(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Fri 5 December 2025 8:30, UK
Some actors come and go, but some leave a real imprint on the industry. If it weren’t for the many excellent on-screen performances of Val Kilmer, American cinema would have some seriously glaring holes.
Though perhaps overshadowed in terms of star power by some of his contemporary actors, the impact of Kilmer cannot be understated, seeing as he’s offered so much to the modern film industry. Within his impressive resume are some of the most understated yet powerful performances in modern cinematic history.
From his breakthrough roles in Top Gun and Willow right on to the likes of Tombstone and Batman Forever, Kilmer has always been at the pinnacle of his game. One cannot also forget, of course, Kilmer’s remarkable turn as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic The Doors, with the actor resembling the singer in physicality and mannerism in equal admiration. It would be a triumphant moment that has since gone on to define his legacy.
However, like any actor, throughout his career, Kilmer has been faced with some mightily tough decisions when it came to choosing which kinds of films he wanted to star in. Naturally, some of those very decisions have been looked back on with regret by Kilmer several years after they were first made.
In an interview with Attitude magazine, Kilmer once expressed the fact that he’d turned down some movies, but looking back, he has no idea why he might have opted to. “I was very naive when I was younger,” the actor said. “I said ‘no’ to a ton of really wonderful directors, and looking back now, I can’t remember the reasons why.”
Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison. (Credits: Far Out / Tristar Pictures)
Kilmer’s career might have looked very different had he chosen to swap some of his legendary roles for others. It’s hard to think of the legendary actor not giving his iconic performance as Jim Morrison, but how much more strange would it have been for Kilmer to have starred in one of David Lynch’s most acclaimed movies?
Explaining how he turned Lynch down, plus another American director of serious significance, Kilmer said, “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 was released in 1986, at which point Kilmer was very much at the beginning of his career. Prior to the release of Lynch’s legendary film, Kilmer had only starred in Top Secret! and Real Genius, though his career would begin to pick up shortly after with the likes of Top Gun and Willow. Still, the actor would later regret his decision to turn Lynch down.
The 1986 neo-noir mystery thriller is considered one of Lynch’s best movies. It stars Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern and tells of a young college student who comes across a severed ear in a field when visiting his sick father. Jeffrey Beaumont is then led into a dangerous criminal conspiracy and a problematic relationship with an enigmatic lounge singer.
Expressing his admiration for Lynch’s movie and the reasons why he might have liked to have taken on a role in it in hindsight, Kilmer noted, “Blue Velvet is a wonderful film. I had a crazy, crazy crush on her [Isabella Rossellini], so I would have done it for free.” Sadly, though, Kilmer missed his chance, and Blue Velvet achieved its quality without the actor in tow.
The missed opportunity is one that lingered over the actor. The movie is considered one of the finest ever made and perhaps a near-perfect vehicle for Kilmer’s undoubted intensity. An actor will have many lost moments in their careers, but working with Lynch is probably one that hurts a little more than most.
Still, Kilmer can remain proud of his career, with the likes of The Doors, Heat and Tombstone all serving as signifiers of his quality. Every actor has regrets, but it looks as though turning down David Lynch for Blue Velvet is one of Val Kilmer’s most significant.
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