40+ Photos to Justify Your Decades-Long Val Kilmer Crush
I spent many hours of my youth watching Top Gun — specifically, the volleyball scene, which was probably the first indication that I was into dudes. While many Top Gun viewers lusted after Tom Cruise's Maverick character (who, I'll admit, also filled out his jeans quite nicely), I always crushed harder on Val Kilmer, who played Iceman.
After that, I set out to familiarize myself with Kilmer's entire film catalog, starting with his role as a teen heartthrob in the comedy Top Secret. My crush deeply intensified at age 13, when Kilmer transformed himself to play Jim Morrison in The Doors, and I continued to admire his acting and his unconventional choice of roles over the years. (Side note: how hot is the name Val Kilmer?)
Sadly, 57-year-old Kilmer has been out of the public eye for a while; he acknowledged his battle with throat cancer publicly for the first time in May 2017. But he recently resurfaced to reassure fans that he's "still got it" should he be called up for the Top Gun sequel.
I've taken this as an opportunity to take a walk down memory lane with 40+ photos of Val Kilmer to remind myself that my decades-long crush is completely justified.
1984
As a teen-heartthrob in Top Secret.
1985
As a genius goofball in Real Genius (highly recommended).
1985
In Real Genius.
1985
In Real Genius.
1996
As "Iceman" in Top Gun.
1986
In Top Gun.
1986
With Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
1986
In Top Gun.
1986
In Top Gun.
1986
In Top Gun.
1988
In the film Willow.
1988
In Willow.
1988
Willow
1989
In Kill Me Again.
1991
Playing Jim Morrison in The Doors.
1991
The Doors.
1991
The Doors.
1991
Promoting The Doors.
1991
The Doors.
1992
In Thunderheart.
1992
In Thunderheart.
1993
In Tombstone.
1993
In Tombstone.
1993
In Tombstone.
1995
In Heat.
1995
In Batman Forever.
1996
In The Island of Dr. Moreau.
1996
In The Ghost and the Darkness.
1996
In The Ghost and the Darkness.
1996
In The Ghost and the Darkness.
1997
In The Saint.
1997
At the premiere of The Saint.
1999
In At First Sight.
1999
In At First Sight.
2000
At the premiere of Red Planet.
2002
In The Salton Sea.
2002
At The Salton Sea premiere.
2002
At the Red Dragon premiere.
2003
In Wonderland.
2005
In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
2005
At the premiere of Batman Begins.
2005
At the premiere of Alexander.
2005
At the Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang photocall in Cannes.
2006
In Deja Vu.