Despite the various health challenges he faced towards the end of his life, everyone is mourning the loss of Val Kilmer. The 65-year-old actor passed from pneumonia complications while fighting against what was left of his throat from a previous battle with cancer in 2014. Actor Nicolas Cage took a moment to reflect on his colleague, whom he had spent time with in Bad Lieutenant: Part of Call New Orleans in 2009.
One of the most interesting parts of Cage’s reflection is his focus on a particular role from Kilmer’s acting career: Jim Morrison from the film The Doors. Morrison is the late singer for the famed band The Doors, and Kilmer was awarded the opportunity to play the man in Oliver Stone’s 1991 eponymous biopic.
“I always liked Val and am sad to hear of his passing. I thought he was a genius actor. I enjoyed working with him on Bad Lieutenant, and I admired his commitment and sense of humor. He should have won the Oscar for The Doors.”
Val Kilmer won the role of Morrison over other esteemed actors, including Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise, while the film experienced 10 years of development hell. Despite The Doors not being a commercial success, it became a cult hit with fans of the band and continues to be so even to this day. As a fan of The Doors, I feel that he didn’t just look like the performer but was almost indistinguishable. I can vividly remember times in high school when my peers would confuse the iconic black-and-white image of a shirtless Jim Morrison with the photo shoot that Val Kilmer did for the film.
Kilmer’s passing has elected various heartfelt responses from those once close to him, allowing the public to see him for who he really was, including his ex-girlfriend, who shared a few memories about him on the social media platform X/ Twitter. Even actress Jennifer Tilly shared a cute story of the audition process for The Doors,
“All of a sudden, a ’60s convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors music at top … … Well of course it was Val … .”
The actor was incredibly dedicated to his craft as well as his ability to embody whatever role he was given, leaving a mark on the film industry. Hollywood continues to reflect on Kilmer’s acting history in the days after his passing, and it’s exciting to know exactly what those who worked directly with him felt about him.
