If you’ve never seen the original Top Gun movie (1986), you need to watch it, if only to see how hot supporting actor Val Kilmer was back in the day. He was just 26 and even though he played Tom Cruise’s adversary, he pretty much stole the film right out from under him.
The Iceman was Val’s breakout role, after which he became a major leading man and general heartthrob. In his biggest leading role, Batman Forever, he romanced Nicole Kidman as Batman/Bruce Wayne.
But following his throat cancer diagnosis in 2014, the star was virtually bedridden for the last years of his life. On April 1, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer announced his passing at the age of 65. Fans and co-workers alike mourned the actor, including former co-star and friend of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Jennifer Tilly.
Val Kilmer’s death inspired RHOBH’s Jennifer Tilly to share a story
On the evening of his death, Jennifer took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a memory. “A long time ago,” she wrote, “I was auditioning for the movie The Doors … They were running behind, so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn, and the driveway.”
“All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume,” Sutton Stracke’s longtime bestie continued. “A guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants.”
Jennifer and her fellow hopefuls were “more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance.” But of course, the guy in the leather pants “was Val Kilmer, and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance,” Jennifer added.
She ended her story with a tribute to Val: “Rip, King.”
A huge star in the 1990s, in recent years Val spent his time at home with his art. His last signed, “one-of-a-kind” piece was shared on his social media on March 23. “It’s got that late-night glow,” he captioned the piece, “like when the camp fire cools down, but you’re still wide awake.”
RIP, Iceman.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – WERE YOU A VAL KILMER FAN? DO YOU REMEMBER HIM AT HIS PEAK?
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
