MovieChat Forums > Val Kilmer Discussion > WTF Happened to VAL KILMER?

WTF Happened to VAL KILMER?

posted 4 years ago by TMC-4 (19392)
27 replies | jump to latest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbNYSIDBeIk

In our latest WTF series, we take a look at some of our favorite stars and filmmakers who have seemingly disappeared or altered their careers over the years to the point that begs the question; WTF happened? Now, before you think we're just picking on celebrities or running some gossip rag stuff, think again! We take a fun (and sometimes funny), researched and fair approach, looking at all angles that led our subject to wherever they are now (which isn't necessarily a bad place at all). If anything, it answers the question on where these fine folks went, how they got there and where you can find 'em now.

In this episode we look at the career of the Iceman himself, Val Kilmer! Kilmer broke onto the scene with the comedy flicks TOP SECRET! (see our Best Movie You Never Saw of that HERE) and REAL GENIUS before taking flight with Tony Scott's TOP GUN. From there, Kilmer took up the sword as Madmartigan in WILLOW before landing a stream of great roles throughout the 90s, including THE DOORS, THUNDERHEART, TOMBSTONE, BATMAN FOREVER, HEAT, THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS and THE SAINT. While he never had another era as strong as that, Kilmer dipped in and out with some really solid work, including the criminally underrated THE SALTON SEA, WONDERLAND, SPARTAN and of course, KISS KISS, BANG BANG. From there, things got a little hazy for Kilmer and his health took a turn for the worse. He popped up here and there, working with TOP GUN's Tony Scott again in DEJA VU, started playing Mark Twain on stage, did some voice-over work, some TV appearances and even made a lesser-known flick with Francis Ford Coppola called TWIXT. While not everything he's done in his later years is as strong, credit is due to Kilmer for remaining a consumate professional in his craft and fighting through his own health scares to continue doing what he loves, even getting a return to the franchise that started it all for him, TOP GUN: MAVERICK. Here's to you, Val Kilmer...you can be our wingman anytime!

[–] Kowalski (57268) 4 years ago

COCAINE AND CHEESEBURGERS

[–] PetyrBaelish (124) 4 years ago

Val was the man in late 80s and 90s. Who does Val back then compare to in terms of today's movie talent?

[–] GotWood84 (384) 4 years ago

Josh Gad?

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

Val Kilmer's rise and fall kind of reminds me of Mickey Rourke's. Both were good looking, talented actors who first rose to prominence in the '80s. Their temperamental personalities and inability to get along with others of course, naturally prevented them from having long lasting successes. Like Rourke with The Wrestler, Val Kilmer you could say, had a pseudo comeback with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (which in hindsight, was helped Robert Downey Jr. get where he needed to go when he landed Iron Man). And in no small part due to their own self-destructive behavior, both Val and Mickey physically look unrecognizable when compared to their "primes".

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

[deleted]

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Anyone that has bothered to read any papers or magazines in the past 10 years is well aware that he suffered from throat cancer. So a thread started with WTF happened to Val Kilmer is really nothing but a indication of your own ignorance. The world knows, apparently you never bothered to open your eyes or ears. So the better question is Why the Fuck did you ASK.

[–] Galactus03 (4287) 4 years ago

Lmao....
Correct. We have what is called the INTERNET....
What fool cant look this shit up on their own????

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

How fucking patronizing can you get, to just say "there's something called the internet" when a retrospective video is being presented about a certain actor's career.

[–] Galactus03 (4287) 4 years ago

Lmao....its a stupid retrospective.....and waste of ones time. One can read in a two line paragraph on what happened to Val. Not some fucking stupid YouTube video that is using his cancer to get subs and hits..smh...WTF is wrong with people?? Should be the question. Again google is your friend no need to watch a stupid 32 minute video of shit we already know and label it ...WTF happened to Val kilmer...

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

And what about the other "WTF Happened... to" subjects, who don't have cancer like Val Kilmer!? Are you suggesting that because Val has been suffering from cancer that exempts any "stupid retrospectives" that touch upon how much of an asshole he could being in his career? And you're being absolutely presumptuous to just say that we already know about "WTF happened to Val Kilmer" without having to watch a 32 minute video.

If you want a much SHORTER variation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-06BHrNbzg

[–] Galactus03 (4287) 4 years ago

Dude it's cold to say WTF happened to Val Kilmer. Most people are gonna take that as if its about how he looks now due to the cancer ravaging his body. Bad taste man....

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

So if the video was the same but didn't contain an intentionally tongue-in-cheek/attention grabbing title like "WTF happened to Val Kilmer", would it not be in so much of a bad taste!? And people should be intelligent enough to know that the video is about his entire career and where he is unfortunately at today. You're taking it completely out of context to make it sound like the whole thing is out to ridicule Val for getting cancer and no longer being recognizable.

[–] Galactus03 (4287) 4 years ago

Where is Val Kilmer would have been a better title..

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

There's also a similar video on Charlie Sheen. I suppose in your world, it's also in bad taste since Charlie is now HIV positive!

[–] Galactus03 (4287) 4 years ago

Everyone knows Charlie sheen is one f'ed up individual...

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

And let's be real here, it isn't like Val Kilmer himself was a gentleman or pleasant individual to be around himself back in the day.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

"WTF Happened To..." is a channel on Youtube that has mini-documentaries on celebrities and movies and whatnot. It's not a question.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

And if people want to see that they go to youtube. Moviechat isn't a forum to advertise your crap ass youtube channel though it seems many people believe it is.

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

And if Val Kilmer weren't suffering from throat cancer, then it wouldn't be so "insensitive" to create a video that examined the downturn of his own career leading up to that point? I mean, there have been numerous things written online about how Val pretty much sabotaged his career by being extremely difficult to work with. Him getting throat cancer was pretty much a tragic postscript.

https://lebeauleblog.com/2011/05/05/what-the-hell-happened-to-val-kilmer/

https://lebeauleblog.com/2019/09/06/video-what-the-hell-happened-to-val-kilmer/

https://www.trendoversy.com/the-actor-whose-indomitable-character-ruined-his-career-is-gauravs-story-the-story-of-val-kilmer/

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-most-difficult-actors-to-work-with-in-hollywood.html/

https://gazettereview.com/2015/06/what-happened-to-val-kilmer-what-is-he-doing-now/

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

My point is you're just wasting peoples' time trying to get them to watch your lame youtube videos. You want to get more views why don't you do the world a favor and just go buy them and stop posting lame threads in an attempt to get people to click on them. There are enough ads on the internet already with your some desperate fool like you trying to create more on forums.

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

Nobody is personally forcing you to watch my lame YouTube videos if you don't care that much about them in the first place. Just because you don't care much for them shouldn't mean that nobody else should have a chance to see for themselves. And you're doing a disservice by subjectively suggesting that we don't need to analyze Val Kilmer's career downturn since we should know that he ultimately gets throat cancer. Stuff about his career downturn was written well before the news came out that he had cancer, so it isn't like his career as a big time actor literally stopped the moment that he got cancer.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Well at least you've admitted they are your lame videos and that all your doing is trying to get people to watch them. Now the world can just block you and save themselves the boredom of your self promoting bullshit.

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

And what if this was just a written article (like a few that I posted afterwards) and not a video, it would still convey the same exact message pretty much. It's sort of like the difference between listening to the weather report on the radio to seeing the weather report on television. It's a different medium it at the end of the day, conveys the same message. I don't understand why you feel so defensive of Val Kilmer in this case other than, we shouldn't pick on a man who is badly suffering from cancer.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

In the end it is still just an ad and you know it.

[–] degree7 (821) 4 years ago

He looked good up until 2004 when he began putting on a ton of weight for the next 10 years, then his cancer hit. Now he’s practically unrecognizable.

[–] CoachGainz (453) 4 years ago

This video is fantastic! I used to wonder the same thing about Val in the mid 2000's. Val had all the looks of a leading man along with some of the best acting chops in the business. Yet he wasn't in anything worth while for the most part after tombstone. I used to wonder how this guy wasn't getting the same work load as Tom Cruise. His story really is interesting. Great Video!

A video about Michael Biehn would be interesting. Or Chris Columbus, the dude went from Doubtfire and Home Alone to Pixels. Or Michael Keaton, he went from a big star in the 80's to falling into obscurity, just to make a comeback in his 60's.

[–] Rorikon (16361) 4 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr21TiIaYCQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzZv_qRCqr0

Pisses me off he's denying or not wanting pity (before he finally admits it that is). Not about pity, it's about supporting our once legendary actors that gave us dreams, smiles, stuff that made us feel good in general entertainment. I hope their are people there to support him. The point is to help him get better or have ease of life. Really admire his acting on the good movies he's done. These people need us the most like Robin Williams but we were never there. RDJ made a big comeback after his drug problem so it's possible for other great actors facing these things.