KISS KISS

There have already been plenty of tributes to Val Kilmer following the recent sad news of his passing, so I'll keep mine brief. All I want to say is that he was a criminally underrated actor—the very definition of mercurial—capable of excelling as both a leading man and a supporting actor at the highest level.

Whether playing Batman or Jim Morrison, Kilmer had both the acting chops and the striking looks to command a lead role. However, my favorite performance of his is in Shane Black's brilliant, Chandler-esque Los Angeles comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, where he plays Gay Perry—a dry, quick-witted private detective who just so happens to be gay. As a foil to Robert Downey Jr.'s twitchy, hapless petty criminal, Harry Lockhart, Kilmer is effortless, exuding supreme confidence in every scene.

Every line is delivered with the precision of a master tennis player serving aces, one after another. And given Downey Jr.'s own reputation for rapid-fire, quip-heavy performances, Kilmer more than proved he could match anyone in the business.

He wasn't just a pretty face.

But he was that, too.

Perhaps his most moving performance, however, came in his final appearance as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick, where he reprised his original role from Tony Scott’s Top Gun and reunited with his old flying buddy, Maverick, played by Tom Cruise. The scene is made even more poignant by the stark contrast between Kilmer's visible physical deterioration and Cruise's seemingly ageless, 'Thetan' appearance.

In that moment, Iceman serves as a powerful reminder of mortality, confronting Maverick’s stubborn refusal to grow up or grow old. Letting go is the central theme of this deeply moving scene, and Kilmer delivered it with grace—unafraid to set aside his own ego on screen.

In an industry obsessed with youth, Kilmer had aged before our eyes and, in doing so, reminded Cruise and us that even stars don’t shine forever.

Rest in Peace 'Iceman'.

Val Kilmer (31st Dec, 1959 - 1st April, 2025)