Val Kilmer’s Biggest Career Regret: The Role He Let Slip
Val Kilmer once admitted he passed on a David Lynch classic early in his career, a decision he’s looked back on with real regret—especially given his admiration for the film and its leading lady.
Some actors leave a mark that’s hard to ignore, and Val Kilmer is one of those blokes. His work has filled some pretty big gaps in American cinema, and while he might not always have been the flashiest name on the poster, his performances have been top-notch. From his early days in Top Gun and Willow to his turns in Tombstone and Batman Forever, Kilmer’s always brought something special to the table. His portrayal of Jim Morrison in The Doors is still talked about, with many punters reckoning it’s one of the best biopic performances going around.
But like anyone in the business, Kilmer’s had to make some tough calls about which projects to take on. Looking back, he’s admitted that not all those choices were winners. In a chat with Attitude magazine, he reflected on some of the opportunities he’d let go.
“I was very naive when I was younger,”
he said.
“I said ‘no’ to a ton of really wonderful directors, and looking back now, I can’t remember the reasons why.”
Turning Down a Lynch Classic
It’s hard to picture Kilmer not playing Jim Morrison, but things could have been very different if he’d taken a different path. One of the biggest what-ifs in his career came when he knocked back a role in one of David Lynch’s most celebrated films. Kilmer explained,
“I said no to Robert Altman twice, and David Lynch, although David Lynch I remember, because the second film I turned down was Blue Velvet because it was really graphic and I was just too shy back then.”
Blue Velvet hit screens in 1986, right at the start of Kilmer’s career. At that point, he’d only been in Top Secret! and Real Genius, with his breakout roles still ahead of him. The film itself is now seen as a classic, starring Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern. The story follows a young bloke who stumbles across a severed ear and ends up tangled in a dangerous mess involving a mysterious lounge singer.
Missed Chances and Lasting Admiration
Years later, Kilmer admitted he’d been keen on the film for more than just professional reasons.
“Blue Velvet is a wonderful film. I had a crazy, crazy crush on her [Isabella Rossellini], so I would have done it for free.”
Despite his admiration, he let the chance slip by, and the film went on to become a standout without him.
That missed opportunity has stuck with him. Blue Velvet is widely regarded as one of the best films of its era, and many reckon Kilmer’s intensity would have fit right in. Every actor has a few regrets, but this one seems to have stung a bit more than most. Still, with a career full of highlights like The Doors, Heat and Tombstone, Kilmer’s got plenty to be proud of—even if he sometimes wonders what might have been.