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| 1959-2025 |
Being successful doesn't change things. There's a painful, lonely part of acting because you're always waiting. The thing about being a performer is doing, and when you have to wait, it's the same pain as when you're starting out and have no job. You think that thing will go away, but it doesn't. It just shifts. I remember Robert Duvall saying that being a successful actor is all about finding interesting hobbies, because if you don't have the right hobby, you die. It's very hard to maintain interest. Most actors don't. They become a little clichéd. You learn how to do tricks and stuff.
--Val Kilmer
(Kilmer was in a lot of well-known movies but rather than show clips from all of them--I don't exactly have the time for all that--I'm going to show a trailer from just one, 1985's True Genius, which happens to be the movie of his I first saw. It's no great shakes as a film, except for Kilmer's own performance, which if didn't make him a star right away, set him in the right direction--Kirk)
(As you can see, the military-industrial complex was fucked up even before Pete Hegseth got his hands on it.)
A friend adored him. For me, he was ok.
ReplyDeleteDifferent strokes for different folks, Andrew.
DeleteImportant to appreciate there’s a painful and lonely part of life for most people. However, getting paid millions for one “job” would sure help.
ReplyDeleteMitchell, I chose that quote because Kilmer had a reputation for being "difficult" to work with, and I thought his melancholy, deserved or not, might explain the cause of such difficulty. Also, when going through quotes from successful people, I so often have to wade through umpteenth variations of "If you put your mind to it, nothing can stop you" that this seemed kind of refreshing by comparison. That all said, you're right, Kilmer had deep pockets, and that always makes life a bit easier.
Delete65 seems so young these days. RIP Val. Always enjoyed Willow.
ReplyDeleteI also see Richard Chamberlain passed away at the grand age of 90!
Ananka, Dr. Kildare (or was it Ben Casey?), the TV show that made Chamberlain famous, was before my time, but I did enjoy him as the selfish rich kid who falls to his death in "The Towering Inferno." He was OK in Shogun, too.
DeleteI always thought he had the sexiest lips for a man. Looked very kissable.
ReplyDeleteHe had a long struggle.
Maddie, he had a nice toothy grin, too, combined with beach blonde boy looks, as if Kilmer was a cross between Jan-Michael Vincent and Jimmy Carter.
DeleteIn case is anyone is unaware of his struggle, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer about ten years ago.
Sad news.
ReplyDeleteDebra, I had a political post scheduled for today, but the political situation will still be there a few days from now (unfortunately) so I went with this instead.
DeleteHi, Kirk!
ReplyDeleteAs always, I am learning from you first about the death of a prominent person, in this case actor Val Kilmer who has died of pneumonia at the too young age of 65. I liked Val as Jim Morrison in The Doors, in Top Gun and paired with the beautiful Mira Sorvino portraying a blind man in At First Sight.
As I'm sure you know, The Reaper also paid a visit to Dr. Kildare, Richard Chamberlain, a few days ago. (No rest for the wicked.)
Have a safe and sane April, good buddy Kirk!
Shady, maybe Chamberlain will meet Lew Ayres in heaven, and they can exchange notes.
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