:

It really is unavoidable how much Top Gun, love it or hate it, was an effective recruitment tool for the Navy back in the day. That fact is even part of how director Joseph Kosinski’s legacyquel, Top Gun: Maverick, gained unprecedented access to make the long awaited sequel with as much realism as it did. But it also cannot be denied that through Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise, and the rest of the film’s swaggering aviators, ushered in a new era of cool thanks to Tony Scott's slick vision of the Danger Zone.

Even under the familiar sting of contractual obligations, Val Kilmer tried to lose the role of Top Gun by purposefully bombing his audition. As he described in his memoir, I’ll Be Your Huckleberry, everything from his wardrobe choices to his line delivery was meant to push Tony Scott away from casting him. But for his sake, and that of movie history, Scott didn’t take the bait, and Kilmer was cast in the role that would help make him famous.

The rest was absolutely badass history, with Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise using the rivalry of their characters to keep the action going behind the scenes, while also becoming very good friends. And ultimately, the legacy of Top Gun eventually led Kilmer to pull the strongest of 180s, as by his own admission, he found himself begging for a role in Top Gun: Maverick. Coming full circle, the character will be returning in this November’s sequel, and as a four-star admiral, no less.

Sometimes, the opportunity we think is a total mismatch turns into the opportunity of a lifetime. Through Tony Scott's instincts, Val Kilmer’s “contractual obligation” turned into a classic that follows him to this day, as pilots still love to use his call sign whenever they see him at the airport. The continuing adventures of Iceman and Maverick will be headed to theaters on November 19, 2021, as Top Gun: Maverick takes to the skies. In the meantime, you can currently watch Val, which is streaming through Amazon’s Prime Video.

Landing a role like Batman is both a blessing and a curse. In some cases, the role can open doors and land legendary legacies for actors like Michael Keaton and Christian Bale. But in other cases, like George Clooney and Val Kilmer, those memories are a bit more complicated, and not nearly as fond. Recently, Kilmer himself revealed that after his experience in Batman Forever, he found the role of Batman to be isolating-- both physically and spiritually.

In the recent documentary on his life and career, Prime Video’s Val, the actor reflects on his life and career with extreme candor. Through both instances of his own voice, and his son Jack’s narration of his stories, everything from Val Kilmer’s Top Gun days to the present day is shown. And when it came to his role in Batman Forever, his iconic costume ended up being more isolating than anything else:

The first of Joel Schumacher’s two Batman films, 1995’s Batman Forever was the next step in the Warner Bros. juggernaut started with 1989’s Batman. Much like the James Bond franchise, Val Kilmer was selected as the next face in an iconic, big ticket franchise that was shaping up to potentially live up to the third film’s name. By the time the film was released, critics panned it, and audiences had their own notes-- but Batman Forever was a box office smash. And if acting in the suit wasn't such a chore, we might have gotten another Val Kilmer Batman movie.

Val Kilmer was absolutely approached to star in what would eventually become Batman and Robin, as the actor also discloses in Val. However, he would reject the part outright because of two important factors. Contractually, Kilmer was already committed to play the lead in The Saint, so he wouldn't have been able to meet the quick turnaround Warner Bros. was looking for. But even if he didn’t have that part on his docket, it doesn’t sound like he’d have wanted to play the role anyway. All falling down to the suit, Val Kilmer further explained his isolation thusly:

History does show that Jim Carrey kind of stole Batman Forever from the rest of the cast, much to the consternation of Tommy Lee Jones himself. Sadly, it sounds like what was an exciting prospect for Val Kilmer turned out to be a footnote that he just wasn’t keen on repeating. As he began his Batman Forever story, Val Kilmer admits the fact that “every boy dreams of being Batman”. But, as he closes the story with his departure from the role, he swiftly amends that truth with the statement that not every boy would want to play the character in a movie.

You can learn more about the career of Val Kilmer in Prime Video’s Val, which is available for streaming now. And if you’re a big Batman fan, you’ll have to wait until 2022 to see Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton return to the cape and cowl themselves, in The Flash, on November 4. Which makes it the perfect time to get yourself acquainted with the 2022 release schedule, to check out the rest of the competition.

Growing up as the kids of celebrities has to be a little weird. You just think of them as mom or dad, and then, eventually, you discover that a lot of people know who your famous parent is. And you also presumably discover that's not the case for every other kid in school. At some point one probably get used to having a celebrity parent. But that doesn't mean that you don't get excited when you meet other celebrities. Such was the case for the children of Val Kilmer when they recently met their dad's Top Gun co-star, Tom Cruise, on the set of the sequel.

Top Gun: Maverick will see the return of Tom Cruise in the sequel to the aviator film that made him a household name. However, while most of the cast of characters surrounding Cruise will be new, he will also be joined by some old friends. It's been confirmed that Val Kilmer will appear in the film in some sort of cameo, and in a recent interview about their dad with Yahoo!, son Jack Kilmer spoke about the experience of being on the set and meeting Tom Cruise. It sounds like an utterly amazing experience. According to Jack Kilmer...

At the end of the day, Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise. And if the man comes over and hugs you, I can imagine you'd freak out a little bit. Especially since it sounds like he gave Jack Kilmer a hug like they were old friends when the two had never met. Surreal is the only word for that. Val Kilmer's son may have expected to see Tom Cruise and maybe shake his hand, but he probably wasn't expecting that kind of welcome.

Although, it sounds like Val Kilmer's kids may have simply felt like part of the family. The new documentary film about Val Kilmer's career, Val, shows some behind-the-scenes footage from the original Top Gun and all the fun that the cast had making that movie. And as Jack Kilmer says here, they all fell into old habits quite easily on the set of the sequel.

Exactly how Val Kilmer's Iceman will be part of Top Gun: Maverick is still a mystery. Due to the actor's ongoing battle with throat cancer, the cameo will likely be a simple one and may not even include any spoken lines. But however it works out, fans will certainly be happy to see Iceman and Maverick together again.

Val Kilmer is one of those rare actors with a unique charm, wit, and dedication to craft that sets him apart from the rest. Unlike most actors that find their way into one genre and make camp, Val Kilmer has a wildly nuanced filmography. From comedy to action to surreal drama, he’s done a lot over the course of his career. With so many movies, it can be tough to pick the best Val Kilmer movies. But, it’s without question that the 80s and 90s were his Imperial Phase. So, many of the movies on this list live in that era and helped narrow things down a bit. Let’s dive in.

10. Batman Forever (1995)

Of the Batman movies, Val Kilmer tends to be the forgotten Batman. Which is a shame, because he does a fantastic job playing both Bruce Wayne and Batman in Batman Forever. He’s thoughtful yet emotionally distant, strong yet internally fragile. Plus, he plays up the tortured soul part really well. Is Batman Forever a good film? Not really. It was surprisingly ahead of its time in some ways, but it’s hard to look beyond the schlock. Batman Forever, though, is around the time when Val Kilmer was at his peak in fame and popularity. If you’ve never seen it before, it’s worth watching just to see Val Kilmer do his thing.

9. Willow (1988)

In Willow, Val Kilmer plays the disgraced knight Madmartigan, a rogue that teams up with Willow to help him bring the baby Elora Danan to safety and fulfill a prophecy. Val Kilmer's Madmartigan is kind of like a Shakespearean Han Solo. He’s cocky and brash but also wildly romantic to Romeo levels. He gives the movie its adventurous and swashbuckling charisma, something it desperately needs.

Willow has long been a beloved fantasy movie for the whole family and throughout the years has garnered tons of devoted fans. But, I’m not one of them. Willow has a tremendous amount of flaws that are hard to get over, including campy dialogue, acting, and a story that isn’t all that interesting. So why did I put it on this list? Simply put, Val Kilmer is great in it and kind of makes the movie.

8. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Released in 1998, The Prince of Egypt is practically now an animated classic. It’s a retelling of the famous Bible story about the baby Moses being rescued by an Egyptian woman and growing up as a prince of Egypt who eventually goes into exile. Eventually, he returns to Egypt after speaking with God about rescuing his people, the Hebrews, from the Egyptians, who are keeping them as slaves.

From the fantastic animation to catchy songs to the talented cast, this movie doesn’t get old. But, it’s Val Kilmer that anchors it. After all, he does voice both Moses and God and does it with great aplomb. But, it’s the way Val Kilmer’s voice matures throughout the movie, from a cocky and arrogant prince to a humble and powerful prophet that elevates the character and the story.

7. The Ghost And The Darkness (1996)

This very well could be one of Val Kilmer's most underrated movies. About engineer John Henry Patterson, (Val Kilmer) tasked with getting the production of an African railroad back on track, things continue to go sideways as two man-eating lions hunt and kill the railroad workers, putting them further behind. So, John hires famed and skilled hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas) to help him hunt the lions and put a stop to their terror.

The Ghost and the Darkness is a slow-burn thriller that's somewhat similar to Jaws. As the lead, Val Kilmer is really able to shine, giving his character a lot of growth from a wealthy engineer wanting to improve the railroad to a hunter that becomes totally absorbed with killing the man-eating lions. I'll admit, though, once Michael Douglas comes on the scene, their dynamic and the adventure ratchets up to a whole new level. This is absolutely a must-watch for any Val Kilmer fan.

6. Top Gun (1986)

Directed by Tony Scott, Top Gun stars Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer and is about the best pilots in the US Navy training at an academy known as Top Gun. Val Kilmer plays Iceman, the main antagonist to Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Iceman is cold, calculated, and doesn’t put emotion into his flying, a huge contrast to Maverick. That plays off well in the movie with Iceman frequently getting on Maverick’s reckless flying style.

Iceman catapulted Val Kilmer into stardom and is one of his most well-known roles. Fun fact: He originally didn’t want to be in the film, but his agent pressured him into it. Val Kilmer plays the antagonist role perfectly with his intimidating stare downs, smarmy grins, and aggressive teeth clicks. It’s a little disappointing how little he’s actually in the film. But, Top Gun and Val Kilmer fans can rejoice as Iceman reportedly is returning to Top Gun: Maverick.

5. Heat (1995)

Written and directed by Michael Mann, Heat is a crime epic about thief Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) trying to escape the clutches of Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). Val Kilmer plays McCauley’s right-hand man Chris Shiherlis. The movie could very well be Mann’s magnum opus, which is one reason it ended up on this list, but not the only reason.

Val Kilmer doesn’t get the screen time he deserves in Heat. But when he does, it’s fantastic. Unlike many of his other roles where he plays a cocky, witty, and a funny protagonist, in this, he plays a cold, calculated thief and killer. From his impressive shootout scenes to his dialogues with Robert De Niro, his performance is wildly under-appreciated and a must-see.

4. Real Genius (1985)

Real Genius was Val Kilmer’s second movie with a starring role back in 1985. The young actor played Chris Knight, an irreverent teenage genius that’s given the responsibility of mentoring a new, younger genius. So that he can graduate from the academy, Chris Knight is forced to solve a problem for his professor, but when he finds out his invention is going to be used as a weapon, he fights back.

Real Genius was written by Neal Israel, the same writer that did Police Academy and Bachelor Party. It has the same silly tone, sarcasm, and slapstick humor you might expect from the writer. But, it also has a lot of heart and Val Kilmer grabs the zany humor by reins and doesn’t let go. It’s Val Kilmer’s charisma and his subtle transformation from apathetic teenager to geopolitical hero without skipping a beat that sells the story.

3. The Doors (1991)

Directed by Oliver Stone, The Doors is about Jim Morrison’s (Val Kilmer) early life as a UCLA film student before eventually becoming the lead singer of The Doors, a superstar, and a pop culture icon. Eventually, Jim Morrison gets swallowed up by fame and unexpectedly died in Paris at the age of 27.

As a film, The Doors tries to swap back and forth between a historical account of the band and a psychedelic trip of Jim Morrison’s increasingly deranged and disconnected mind. It’s a poor history of the band and Jim Morrison, according to co-founder Ray Manzarek. But, fictional or not, it’s a creative and compelling look at Jim Morrison. Val Kilmer nails it, too. He looks like the star, sings like the star, and plays the free spirit and self-destructive character almost perfectly. It’s probably one of his most mature and nuanced roles in his filmography and worth the watch.

2. Tombstone (1993)

About famous wild west lawman Wyatt Earp retiring in the small town of Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone was directed by George P. Cosmatos (though rumored to be secretly directed by Kurt Russell as well) and stars Kurt Russell as the famous lawman who befriends Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), a gunslinger, gambler, and dentist that goes to the warm climate of Arizona due to tuberculosis.

Val Kilmer basically takes a method acting approach to his performance as Doc Holliday and it ages like a fine wine. In a way, Val Kilmer steals the show too, playing the confident, witty, sardonic, and deadly gunslinger like a pro. At times he’s got a stone-cold temperament and has a few pretty brutal and uncomfortable scenes, including the showdown with Ringo. But, from his cup-slinging to the line “I’m your huckleberry,” every scene, every line, every part he’s in makes the movie so much better. It’s hard to imagine the movie without him.

1. The Saint (1997)

I might get some flak for this, but I don’t really care; The Saint rules. I’ve watched and enjoyed this movie too many times to count. The Saint is about a talented, international thief that goes by the name Simon Templar. He’s hired by a Russian oil businessman to steal a formula for cold fusion but ends up falling in love with the scientist that invented it and, realizing what the Russian businessman will do with the formula, decides to turn against him, instead.

In my mind, The Saint is the perfect Val Kilmer movie. It has everything he’s known for: Sarcasm, charm, charisma, wit, a tortured soul, action, and adventure. He looks like he’s having so much fun in every scene and shows a great deal of range with the variety of eccentric personalities and accents. Admittedly, The Saint has a shaky script and a schmaltzy romance (maybe that’s why they’re remaking it), but at the end of the day, I think it’s pure Val Kilmer.

There are so many other great Val Kilmer movies that didn’t make it on this list. Again, he’s done a lot of work over his long career that hasn’t been covered here. These movies, though, exemplify the actor and covers the period of time when he was not only growing in his career but at the height of his fame. But, what is your favorite Val Kilmer movie? Let us know in the comments!

With its compelling subject, exquisite writing, sharpshooting (camerawork, I mean), and its incredible acting ensemble, which includes Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, the late Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Stephen Lang, the late Powers Boothe, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston, and many more, Tombstone has become a classic of the Western genre. 

While the movie itself is engaging and slickly enjoyable, the filming process for this Wyatt Earp biopic was anything but. With a rotating director's chair, tight demands, a fluid script, and some unforgiving western locales, making good movies isn't always easy. Nevertheless, the stories recounting the making of this troubled movie can certainly make it easier to appreciate all the hard work that went into this well-liked new staple of the evolving Western genre. If you consider yourself a big fan of Westerns and you love Tombstone, here are some behind-the-scenes facts you should know.

Val Kilmer Says Kurt Russell Is Responsible For Tombstone's Success

It has long been reported that Kurt Russell is not merely the star of Tombstone but also its secret director. Since the passing of George P. Cosmatos, Tombstone's credited director who took over after screenwriter Kevin Jarre was fired, Russell has been open in admitting that he was the one who was actually in charge of the set as the ghost director. He claimed that he wouldn't say a word while Cosmatos was still alive, but when he passed away in 2005, Russell has talked more openly about how he cradled the product to the finish line. Several actors involved with this famous film have stepped forward and verified Russell's statement in a matter of words, including Kilmer. 

In a 2017 interview, he noted that Russell is "solely responsible" for Tombstone, as the reports have suggested. Here's what Russell said:

Willem Dafoe Was Initially Sought To Play Doc Holliday

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone. He gives arguably the performance of his career in the Western; there are still folks claiming he was robbed of his Oscar. But apparently, he wasn't the filmmakers' first choice. Indeed, if they originally had their way, Willem Dafoe would've been cast instead. Whenever Kurt Russell and screenwriter/former director Kevin Jarre pitched the movie to Walt Disney Studios (the only studio willing to make it), they proposed Dafoe for the part. But the studio put their foot down on this casting decision based on the controversy surrounding Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, in which Dafoe played Jesus. Kilmer was their second choice, and he was the one who got the part. While Dafoe likely would've done a great job, it's hard to top Kilmer's performance.

Kurt Russell Cut Some Of His Own Scenes To Earn The Trust Of His Fellow Actors

During the early days of shooting Tombstone, screenwriter Kevin Jarre (Glory) was also on-board as the director. Though he shot a few scenes (some of which might still be in the movie, apparently), he was let go from the project whenever his screenplay became too unwieldy and he was unwilling to make any cuts. In an effort to keep the project moving, Russell took initiative, as we noted earlier, and did everything in his power to keep the movie afloat. Whenever he was reportedly taking over directorial duties (unofficially, at least) there was the risk of Russell using his star power to make the project centered more around him. To win over his castmates, however, he cut out his own scenes and dialogue, keeping their scenes as intact as possible. Here's what he said:

Billy Bob Thornton Completely Ad-Libbed His Scene

While Kevin Jarre was very particular about his screenplay, as we noted, Kurt Russell and the remaining team involved with Tombstone made some big changes throughout the rest of production. In the film, Billy Bob Thornton plays Johnny Tyler, and you would think he was given a good bit of dialogue based on how his scenes play out in the film. But according to ScreenRant, his role was completely ad-libbed, with the actor given the simple direction of being "mean" to Kurt Russell's Wyatt Earp. Given that Tombstone was made only a few short years before Thornton won an Oscar for writing Sling Blade (which he also directed and starred), it might not be surprising to know that he was up to the challenge and handled himself accordingly — despite these limitations. Sure enough, Thornton really got a chance to prove his skills.

All The Mustaches In Tombstone Are Very Real... Except One

Tombstone features a fine assortment of crumb catchers. If fact, I'd argue that Tombstone might arguably feature some of the best nose ticklers in cinematic history. This isn't an accident; original director Kevin Jarre was apparently pretty adamant that the cast grow out their upper lip hairs for their parts in this old-fashioned westerns. Certainly, this decision not only saved the cast money on razors but it also presented a fine variety of mustaches to admire throughout the film. And the best part is, they're all very much real. Well, all of them except for one. 

According to an interview with Michael Biehn, everyone in the cast was instructed to grow out their mustaches, but Jon Tenney refused, noting that he was filming another role shortly before this production wrapped. Therefore, he's the only one with a fake 'stache.

Wyatt Earp's Fifth Cousin, Wyatt Earp III, Appears In The Movie

It's no secret that Wyatt Earp plays a big role in Tombstone — but only as a character. But if you were paying attention to the end credits, you may have noticed a man named Wyatt Earp III listed and thought to yourself, "Hey, are they related to the man himself?," you'd be correct. 

Wyatt Earp III is, indeed, the lineage of the real Wyatt Earp. He's the fifth cousin of the Old West legend, and the filmmakers found a role for the distant relative in their movie, seemingly as a tip of the hat to the man at the center of this '90s Western. As it turns out, he's a professional actor; he's played Earp, as well as Doc Holliday, on several occasions on the stage. Alas, Earp III claims that his association has hindered more than helped his career overall.

Val Kilmer Laid In A Bed Of Ice For His Death Scene

Throughout the troubled production behind Tombstone, Val Kilmer's method acting approach saw him taking a few extreme measures to get into character. When it came time to shoot Doc Holliday's death scene, for instance, Kilmer wanted this demise to look — and, for him, feel — authentic as his historical outlaw character was lying on his deathbed. For that to happen, Kilmer laid in a bed of ice. So, when you see Holliday shivering uncontrollably, that wasn't merely acting on Kilmer's part. He was genuinely freezing in order to make Holliday's departure from these earthly plains look a little more authentic in this Western film. While it's ultimately a pretty outlandish way to get into character, it clearly worked. And the scene came to Kilmer's own personal satisfaction, as he noted in a post on his Facebook page.

The Actors Had To Wear Period-Appropriate Wool, Even In The Hot Arizona Sun

It's safe to say that Tombstone wasn't the most comfortable shoot. Between its hot Arizona film locations and its turbulent production, things didn't go quite so smoothly as the movie went along. Thankfully, the film itself turned out alright. Though, it should be noted that — to add to the discomfort — every one of the main actors also needed to wear period-appropriate wool, which didn't suit itself nicely in the warm weather. While it certainly helped Kilmer achieve his sweaty demeanor throughout the movie, Kilmer also joked that the uncomfortable summer wear might've played a big reason in why the legendary western personalities killed so many people. When the set's thermometer reached 134 degrees Fahrenheit, and he was wearing his heat-catching wool outfit, the actor could ultimately understand by Doc Holliday eventually went "mad" in life.

Kevin Costner Was Initially Involved But He Left Due To Creative Differences, Resulting In His Own Movie, Wyatt Earp

There's a common trend in Hollywood where two very similar movies will come out within a year or even months of each other. Whether it's Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down, Armaggedon and Deep Impact, No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits, The Prestige and The Illusionist, Capote and Infamous, and several others, Hollywood has a bad habit of putting out two very similar movies within (or near) the same calendar year. The same thing happened with 1993's Tombstone and 1994's Wyatt Earp, but it wasn't simply a coincidence. As it turns out, Kevin Costner was initially involved with Tombstone, but he disagreed with their approach to Earp and moved on. But rather than cut his losses, he made his own biopic. Alas, it was a critical and financial disappointment.

In addition to these facts, it's also worth noting that Lester Moore's tombstone in Tombstone is actually the real deal and Beyond the Black Rainbow, the directorial debut of Panos Cosmatos, the son of the late George P. Cosmatos, was reportedly funded by the royalties of this movie. Do you love Tombstone? What are some of your favorite westerns? Let us know in the comment section below!