Celebrity deaths have a way of capturing the public's attention, especially with stars that they've spent many years with. That's exactly what's been happening in the wake of Val Kilmer's death at 65, with generations of fans mourning the loss. At the same time he's also being celebrated for his legacy. Case in point: the "sheer audacity" that he went into his audition for The Doors with.
The Doors is a 1991 musical biopic about the band of the same name, and is considered one of Val Kilmer's best movies. After TMZ reported the actor's death of pneumonia, plenty of folks have penned tributes to him. Jennifer Tilly posted on Twitter about how Kilmer landed the role of Jim Morrison, sharing:
A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie 'The Doors' It was kind of a cattle call. They paired together potential Jims with potential Pamela‘s. And 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. And 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.
While Tilly would indeed end up with a role in The Doors, it unfortunately was left on the cutting room floor. Still, she was there from auditions to filming, and got to see how the late actor landed his iconic role. And Kilmer was embodying Morrison from the moment he got to his audition.
The Door's Jim Morrison was a big character to portray, and Kilmer swung hard to land the gig. Later in Tilly's tribute she spoke more about what it was like seeing him occupy that space, offering:
We all looked at each other like… Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King.
King indeed. His performance in The Doors is just one part of the late actor's legacy, given his many beloved movie roles. He famously starred opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun, and Kilmer had a sweet scene in Maverick that honored his work in the original. Plus he had iconic roles in Willow, Heat, and more.
Of course, it's hard to talk about the late actor's long resume without touching on Kilmer's tenure as Batman/Bruce Wayne. He played the role in Batman Forever, which is streaming with a Max subscription. He's a legend for a reason, and Jennifer Tilly's story about The Doors is only one reason why.
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