Val Kilmer

Val Edward Kilmer (December 31, 1959, Los Angeles) is an American actor.

Born in Los Angeles, California, the son of a real estate agent, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School at age 16. He first gained popularity for his performance in the play Slab Boys, which he staged on Broadway alongside Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn. He has also made documentaries and published poetry books. Early in his career, Kilmer appeared in comedies such as Top Secret! (1984), and shared scenes with Tom Cruise in Tony Scott's hit Top Gun (1986), but his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors made him a star.

In 1988, he married actress Joanne Whalley, from whom he would divorce in 1996. He would share credits with Joanne in the films Willow (1988) and Kill Me Again (1989).

His most celebrated roles came in the 90, when he played Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995). That same year, he shared the screen with De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Mann's crime thriller Heat. In 1997, he starred in one of his most acclaimed roles in The Saint, playing the thief Simon Templar.

In 2003, he played the porn star John Holmes in Wonderland, a film that explores the character's involvement in a quadruple murder that took place in 1981. A year later, he starred in Oliver Stone's war epic Alexander (2004), in which he played Philip II of Macedon. That same year, he also starred in the political thriller Spartan.

In 2005, he co-starred with Robert Downey Jr. in the crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which earned him excellent reviews and a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He reportedly had romances with Cher, Ellen Barkin, Drew Barrymore and Cindy Crawford. His mother was of Swedish descent, and his father's ancestry includes German, Irish and Cherokee roots.

In 2009, Kilmer said in an interview that he hoped to run for governor of his home state, New Mexico, in the near future. These statements received the support of the state's governor, Bill Richardson.