Val Kilmer always wanted to be an actor, so he took his craft incredibly seriously. One of his earliest notable theater appearances was playing Hotspur in a 1981 production of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1.” This led to his securing the role of Alan in a production of “The Slab Boys,” wherein he acted opposite fellow future stars Kevin Bacon, Jackie Earle Haley, and Sean Penn. Kilmer was so devoted to “The Slab Boys” that he turned down a role in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of “The Outsiders.”
Some may see that as a foolish career decision, but Kilmer instead made his feature film debut in the 1984 Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker slapstick comedy “Top Secret!,” one of the best comedies of all time. Kilmer has admitted, however, that he didn’t have much fun making “Top Secret!” because he was still hung up on the fineries of his classical theater education. It seems that he was still sharply aware of his own career and only wanted to pursue the kinds of projects that interested him. “Top Secret!” proved that Kilmer was funny, and it was already evident that he was blisteringly handsome, so over the next two years, he would headline another notable comedy (Martha Coolidge’s “Real Genius”) and a high-profile military thriller (Tony Scott’s “Top Gun”).
It was around this time that Kilmer was approached by star director David Lynch about the possibility of playing an undisclosed part in his then-upcoming crime drama “Blue Velvet,” only for Kilmer to turn down the offer. Indeed, in talking to Attitude Magazine back in 2005 (transcribed at the time by the Irish Examiner), Kilmer recalled turning down a lot of offers for reasons he, by then, could no longer recall. He also admitted that he regrets many of those refusals.
Why did Val Kilmer turn down Blue Velvet?
“Blue Velvet,” as Lynch’s fans can tell you, was the filmmaker returning to more comfortable material after his bad experiences working on the major studio production “Dune.” It told the story of Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) who discovers an underworld of crime, sex, and torture in his own small town, alternately butting heads with the evil Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) and having kinky sex with Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini). To this day, the film is striking for its bleak, surreal tone, violent images (a severed ear plays a large role in the film), and aggressive depictions of sex and sexuality.
Kilmer admitted that, at the time, he felt “Blue Velvet” was too edgy. He also implied that he might have been the victim of pride, turning down the opportunity to work with big-name directors out of hand. He even turned down two Robert Altman movies. Given the timing, the films were possibly “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,” and “Streamers.” Meanwhile, Lynch, Kilmer recalled, was too dark and he was too timid. In his own words:
“I was very naïve when I was younger. I said ‘no’ to a ton of really wonderful directors and looking back now, I can’t remember the reasons why. I said no to 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’ is a wonderful film. I had a crazy, crazy crush on [Rosselini], so I would have done it for free.”
Kilmer and Lynch still have not worked together, sadly. Lynch may never direct again for health reasons (his last feature film, “Inland Empire,” was released in 2006), while Kilmer underwent a painful tracheotomy in 2017 to rid his body of cancer. Kilmer can now barely speak and keeps his acting to a minimum. Still, both men are active and alert. One can hope they may still collaborate on a feature together.
