April 11, 2025 • 60 mins
The passing of Val Kilmer has hit Gen X particularly hard, and in this raw, honest conversation, we explore why. When celebrities from our formative years begin to leave us, it forces us to confront our own mortality in ways we never expected.
We dive deep into Kilmer's remarkable career trajectory from his breakout role as Iceman in Top Gun to his transformation into Jim Morrison for The Doors, and his stint as the caped crusader in Batman Forever. Beyond the filmography, we unpack his colorful romantic history with fellow celebrities like Cher (who remained a lifelong friend), Cindy Crawford, and Angelina Jolie, discovering the tender ways he spoke about these relationships even years later.
Kilmer's battle with throat cancer adds another layer of poignancy to his story. The illness robbed him of his voice—a cruel twist for someone who once sang his own parts as Jim Morrison—but not his determination. His brief but meaningful appearance in Top Gun: Maverick became his final film role, bringing his career full circle.
Our conversation branches into the broader experience of watching our icons age and die alongside us, comparing the impact of different celebrity deaths from Prince to Anthony Bourdain. We reflect on the strange experience of reaching an age where our contemporaries are dying, not just our parents' generation of stars.
Whether you're a longtime Val Kilmer fan or simply navigating the complexities of midlife, this episode offers a meaningful exploration of legacy, mortality, and the unexpected ways celebrity deaths can make us examine our own lives. Join us for this heartfelt tribute and conversation about what it means to lose the stars who defined our youth.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 2 (00:04):
Two best friends, we're talking the past, From
mistakes to arcades.
We're having a blast.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Teenage dreams, neon screens.
It was all rad and no one knewme Like you know.
It's like whatever.
Together forever, we're neverthe best ever Laughing and
sharing our stories.
Clever, we'll take you back.
It's like whatever.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome to Like Whatever a podcast for, by and
about Gen X.
I'm Nicole and this is my BFF,heather Hola, so I'm not going
to ask you how your week was.
It was crappy but you do have afew things to share.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I do well first.
Today is the anniversary of myuncle's passing.
I forgot to tell you.
I want to talk about that part.
We shared a birthday.
We were very he's one of myfavorite people, so today is
that anniversary.
So today has been pretty rough,yes, but aside from the shitty
(01:09):
week I've had in the past 50years, a week and 50 years.
So there was a dead whale.
Another dead whale washed up.
This one, contrary to popularbelief, was not because of the
windmills that we do not haveyet, but, uh, it was a boat
strike, which, okay here.
(01:30):
So here's the thing likeeverybody's freaking out, oh,
this is the third dead whale inlike a year and a half.
Um, we live at the beach andshit dies in the ocean and their
occurrence Exactly.
It's just, I think prior to now, you didn't know how many
(01:51):
things died and floated up onthe beach because there wasn't
social media to tell you, right,how many things died.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Because it would just like when I was younger.
It would be word of mouth Likeyou would hear hey, did you hear
there was a whale on the beachand we would all run down, or
you could smell it, right, um,so we'd all run down there and
look at it right.
So you're basically saying thishas been happening since you
were a child, exactly um, soanyway, this one got stuck in
the bay and it got stuck on asandbar, which is just a shame
yes, like it's almostembarrassing yes, so they were
(02:23):
having.
they couldn't tow it off becausethey couldn't.
It was too heavy and theycouldn't pull it off.
So they were like it's beenlike a week long saga of what
they're going to do about thiswhale and I thought to myself,
hey, why don't we just leave itwhere it is?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Because there's for a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I don't understand it .
Well, and the last I heardprior, it did dislodge and it
has moved back out to sea.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh, all by itself, oh look at that.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
So it's going to hit somebody else's beach and then
everybody's going to be like oh,by the way, now there's another
dead whale.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Right so anyway, Maybe that's just this past year
and a half is just the same one.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Same.
So anyway, that's just thispast year and a half is just the
same dead whale.
So but then they were talkingabout blowing it up and I was
like, but why can't we justleave it where it is?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I've seen video of them blowing one up.
It's not as fun as it mightsound.
And it's a, it's gross and Bwhy can't you just leave it
where it is Like?
What is the problem?
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yes, it didn't have a disease.
It got hit in the head with theprop.
That's what killed it.
So let crabs and shit eat it.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Well, it's unsightly.
That's true.
They don't want all their richboaters to have to look at dead
whales.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
That is true.
Seeing the dead whale sit there, well, no, I don't know.
It was a bit.
It's been like a week long.
And then yesterday I heard ithad dislodged itself from the
sandbar.
The winds and the tides werejust right and it moved it along
and it's now it's back out tosea and it's probably gonna wash
(03:57):
up in new jersey and thenthey're gonna be like, oh no,
another dead whale and it'sgonna be like no, although maybe
not, because I think they diddo a necropsy on it.
So they're big chunks of itprobably gone, gross, yeah.
And then also I did get newshoes.
And what kind of shoes did?
I got me some doc martinsneakers.
(04:17):
I know they're adorable theyare cute, um, and they're not
heavy like my boots and they umare probably appropriate for
work.
Well, I don't know, becausetoday we got handed down that
they're going to start doingshoe inspection inspections
because that's what you all needto worry about right now you
know she didn't look like shewas too thrilled about having to
(04:38):
look at our shoes every goddamnday.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So yeah, I always feel bad for management when
they get stupid stuff frommanagement higher than this.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah, so yeah, that's their current whatever, but
yeah, they're very comfortable.
I love them.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
But how about you?
So I'm having one of thosecrazy busy weeks that I hate,
but because I'm doing some extrastuff for work, I get to take
Friday off, so that's amazing.
But firstly I wanted to give ashout out to the protesters that
participated in Hands Off thispast weekend.
(05:18):
I have some friends that went toDC.
I have some friends that wentto Rehoboth and just following
everybody all over the country,I thought it was amazing.
I was mad at myself.
I kind of feel like I didn'treally realize it was coming.
Like my husband was even like,what's the protest?
I was like, well, it's a fairquestion because it could be any
(05:39):
number of things at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
I have just been off of social media completely for
the last week and a half point.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I have just been off of social media completely for
the last week and a half and I'mreally mostly on it for the
podcast, so I'm not looking atanything except like whatever
pod, um, so uh, but yeah, but Idid see people uh that
participated and shout out toy'all because good job, it's
awesome yes I appreciate you andif I know it's coming up next
(06:06):
time, maybe I'll participate.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Maybe we should pay attention to social media, maybe
.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And then also, my favorite time of the year is
here at the Masters.
Oh, yes, in Augusta.
Yes, I'm a big PGA fan,although live golf has kind of
ruined everything, but it's justnot the same anymore, and most
of my favorite golfers wentwhere they were getting paid 10
times more yeah, so whatever.
But those golfers do come backfor the Masters.
(06:37):
So my favorite, like John Rom,will be participating, so I'll
get to watch him play.
So another good reason I haveFriday off.
Oh yeah, so yeah, participating, so I'll get to watch him play.
So another good reason I havefriday off um, oh yeah, so yeah.
And then one other thing Iwanted to bring up was, uh, our
buddy, uh, at gen x watch onfacebook.
He uh posted earlier today thathis book is.
(07:00):
He has physical book out forsale right now for $17.
And he also wanted to make itaffordable for everyone.
So he has an e-book right nowfor $4.99 for a limited time.
And again, the name of the bookis Hearts of Glass, and we have
also.
I shared this post on ourFacebook page.
(07:23):
It's very good.
I read it.
I still have not, but, in allfairness to me, I haven't read a
book in like since high school,because I hate reading.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I love reading.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, I would love to be a reader, but my brain
doesn't work that way.
I think I don't know what Ihave.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I'm not going to self-diagnose, but we're going
to have him on too, because hewants to hang with us.
A I have to figure out how torecord and edit Zoom, which I do
not know.
And and B I have a lot of shitgoing on right now, so we have
to work through that.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yep, yep, but we will definitely be having him on
eventually.
Yes, all right.
So just real quick, if youcould go on and like share rate
review.
You can find us wherever youlisten to podcasts and obviously
you're listening, so you knowwhere to find us.
Follow us on all the socials atLikeWhateverPod, we are on
(08:25):
YouTube.
It is at LikeWhatever all oneword and the W is capital.
If you're having troublefinding it, we are on TikTok and
you can send us an email atLikeWhateverPod, at gmailcom.
So now we are going to get intothis week's topic, which is a
(08:46):
little sad, but it'll beinteresting.
We're going to fuck around andfind out about the life of Val
Kilmer, who we lost this week.
He was only 65 years old, whichis very sad.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
It's crazy because you know, I forget it's a TikTok
going around and I forget.
I forget it's a TikTok goingaround and I forget.
I don't know what movie it'sfrom, but they play this one
speech about um, it's it's.
You know, you can feel itcoming and the end is coming and
it's it's just we have toremember that.
(09:18):
We have to remember that we'reall getting older now and it's a
little weird to be losing.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, this one hit hard because he wasn't that much
older than us.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
We lost so many people in the 90s Right and then
we went like however many yearsit's been since the 90s, where
it was like boomers were dyingor the youngsters were dying,
like Gen X was like leveled out.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah, the actors you were watching in your parents'
movies.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yes, those were the ones who were dying off.
And then now we get to thispoint where it's like your
friends are dying off andeverybody you knew, everybody's
getting cancer and all these.
It's just weird.
Getting old is so weird it'sit's, it is, it's like I don't
know.
You know, recently I have beenthinking about you know where
(10:16):
I'm obviously atheist uh, whereyou stand, like what happens
when you die, because I wassitting thinking the other day
like, like does the late just go?
Like what happened?
Are you conscious through itall?
And then you just like I wonderwhat happens.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I do believe that you always know when you're dying
like that, you've died.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
You do.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Because I think, isn't it true, when you get
decapitated, you're still alive.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
It's like 10 seconds, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
So you would think you'd at least still be alive
that long once your heart stops.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I don't know, it's just like a weird.
I guess I never really hadthought about it until the Grim
Reaper was looming.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
And I used to think because I'm not religious at all
, I just kind of figured I don'treally care what they do with
my body when I die and my mom'sdonating her body to science,
and I was like oh, maybe I'll dothat.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
That's a good idea.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
But then I was kind of like I don't believe in um
well, religion is basically asit is here, but I do believe in
energy yeah and I do believethat everything is
interconnected and I kind ofthink I do want to go back to
the earth, um, so I don't knowwhat that looks like, though
(11:34):
it's just a way.
It's just like I don't think Iwant to be cremated, because
then my cells don't go back, orlike I don't go back into the
earth.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
It's just ash.
I'm donating myself.
Well, somebody is going to bedonating me to the body farm.
Yeah, Okay.
A, so you can?
You know, then I can helppeople solve crimes, which
obviously I have always wantedto do.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yes and B, it's not a burden on your family because
nobody has to bury you, nobodyhas to pay for a funeral, nobody
has to buy.
Yeah, that makes very goodsense for you.
Yeah, like I throw you in afield somewhere and let you
decay, and yeah I'd really loveto just be buried in my backyard
, but that's not legal, so noand they probably come after
somebody wanting to know why mydead body's in the backyard
(12:24):
maybe I mean, I definitely don'twant to be in a casket, I don't
think I want to be cremated Idon't know.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I always wanted to be cremated, but then I started
thinking about it and I was like, well, I wouldn't mind, you
know if I'm gonna be useful,because nobody's gonna be able
to use my organs that's a greatidea for you, I have fucked them
all up, so um, but like bodyfarm, that is like you're
helping to solve crimes.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
That's kind of neat.
Yeah, maybe if my murderaddiction continues to grow,
I'll decide to go that route aswell.
But no, I really do Like Iwould love to.
Ultimately, if I could dosomething and if this is a thing
I'll have to figure it out butI would like to be buried in a
hole and have a tree planted ontop.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
They actually do.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
They have green burials now okay, yeah, where
you're not in a box.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah, I don't know that if you can do it in
delaware yet, but I do know thatthey do have green burials now
where you can um I don't need tobe buried in delaware.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
All right, I just want to be.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Well, I'm going to be dead because you cannot die
before me.
I won't, I promise.
It's against the law I promiseI won't.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Can't take it.
I know you can't, no, and Ipromise I won't.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Okay, I'll probably.
You heard all that, everybodyheard that.
So if she dies before me, Iwon't.
I'm coming for her anyway, allright.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
so um val kilmer, uh, the actor who played the
infamous ice man in top gun andtook on the role of the caped
crusader batman forever, died inlos angeles on april 1st.
The 65 year old's cause ofdeath was pneumonia.
According to his daughter, merKilmer, the illness followed the
actor's 2014 throat cancerdiagnosis that required a
(14:08):
trachostomy, yes, chemotherapyand radiation before going into
remission, and that was reallysad because that had a big
effect on him.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
I imagine that it does.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yeah, and through reading this I found he was a
very private person and he didcome back and act in the
maverick top gun maverick.
So I wonder if he would haveliked to have acted more but
couldn't if it got cut shortthat's another thing like I
wonder about myself.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Like if I were to be given the cancer diagnosis, I'm
not sure I would go through allthat.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah now, yeah, I mean, that's something you can't
answer until you're in thatsituation, but I'm not sure I
would go through all that.
Yeah, now, yeah, I mean, that'ssomething you can't answer
until you're in that situation,but I would understand that and
some people do that it's usuallyolder people.
Well, I'm tired.
I know I've had enough.
I know, and you know, I'll tryto talk you into it if that time
(15:05):
comes, all right.
So if wait, not if, if Not if,I've lived a magical life,
kilmer said in a 2021documentary.
I've captured quite a bit of it.
(15:26):
The versatile actor led astoried career, first gaining
recognition for his performancein 1986's Top Gun and
skyrocketing to fame for hisportrayal of rock musician Jim
Morrison in the 1991 movie theDoors.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I can't believe that was 91.
Isn't?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
that crazy.
That's the year I graduatedhigh school.
That's what I mean.
These people are like our age,because he was probably in his
early 20s when he did that and II just can't believe it was
that long ago that that moviecame out yeah, I guess he was
probably in his later 20s, butanyway, um, after playing the
title role of batman forever in1995, a role that failed to
(16:01):
impress even kilmer, the losangeles native, appeared in a
string of less successful moviesbefore making a comeback with
MacGruber in 2010.
He took a break from actingfollowing his cancer diagnosis
but later returned to the screenin 2017's Song to Song.
Kilmer's appearance in hisfinal film in 2022, reprising
(16:24):
his famed role as Iceman in TopGun Maverick.
Have you ever heard of Song toSong?
I have not.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I have not either.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Did you see the Doors ?
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I'm going to say no, yes, I did see that one and I
saw the Batman, but I don'tremember.
I should have watched it overthe weekend to refresh myself.
I know I've seen every Batman,so I do know I've seen that, but
I don't remember it at all.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I know I meant to watch his movies this weekend
too, but work and work's beennuts the past two weeks, so when
I'm home my brain is just it'smostly Candy Crush and murder
documentaries.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I've been watching the Big Bang.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Theory.
That's all I can handle, me too.
So who was Val Kilmer?
Actor Val Kilmer rose to famein the 1980s with a role in Top
Gun and was later known forportraying Rockstar.
I already said that the LosAngeles native was 17 when he
became the youngest person to beaccepted into Juilliard's drama
program.
(17:21):
At the time, his first majorrole was as navy pilot, tom
iceman kazansky, opposite tomcruise and top gun.
Have you seen top gun?
I have not, and I know everybodyreally okay look I don't have a
problem with it hop off my nutsI've never seen titanic, so I
don't like tom cruise I don'tlike tom cruise either.
(17:41):
Yeah yeah yeah, I did see TopGun a lot.
I mean it was VHS when we werekids so it was one of the ones
we had on tape.
So I've seen it 5,000 times.
So I guess you didn't seeMaverick either.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
No.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Okay, I actually was pleasantly surprised with
Maverick.
I didn't want to watch it, butmy husband's a big Tom not Tom
Cruise, but Top Gun fan, right.
So we watched it and I was.
It wasn't bad, all right.
So after his breakthrough inthe Doors, his career bounced
from the Western Tombstone tocrime thrillers like Heat and
(18:16):
the dramas the Ghost and theDarkness and the Salton Sea.
Have you heard of any of thosebesides?
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Tombstone.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Nope, you know Tombstone, though.
Of those besides Tombstone,nope, you know Tombstone, though
I do know Tombstone.
Okay good, that is an excellentmovie and that's the one I
really want to try to rewatchthis weekend, but it didn't
happen.
Kilmer was married to fellowactor Joanne Whaley for several
years before divorcing.
In 2014,.
He was diagnosed with throatcancer.
(18:44):
His treatment was successful,though his voice was permanently
damaged from surgery.
Kilmer died at age 65 in April2025.
So some quick facts, because welike our little Quick facts.
They are quick facts.
This time they're not reallyfun facts.
So his full name is Val EdwardKilmer.
He was born December 31st 1959.
(19:05):
So I guess he's 14 years olderthan me, so a little bit older.
He's not a Gen X.
He was born in Los Angeles,california.
He was married to Joanne Whaleyfrom 1988 to 1996.
He has two children, namedMercedes and Jack, and his
(19:26):
astrological sign is Capricorn.
Ooh, that's fancy, I know Hisearly life.
Val Edward Kilmer was born onDecember 31, 1959 in Los Angeles
, the son of an aerospaceequipment distributor Wow yeah
and a real estate developer.
Kilmer's parents divorced whenhe was a child.
(19:47):
Tragedy struck years later whenhis younger brother, wesley,
drowned after having anepileptic seizure.
Oh geez, I know the 15 year olddied while on the way to the
hospital.
His brother his brother's deathlater informed Kilmer's
performance in the 2002 moviethe Salton Sea.
I feel like I need to watchthat one now.
(20:08):
He began acting while atChatsworth High School.
His classmates were there,included the now notorious Kevin
Spacey and Mayor Winningham,who also became famous actors.
Wait, can I ask a question?
(20:28):
So?
Speaker 1 (20:29):
what are we supposed to do about kevin spacey,
because I really like kevinspacey's?
Movies, but I understand nowthat he is a despicable human
being however, seven is one of,I know, my favorite movies of
all time.
And his performanceparticularly, is just
outstanding.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
He is an amazing actor.
You can't take that away fromhim.
But I feel like one of myfavorite stupid comedy movies is
Get Him to the Greek andbetween Diddy and Brand.
I mean that movie's done.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I can't ever watch it again.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
I mean, I've seen it a hundred times so I could say
it verbatim I hate and Brand.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
I mean that movie's done.
I can't ever watch it again.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
I mean, I've seen it a hundred times, so I could say
it verbatim I hate Russell Brand, I hate him.
Yeah, I'm not a fan, but thatmovie is fucking funny, yeah.
So to me it's up to you.
I mean, you don't tell anybodywhat to do, you navigate that
your way.
I just don't know if I would beable to watch things now, like
how am I going to laugh at you,right, or I don't know.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I've heard one way, where it was you can hate the.
I guess hate the player, notthe game.
But I have heard like you canenjoy the art but just like
dislike the person.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
So yeah, I mean this all started for me as a struggle
with R Kelly.
Yeah because Ignition is was myjam.
I mean I will go straight uphigh school dance on you with
that song.
But now I don't feel like I canlisten to it anymore.
I just can't enjoy it becauseI'm like, yeah, I don't know,
(22:12):
yeah, I mean, but I don't wantto say it sucks, because I'm
glad people are finally feelinglike they have a voice and they
can stand up to even the richand famous.
Yep, um, so uh.
Kilmer later attended thehollywood professional school
and the jilly guard school ofnew york city, where the 17 year
old was the youngest student tobe accepted to the drama
(22:33):
division.
At the time he became a methodactor.
Uh, I saw some actor methodactor got in trouble recently
and I don't think I'm going toremember his name.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
That's crazy, that method actor I know, heath
Ledger, was also a method actor.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I think they go in.
I mean what he did yeah, but Ithink a lot of people I have
seen a lot of actors, both maleand female say it kind of took
them a while to get over beingthat character.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah, I would like to digress one more second.
Yes, I know we're talking aboutno, please, val kilmer, and but
I'm sorry, but, um, heathledger, I don't care who you are
, he is the best joker yeah so,behind jack nick and um, how was
it caesar romero that played onthe tv show?
Speaker 2 (23:23):
yeah, yeah, yeah, I think.
Uh, I think you're in themajority there with heath ledger
it was just fucking phenomenalyeah, I think a lot of people 10
things I hate about you oh mygod, I don't even that silly
movie he did the the spoof of.
Was it romeo and juliet?
No, that's what 10 things Ihate about you.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
It's the taming of.
Was it Romeo and Juliet?
No, that's what it.
Ten Things I Hate About youit's the taming of the shrew.
Oh okay, it's the taming of theshrew.
Okay, almost.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I do remember that I was thinking.
I never saw that, but I doremember that.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
It's not like Romeo and Juliet, where it's word for
word, but it is done in iambicpentameter and it is it mimic,
it is it mimics, it is thetaming of the shark.
Gotcha, Gotcha.
Okay, cool.
I love that fucking movie.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yeah, let's see.
Kilmer began his professionalcareer in the New York theater
scene.
Oh, I forgot to tell my story.
The method actor.
Recently he attended a grievingparents support group.
Oh boy Because he was going tobe playing a grieving parent.
(24:29):
But I think he played alonglike he was a grieving parent
and then people found out he wasthere just to study.
Yeah, not a good look.
Luckily I can't remember hisname so I can't call him out,
but you can Google it if youlike.
All right, so professionalcareer in the new york theater
scene.
He had several roles in theearly 1980s, including the drama
(24:50):
the slab boys with fellow castmembers sean penn and kevin
bacon.
Uh, come 1984, kilmer made hisdebut uh, film debut in the spy
spoof top secret.
I have seen that.
I do remember that movie.
I can actually that's back when, um well, not in 84, but not
(25:13):
too many years later I wasworking in a couple of video
stores and I can still rememberwhat that movie VHS tapes cover
look like A string of supportingparts, including as the
roommate in Real Genius, whichwas a movie I loved when I was a
kid.
That movie came out in 1985.
But his breakout was rightaround the corner.
(25:36):
Another supporting rolematerialized in the form of Navy
pilot Tom Iceman Kaczynski inTop Gun in 1986.
Initially Kilmer wasn'tinterested in the Tom Cruise
vehicle.
I get that.
Me too.
I didn't want the part.
I didn't care about the film.
The story didn't interest me.
Kilmer later wrote in hismemoir.
But the rising star wasconvinced when director Tony
(26:00):
Scott promised Iceman's rolewould develop from the original
script.
Top Gun ultimately became thetop grossing movie in 1986,
earning nearly $177 million atthe box office.
That's a lot of money back then.
That is a lot of money.
So he portrayed Jim Morrison inthe Doors in 1991, and that
(26:21):
really launched his career inthe Doors in 1991, and that
really launched his career.
Now a familiar face.
Kilmer received his truebreakout role in 1991 as rock
icon Jim Morrison in OliverStone's the Doors.
The film allowed the actor toshow off another talent, as his
own singing voice was recordedfor the soundtrack.
I did not know that, I did noteither.
I bet that made it extra sadfor him when he lost his voice.
(26:44):
Yeah, yeah, uh.
Tombstone, true romance andbatman forever.
Kilmer followed this success byportraying another american,
other american legends in two ofhis next movies gunslinger doc.
Holiday in tombstone in 1993and the spirit of elvis presley
(27:04):
in true romance in 1993 I didnot know he was in true.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Um, okay, here's the thing.
I would move heaven and earthfor gary oldman, yeah he is in
true romance and um, there isnot a gary oldman movie that I
will not see, and I'm sorry.
I don't care if he murdered 37000 people, I would still that's
(27:30):
how I feel about george clooneyand so true, yeah, yeah, he's
got a great part in true, I lovetrue romance.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I am definitely gonna go back and watch that one.
Um, if Feast of the Spirit ofElvis Presley it wasn't that
it's in Vegas, right?
Mm-hmm, yeah, that must havebeen, maybe.
Yeah, yeah, it was during thisperiod in his career that Kilmer
earned a reputation for beingdifficult to work with.
The actor, notably clashed withMichael Apted while working on
(28:00):
Thunderheart in 1992, and withJoel Schumacher during the
filming of Batman Forever in1995.
Kilmer's turn as Bruce Waynewas notably poor, which the
actor blamed his character'siconic outfit.
It was a struggle for me to geta performance past the suit and
it was frustrating until Irealized that my role in the
(28:23):
film was just to show up andstand where I was told to.
Kilmer shared in a 2021documentary about his life and
career.
After refusing to repeat therole, kilmer broke his Batman
contract and went on to otherprojects.
He really isn't.
I don't know if I've seen thatone, but he's not a memorable
Batman because if you told me tolist who's been Batman, I don't
think if I've seen that one,but he's not a memorable batman
because if you told me to listwho's been batman, I don't think
(28:46):
he would pop up in my head Ithink that is the one where the
suit had nipples.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Maybe it's the one with two face and the riddler,
and jim carrey is the riddler,um and I.
That would be a cool kidmanmaybe was in it, maybe um yes I
think you're right.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I think I did see a picture and there was a robin.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
No, he doesn't have nipples in this picture, but, um
, it was he robin, was it?
It's a shame too, because, um,from I don't remember it because
I haven't watched it in like itdoesn't sound very memorable.
No, but it seems to me that JimCarrey would make a great
Riddler.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
He would, but I bet he's really obnoxious to work
with oh.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
I don't know, because the other day I saw something
with him and he seemed like, notLike, I feel like I I think
he's a method actor also, um,from what I understand, the, um,
the movie.
Oh, what the fuck was thatmovie?
Uh, you know what I'm talkingabout?
(29:58):
Ace ventura, no, the one wherehe plays the cable guy which is
my favorite, the one where heplayed Andy Kaufman, man on the
Moon.
He apparently was Andy Kaufmanto the point where Andy
Kaufman's parents he spent asignificant amount of time
(30:20):
trying to get his.
It's a very good movie I don'tknow that.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I've seen it.
Is it a serious movie?
I guess, yeah, I don't thinkI've ever seen that I like, I
like jim carrey um, you knowwhat?
It's not that I don't like jimcarrey, I don't like ace ventura
and dumb and dumbers all right.
Yeah, I don't like all thosestupid ass movies that he made,
(30:46):
although the Cable Guy yes.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Well, that's a dark comedy, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
And it's got Matthew Broderick in it who I love too,
but that movie is fucking funny.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
That and you know the Grinch.
I enjoy him as the Grinch.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
See, I don't like the Grinch as a whole.
No, him as the Grinch.
See, I don't like the Grinch asa whole.
No, just not Like I watch itthe original at Christmas time.
That Grinch with Jim Carrey isone of Cailin's favorite
Christmas movies.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
She has the weirdest face in Christmas movies.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
It was my niece's favorite she loves that one and
she loves Polar Express, which,even though it's Tom Hanks that
one kind of creeps me out.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
It's like AI Right.
Like early AI and it just kindof creeps me out.
It's called Uncanny Valley.
It's what it's called.
Okay, and it's too close tobeing real but not, Not cartoony
.
Yeah, it's like it's there's athere, it's called Uncanny
Valley, where there's like a,like a point where it's not
cartoony enough, but not realenough yeah cartoony enough, but
not real enough.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
So it's like a it's that it freaks people out and
there's a reason for it.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Yes, um, I did read, just to educate everyone, and
I'm probably doing this allwrong, so I'm probably lying
straight up to you, I probablyjust imagined it right, but it's
because of way back when therewere other humanoids around.
They kind of look like us butnot look like us.
So there was enough of adifference then and obviously
(32:10):
homo sapiens cleaned out therest of the of the herd so um.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
That's why that actually makes a lot of sense
and then so back to jim carrey.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Um, that was your fun fact of the day, even though it
might not be true.
That was your fun, maybe factTell all your friends.
Yes, it's definitely calledUncanny Valley.
I do know, that?
What was the one where he wasin the bubble?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Whatever that one was was good.
The Truman Show the Truman Show.
The thing about Jim Carrey washe made a promise to his dad
that he was going to make amillion dollars by a certain
amount of time, and he wrote acheck to his dad for a million
dollars.
Oh so he took every singlesolitary role that came, no
(33:02):
matter what, whether he liked itor not.
Plus, I mean in Living ColorFire Marshall Bill Abira Are you
kidding?
Speaker 2 (33:11):
me.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
DeMilo, I mean any you know it's funny.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
You said that because I thought earlier today we need
to do an episode on LivingColor, because I wanted to be a
fly girl because of JenniferLopez.
I want to do do.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
I think we should start a secondary podcast and do
a watch.
I don't know if anybody's donelike a a rewatch of you know how
they have like the podcast withthe rewatch of buffy or a
rewatch of in living color.
I don't think anybody has doneone.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Well, now you told everybody hey, that's trademark,
poor man's, don't steal heridea, god damn it, we're gonna
put that on our patreon yeah,whatever that means, yeah all
right anyway.
Um, that's a pay to play.
Uh.
Following batman forever.
Kilmer signed on for the crimethriller heat.
(33:59):
I do feel like I remember thatthere was a movie called Heat.
I don't think I watched it.
That was 1995, along withRobert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Yeah, that is starting to ringa bell now.
In 1996, he co-starred withMichael Douglas in the Ghost and
the Darkness.
I do love Michael Douglas, yes,so I might have to look that
(34:23):
one up too.
During the late 1990s, kilmerdelivered a string of less than
successful performances,including the movies the Saint
in 1997, at First Sight in 1999,and Joe the King in 1999.
After lending his booming voiceto the role of Moses in the
animated movie the Prince ofEgypt in 1998, he returned to
(34:47):
form as a tormented drug addictin the Salton Sea in 2002.
Yeah, again, not one I've heardof.
Kilmer drew upon his youngerbrother's untimely death decades
(35:13):
earlier to portray hischaracter, danny parker, who is
haunted by witnessing his wife'smurder.
No, sounds like it might begood.
Yeah, uh.
In 2004, kilmer portrayedphilip the second of macedon in
alexander.
Uh, appearing alongsideangelina Jolie and Colin Farrell
.
Two years later, he played FBIagent Paul Prizewara.
I don't know why that name hasto be so difficult.
Why do they do that?
I know, yeah, just making PaulJones.
Yeah, who cares?
(35:34):
In the film Deja Vu starringDenzel.
I do love me some, denzel, Iknow you do, I do love me some
Denzel, I know you do.
Kilmer went on to earn notableroles in Conspiracy in 2008,
Double Identity in 2009, and theTraveler in 2010, while voicing
the supercar Kit in a reboot ofthe hit 1980 series Knight
(35:56):
Rider.
I don't think I realized he wasthe voice.
I don't think I realized thatthey did a reboot of Knight
Rider.
I did know.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
You do know Danzel Washington has a house in
Bethany, right, I do.
I don't know where it is.
I probably could find out.
Don't tell me.
If you do, no stalking Danzel,I don't need to get arrested.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Kilmer continued contributing to films across a
range of genres, including thefarcical comedy MacGruber in
2010, the horror flick Twixt in2011, and the Disney animated
feature Planes in 2013.
He also starred as Mark Twainin Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry
(36:39):
Finn in 2014, which I think thatsounds really good.
I haven't seen that, but Ithink he'd be a good Mark Twain.
Before launching a one-manstage show about the famed
writer and humorist.
Following a cancer-inducedhiatus from the screen, kilmer
surfaced in the romantic dramaSong to Song and the suspenseful
(37:01):
the Snowman in 2017.
Drama Song to Song and thesuspenseful the Snowman in 2017.
His illness prompted atrachostomy that permanently
altered his speaking ability, soboth parts were small For the
Snowman.
His voice was dubbed, which isa damn shame.
His final role as a return tothe character that first brought
(37:25):
Kilmer to the public'sattention Iceman Tom Kaczynski.
The actor briefly reprised therole alongside Tom Cruise's
Maverick for the massivelysuccessful sequel Top Gun
Maverick In 2022, blockbustermade nearly one of the 2022.
I was like wait, blockbusterisn't around, all right the 2022
(37:45):
blockbuster made nearly 1.5billion in tickets ticket sales
worldwide and was credited withsaving movie theaters in the
wake of covid19 pandemic.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Oh yeah, that's nice of them yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
So now we get to the juicy stuff, because I love
celebrity relationships.
She loves to spill the tea.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
I do.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
My poor husband knows everybody who's married to, who
, who's dating, who, who's brokeup, and he, finally, has
started listening to me, so I'llstop telling him.
So when I go to say something,he can tell me back and I'll be
like oh okay, I already told you.
So yeah, so this is the sweetspot for me.
Um so, throughout his prolificcareer in hollywood, the actor
(38:30):
dated few a-listers, includingshare I remember, share, I mean
not just the human being share,but I remember.
I mean it's hard to not remembershare, but um, I remember and
they stayed friends their wholelife, which I will get to later
okay I'll wait no, uh, cindycrawford and angelina jolie boo,
(38:54):
I didn't know, we hated her.
Oh, I really hate her.
Oh, because it's brad pitt andjennifer aniston oh and I was
reading something the other dayabout like his split from
jennifer aniston.
Even though he had cheated onher, it was amicable and they've
remained friends and all thatand then his like nightmare
(39:15):
divorce from angelina joliewhich there are two sides to
every story and and they have 37kids.
They do, and I don't know ifwhose side it is true, although
I feel like Brad Pitt says,because I feel like she talk,
talk, talks too much to not betrying to prove a point.
But whatever, all right, itcould be because Brad Pitt's
(39:37):
cute too, I don't know.
I suppose, most notably, he wasmarried to actress joanne
whaley for nearly a decade.
The couple welcomed twochildren before they split in
1995.
Years later, kilmer told theguardian in a may 2005 interview
that he'd recommend marriage.
It's a lot of security andcomfort.
(39:59):
It's naturally how we are.
We pair up as species.
Would I get married again?
Sure, he explained, although henever did.
Fast forward to 2020, kilmerrevealed in his memoir I'm your
Huckleberry, a memoir that hehad not had a girlfriend in 20
years.
Smart man.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Very.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Still, he admired women for different reasons.
I've always found womeninfinitely more interesting than
men.
True that perhaps that's whywe've always gotten along.
We are big oafy elephants andthey are butterflies not all of
us.
My friend used to call me abutterfly with I forget, because
(40:47):
I'm generally nice generallyuntil you piss me off, yes, and
then I'm not nice.
Um.
Shit, I can't remember.
Maybe it'll come to me, maybenot.
Um.
Legendary singer and actress,share might be better known for
her marriages to Sonny Bono andGreg Allman, but she also dated
Kilmer.
After they met at a birthdayparty in the early 80s, we
(41:10):
became friends because welaughed at the same things
constantly.
He would sleep over and it wasjust a friendship at first.
She told People in August 2021.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
I love me some Cher yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Yeah and I love how she, Cher, yeah, yeah and she.
I love how she does not give afuck, Not even a little Nope.
Eventually, Kilmer and Cher'sconnection turned romantic,
which evolved into artisticadmiration.
It went from madly in love andlaughing hysterically to
respecting each other's ability.
She said the couple dated for afew years before splitting.
(41:43):
We had unbelievable times andthen put up with some times when
they weren't that way becausewe were both alpha males.
She continued, alluding to whythey broke up.
We were both individuals andneither of us was going to give
that up.
Afterward, Kilmer and Cherstayed friends.
In his memoir, the actor wroteabout his 2015 throat cancer
(42:07):
diagnosis and the support shegave him through the illness.
Kilmer stayed in Cher's guesthome while his health was in
decline.
One night I suddenly awokevomiting blood that covered the
bed like a scene out of theGodfather.
I prayed immediately, thencalled 911, then alerted my
hostess.
He said Cher stepped in andstepped up.
More recently, Cher reflectedon their relationship during a
(42:31):
November 2024 interview with theHoward Stern Show.
Sometimes you're only meant tostay with someone so long.
And Val was really young.
She said Cher likes them reallyyoung.
Yes, she does.
She gets older, but herboyfriends get younger.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
You know what?
I'm beginning to think?
That she sucks the blood out ofthem or something, because she
does not age, so she is.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
You're right yeah.
Maybe she's a vampire she mightbe, and all her little
boyfriends are now vampiresobviously not val kilmer too
soon.
That's our dark humor comingout.
You have to forgive us,whatever.
Um in the 1980s kilmer datedfellow actress ellen barkin, who
(43:24):
is another one of my favorites,yeah I like her oh my god,
she's awesome.
Uh, who has starred in movieslike switch, fear and loathing
in las vegas and oceans 13,which I just watched a few
weekends ago.
I love those.
I do too, and she's so good inoceans.
13 yeah when she gets seducedby, uh, matt damon.
Oh my god, it's so funny yeahum.
(43:47):
In his memoir, kilmer describedbarkin, who was born in the
bronx, new york, as having thebest smile in all five boroughs.
The actors were together onlybriefly, but kilmer recounted
some of his favorite features ofher decades later.
I remember, remember her wit,her sultry eyes, but mostly her
laugh and her hair, he said.
Kilmer recalled window shoppingon Rodeo Drive by day and
(44:12):
barbecuing at night, andrevealed that Barkin was one of
the enchantresses who got away,no doubt due to my unmanageable
preoccupations, my neglect.
Yeah, she does have sultry eyes, like that's the perfect way to
say it.
In a November 2006 interviewwith Elle, he shared that out of
(44:32):
his previous partners, if hewere arrested he'd pick Cher as
his character witness.
Meanwhile, kilmer quipped thathe would most fear Barkin to
testify against him.
Oh snap, she's got the dirt.
Meanwhile, kilmer quipped thathe would most fear Barkin to
testify against him.
Oh snap, she's got the dirt.
Kilmer met English actressJoanne Whaley in 1987 while they
were filming the movie Willow.
(44:52):
They married in 1988 and hadtwo kids Mercedes was born in
1991 and Jack was born in 1995.
Shortly after welcoming Jack,the couple separated and Whaley
filed for divorce from Kilmer,citing irreconcilable
differences, which is my leastfavorite reason that celebrity
couples give because I want thedirt.
(45:18):
In 2017, Whaley, Mercedes andJack joined Kilmer for an
interview with the HollywoodReporter, in which he disclosed
his throat cancer.
Mercedes followed her parentsinto acting, starring as
Kilmer's on-screen daughter inthe 2020 crime thriller film Pay
Dirt.
Do you know that one?
(45:38):
No, yeah, me neither.
Similarly, Jack has landedroles in several movies,
including Palo Alto, Lords ofChaos and the Pretenders no, no
and no, no, Maybe the Pretenders, but no, I don't think it's the
same Pretenders.
I don't think so.
(45:58):
Supermodel Cindy Crawford firstcrossed paths with Kilmer at the
premiere of Batman Forever in1995.
So she saw that movie at thepremiere and still dated him At
the time.
He had recently separated fromWhaley and she was divorced from
Richard Gere.
Kilmer and Crawford dated fortwo years, splitting in 1997.
(46:18):
The actor mentioned Crawford inhis memoir, expressing his
gratitude for their relationship.
Oh God, I love Cindy and I justkept loving her.
I thought I could have diedfrom her love, because its
delight was simply too much tobear.
I would die of happiness, hewrote.
And you know part of me.
I'm reading through this.
I'm like that's so kind that hewent through, like all his old
(46:40):
girlfriends and said all thesenice things, but some of it's
kind of cheesy too.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Well, I mean yeah, but it's still very nice,
probably what happens whenyou're dying.
True, that You're going toremember the good stuff and try
to put out the bad.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
Some people have been told that they like to put
things in tiny boxes and pushthem away.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
I wonder who that was .
I wonder who that was.
Yeah, but it is very nice ofhim to not go back and say
anything bad about them andpoint out what he loves so much
about them.
I thought that was very sweet.
I had fun writing this part.
In a May 2005 interview withthe Guardian, kilmer described
(47:24):
her as very nice and a smartgirl with a great sense of humor
.
He added she's a fantastic cooktoo.
Always carried recipes aroundwhen she traveled.
Kilmer began dating actressDaryl Hannah.
Speaker 1 (47:31):
What the hell happened.
Where is Daryl Hannah?
I don't know.
She kind of just like droppedoff the face of the earth,
didn't she?
Speaker 2 (47:37):
Yeah, like a really long time ago yeah.
Maybe she's one of those actorsthat left Hollywood and moved
to the Midwest, maybe I hope shedidn't get eaten at one of the
celebrity parties.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
Maybe that's what happened to her Maybe.
She got eaten.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Yeah, they were like Daryl, come over to our party.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
They splashed water on her.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Yeah, yeah, and then ate her All right.
So he dated Daryl Hannah afterthey were co-stars in In God we
Trust in 2001.
Never heard of it.
I'm really sorry if, like ValKilmer, fans are listening Like
how have you never heard of anyof these movies?
Speaker 1 (48:20):
But I'm not.
I'm just not a movie buff, no.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
Like, obviously I watched a lot as a kid because
we had a VCR and that's what youdid.
Yes, but yeah, now even myhusband, he'll try to pick out a
movie, and I'm just like I'drather play on my phone and just
kind of have my numbing TV on.
I just I can't.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
I don't know why I can binge watch a show for 14
hours straight yes, if you say,let's watch a movie, I'm like,
oh, I can't pay attention.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
I know I don't know what it is.
Yeah, for real, and really Iwill end that series and be like
I basically just watched a 14hour movie, but easy peasy, no
problem.
Speaker 1 (49:04):
And now I can't imagine going to a movie theater
and sitting in a movie theaterand watching something I mean
nowadays.
I mean, for fuck's sake, I livein an efficiency apartment and
my TV is like half the room.
So I'm like, right, I'm in themovies with it.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Yeah, the last one I went to see was Barbie, but I
wanted to see that one withother people, I took a friend's
daughter to see Labyrinth theredo.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
I was going to say, wow, that was a really long time
ago.
It was like last year.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
And which of your friends, when you were five, had
a daughter?
Speaker 1 (49:44):
Hey, I like older people.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
Alright.
They broke up the followingyear and she later married
Neilil young in 2018.
Hold up all right.
Yes, you, you know what Iforgot, because I actually got
the script done early and that'swhy I don't do scripts early,
because I forgot what was inhere and I meant to bring that
up, like make a point of that,when it came up did you know
(50:11):
that she married neil young?
Speaker 1 (50:13):
no, she was married to neil young and just in 2018?
Speaker 2 (50:16):
that was only seven years ago.
What?
Speaker 1 (50:18):
yeah, so she's.
She didn't get eaten sevenyears ago right so it's been
since seven years ago that shehas been eaten, poor neil young.
Wow, I did uh-huh yeah, look atthat you learn something new
every day yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (50:37):
In his memoir, kilmer recalled the time they spent
together in new mexico and wrotethat his breakup from hannah
was particularly painful.
Lord knows I've sufferedheartache, but daryl was by far
the most painful of all, hewrote, jokingly, adding ne
adding.
Neil Young, I always loved you,but I'm afraid I hate you now.
Huh.
I just I'm, I'm, so I guessshe's really the one that got
(50:59):
away.
I guess so.
Actress Angelina Jolie workedwith Val Kilmer on the 2004 film
Alexander, in which they playedthe parents of Alexander the
Great.
I couldn't wait to kiss Angie,buy her a Gulfstream jet and
(51:19):
have a V and J painted inrainbow glory on the tail,
kilmer wrote in his memoir.
He also told director OliverStone that he'd only take the
part if he and Jolie could haveflashbacks to falling hard for
each other and storming thecastle with passion before
turning against each other.
He wanted to make out with her.
Kilmer described Jolie asperhaps the most soulful and
(51:43):
serious of the women he dated.
He continued when people askwhat she's like, I say she's
like other women and othersuperstars, just more.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
I can see how she's just more of everything, yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:57):
So his cancer In January 2009.
Let's bring the room down.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Yeah, no more fun.
Speaker 2 (52:04):
In January 2015,.
Kilmer was hospitalized afterhaving emergency surgery
performed on his throat.
In April 2017, he finallyconfirmed the longstanding
rumors that he was battlingthroat cancer.
The lifelong Christianscientist wasn't eager for
medical intervention in keepingwith his religious faith, but
decided to undergo treatmentanyway on account of his
(52:26):
children.
He had a trachos Fucking word,I'm not even going to say it
again that permanently damagedhis vocal cords, as well as
radiation and chemotherapy.
Ultimately, the cancer wentinto remission.
Late in 2017, the actor openedup about how things had changed
since his cancer diagnosis.
I was too serious, he toldHollywood Reporter, Recounting
(52:51):
his days as an A-lister.
I'd get upset when things likeOscars and recognition failed to
come my way.
Too serious, he told HollywoodReporter, recounting his days as
an A-lister.
I'd get upset when things likeOscars and recognition failed to
come my way.
Kilmer shared more detailsabout his experiences as a
cancer patient in his 2020memoir I'm your Huckleberry,
revealing his ex-girlfriend Cherhad helped him get through some
of the toughest times.
The movie star died ofpneumonia on april 1st 2025 at
(53:13):
age 65 in his hometown.
And that's my story on valkilmer.
So, although I am not a valkilmer super fan, there are a
lot of his movies that I haven'tseen.
Um.
The ones I have seen of his arejust iconic, um, and I love
them and I just, yeah, this onejust kind of sucked some do you
(53:37):
know.
Like some of them you get hit byharder um yeah, and you don't
even really expect it like, evenwhen I heard it I was like oh,
but as the day progressed, I waslike oh it kind of sucks.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
I find, um, of course , you know you, you know this,
but I don't know if everybodyelse.
Anthony bourdain is the onethat hit me the hardest because
a, I love anthony bourdain, Imean, I mean, he lived, yeah,
the best life he did and he was,you know, I identified with him
(54:11):
, obviously because he was achef and um, I'm not, but he
didn't, he wasn't like chefy.
I put that in air quotesbecause you didn't see that he
wasn't chefy, he was a cook yeahyeah, yeah, he was a cook yeah,
um, because he loved what hedid.
Speaker 2 (54:32):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (54:33):
I mean, it was in his bones and he always said he was
terrible at it.
But so I think my issue withhim particularly, like you know,
robin Williams was difficultand Prince was hard and you know
hard yeah.
But I'm telling, the one thatsticks with me is anthony
(54:54):
bourdain, and you know therehave been other um suicides.
You know, of course, kurt cobain, and you know but he was kind
of that classic god, I did notsee that one coming and that's
my point, your best lifetraveling the world, meeting
people, just loving, like he hadsuch a quit smoking or life he
(55:15):
had gone on depression medic, hehad gone on medication, he had
done everything to prolong hislife exactly he had, he had he
had a kid and he was married andhe was absolutely at the top of
his life and here's the thingabout that.
(55:39):
And as someone who strugglesevery single solitary day with
depression, sometimes worse thanothers, and I am medicated and
he was medicated.
So at what point and I talk tomy therapist about this all the
time At what point do you justsay I'm done?
There has to be, because youhear of these people who have
(55:59):
gone 50 years and then theycommit suicide at 50, 60 years
old and you have to think atsome point.
Speaker 2 (56:05):
There's a point where you're just like Well, it
always stuck with me, our friendthat committed suicide when we
were younger.
The part that I remember mostabout that story was he came
home from work, he ate his lunch, he took the dog out, fed the
dog and then he went in thebedroom the last few days of his
(56:29):
life.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
I did um that time with him and it was.
He was great, he was having thetime of his life he had.
He was just.
Everything was firing on allcylinders and actually my
therapist said, and it may, andthat's the day it like hit me.
I was like, oh wow, is I?
(56:51):
I said you know they just andyou hear this about everybody
that has.
I think you're not supposed tosay committed suicide anymore,
it's completed suicide oh yeah,I have not heard that, yeah, um
so everyone it's like, oh, wedidn't see it coming.
He had been so happy and she hadbeen so happy.
The last few days were justgreat.
And I said that to my therapistand she was like, because they
(57:12):
know it's over and I was like oh, so they want you to remember
them.
Well, no because they know thatthey're, they're about to stop
their suffering and that makesthem happy yes, they know it's
over or soon to be over.
That's what she said.
That's when they make theirdecision and then they, they.
After that they're having thetime because they know that
(57:34):
they're it's gonna end.
So if you ever see me actinghappy like, watch out, don't let
me eat shrimp mentally prepareif I'm just like yeah today is
the greatest day ever.
Speaker 2 (57:46):
Something I would think you've been kidnapped and
somebody was making you say thatI'm wearing a heather suit.
Speaker 1 (57:56):
Yeah, it's just so.
That's the one that hit me thehardest was Anthony Bourdain, I
think, and of course Prince.
Speaker 2 (57:59):
but yeah, prince sucked yeah, that one sucked
yeah.
I watched MTV all day that day,because all they did was play
his music videos and his movie.
I watched Purple Rain.
Yeah, prince was.
Speaker 1 (58:12):
Yeah, principal's.
Okay, cancer's a bitch.
That's what my uncle died of,but he hung on for four years he
did.
He had stage four liver cancerwhen they found it and he hung
on.
Speaker 2 (58:32):
He said fuck you, you stage four liver cancer.
He lived the last.
I'm going out on my term.
Speaker 1 (58:36):
Yeah, he did live the rest of his life and they
cruised everywhere andeverything but yeah.
Yeah, cancer sucks, fuck cancer.
Speaker 2 (58:46):
Yeah, fuck cancer.
Speaker 1 (58:48):
It's brewing in here somewhere.
You hope I know.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
You'll be the one person on earth who never gets
cancer.
I'm trying really hard I don'tknow the garbage I eat Cancer's
like no thanks.
No, We'll go find somebody thatjogs and eats vegetarian this
(59:13):
one's gonna live forever?
Speaker 1 (59:16):
god, I hope not.
So that was good.
Yeah, val kilmer.
Yeah, rip val kilmer rip valkilmer bringing it back.
Yeah, um.
So she told you all up at thebeginning, but I'm going to tell
you all again because we haveyet to decide how to change the
ending or how to end it.
(59:38):
We just spent.
Yeah, thanks for listening.
Like share rate review.
Find us where you listen topodcasts.
Tell a friend, follow us on allthe socials.
At likewhateverpod, you cansend us an email and tell us why
(01:00:00):
we should watch more Val Kilmermovies.
Yes To likewhateverpod atgmailcom.
Or don't like whatever.
Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Whatever, bye, bye.
Two best friends, we're talking the past, From
mistakes to arcades.
We're having a blast.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Teenage dreams, neon screens.
It was all rad and no one knewme Like you know.
It's like whatever.
Together forever, we're neverthe best ever Laughing and
sharing our stories.
Clever, we'll take you back.
It's like whatever.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome to Like Whatever a podcast for, by and
about Gen X.
I'm Nicole and this is my BFF,heather Hola, so I'm not going
to ask you how your week was.
It was crappy but you do have afew things to share.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I do well first.
Today is the anniversary of myuncle's passing.
I forgot to tell you.
I want to talk about that part.
We shared a birthday.
We were very he's one of myfavorite people, so today is
that anniversary.
So today has been pretty rough,yes, but aside from the shitty
(01:09):
week I've had in the past 50years, a week and 50 years.
So there was a dead whale.
Another dead whale washed up.
This one, contrary to popularbelief, was not because of the
windmills that we do not haveyet, but, uh, it was a boat
strike, which, okay here.
(01:30):
So here's the thing likeeverybody's freaking out, oh,
this is the third dead whale inlike a year and a half.
Um, we live at the beach andshit dies in the ocean and their
occurrence Exactly.
It's just, I think prior to now, you didn't know how many
(01:51):
things died and floated up onthe beach because there wasn't
social media to tell you, right,how many things died.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Because it would just like when I was younger.
It would be word of mouth Likeyou would hear hey, did you hear
there was a whale on the beachand we would all run down, or
you could smell it, right, um,so we'd all run down there and
look at it right.
So you're basically saying thishas been happening since you
were a child, exactly um, soanyway, this one got stuck in
the bay and it got stuck on asandbar, which is just a shame
yes, like it's almostembarrassing yes, so they were
(02:23):
having.
they couldn't tow it off becausethey couldn't.
It was too heavy and theycouldn't pull it off.
So they were like it's beenlike a week long saga of what
they're going to do about thiswhale and I thought to myself,
hey, why don't we just leave itwhere it is?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Because there's for a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I don't understand it .
Well, and the last I heardprior, it did dislodge and it
has moved back out to sea.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh, all by itself, oh look at that.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
So it's going to hit somebody else's beach and then
everybody's going to be like oh,by the way, now there's another
dead whale.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Right so anyway, Maybe that's just this past year
and a half is just the same one.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Same.
So anyway, that's just thispast year and a half is just the
same dead whale.
So but then they were talkingabout blowing it up and I was
like, but why can't we justleave it where it is?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I've seen video of them blowing one up.
It's not as fun as it mightsound.
And it's a, it's gross and Bwhy can't you just leave it
where it is Like?
What is the problem?
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yes, it didn't have a disease.
It got hit in the head with theprop.
That's what killed it.
So let crabs and shit eat it.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Well, it's unsightly.
That's true.
They don't want all their richboaters to have to look at dead
whales.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
That is true.
Seeing the dead whale sit there, well, no, I don't know.
It was a bit.
It's been like a week long.
And then yesterday I heard ithad dislodged itself from the
sandbar.
The winds and the tides werejust right and it moved it along
and it's now it's back out tosea and it's probably gonna wash
(03:57):
up in new jersey and thenthey're gonna be like, oh no,
another dead whale and it'sgonna be like no, although maybe
not, because I think they diddo a necropsy on it.
So they're big chunks of itprobably gone, gross, yeah.
And then also I did get newshoes.
And what kind of shoes did?
I got me some doc martinsneakers.
(04:17):
I know they're adorable theyare cute, um, and they're not
heavy like my boots and they umare probably appropriate for
work.
Well, I don't know, becausetoday we got handed down that
they're going to start doingshoe inspection inspections
because that's what you all needto worry about right now you
know she didn't look like shewas too thrilled about having to
(04:38):
look at our shoes every goddamnday.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So yeah, I always feel bad for management when
they get stupid stuff frommanagement higher than this.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah, so yeah, that's their current whatever, but
yeah, they're very comfortable.
I love them.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
But how about you?
So I'm having one of thosecrazy busy weeks that I hate,
but because I'm doing some extrastuff for work, I get to take
Friday off, so that's amazing.
But firstly I wanted to give ashout out to the protesters that
participated in Hands Off thispast weekend.
(05:18):
I have some friends that went toDC.
I have some friends that wentto Rehoboth and just following
everybody all over the country,I thought it was amazing.
I was mad at myself.
I kind of feel like I didn'treally realize it was coming.
Like my husband was even like,what's the protest?
I was like, well, it's a fairquestion because it could be any
(05:39):
number of things at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
I have just been off of social media completely for
the last week and a half point.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I have just been off of social media completely for
the last week and a half and I'mreally mostly on it for the
podcast, so I'm not looking atanything except like whatever
pod, um, so uh, but yeah, but Idid see people uh that
participated and shout out toy'all because good job, it's
awesome yes I appreciate you andif I know it's coming up next
(06:06):
time, maybe I'll participate.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Maybe we should pay attention to social media, maybe
.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And then also, my favorite time of the year is
here at the Masters.
Oh, yes, in Augusta.
Yes, I'm a big PGA fan,although live golf has kind of
ruined everything, but it's justnot the same anymore, and most
of my favorite golfers wentwhere they were getting paid 10
times more yeah, so whatever.
But those golfers do come backfor the Masters.
(06:37):
So my favorite, like John Rom,will be participating, so I'll
get to watch him play.
So another good reason I haveFriday off.
Oh yeah, so yeah, participating, so I'll get to watch him play.
So another good reason I havefriday off um, oh yeah, so yeah.
And then one other thing Iwanted to bring up was, uh, our
buddy, uh, at gen x watch onfacebook.
He uh posted earlier today thathis book is.
(07:00):
He has physical book out forsale right now for $17.
And he also wanted to make itaffordable for everyone.
So he has an e-book right nowfor $4.99 for a limited time.
And again, the name of the bookis Hearts of Glass, and we have
also.
I shared this post on ourFacebook page.
(07:23):
It's very good.
I read it.
I still have not, but, in allfairness to me, I haven't read a
book in like since high school,because I hate reading.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I love reading.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, I would love to be a reader, but my brain
doesn't work that way.
I think I don't know what Ihave.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I'm not going to self-diagnose, but we're going
to have him on too, because hewants to hang with us.
A I have to figure out how torecord and edit Zoom, which I do
not know.
And and B I have a lot of shitgoing on right now, so we have
to work through that.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yep, yep, but we will definitely be having him on
eventually.
Yes, all right.
So just real quick, if youcould go on and like share rate
review.
You can find us wherever youlisten to podcasts and obviously
you're listening, so you knowwhere to find us.
Follow us on all the socials atLikeWhateverPod, we are on
(08:25):
YouTube.
It is at LikeWhatever all oneword and the W is capital.
If you're having troublefinding it, we are on TikTok and
you can send us an email atLikeWhateverPod, at gmailcom.
So now we are going to get intothis week's topic, which is a
(08:46):
little sad, but it'll beinteresting.
We're going to fuck around andfind out about the life of Val
Kilmer, who we lost this week.
He was only 65 years old, whichis very sad.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
It's crazy because you know, I forget it's a TikTok
going around and I forget.
I forget it's a TikTok goingaround and I forget.
I don't know what movie it'sfrom, but they play this one
speech about um, it's it's.
You know, you can feel itcoming and the end is coming and
it's it's just we have toremember that.
(09:18):
We have to remember that we'reall getting older now and it's a
little weird to be losing.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, this one hit hard because he wasn't that much
older than us.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
We lost so many people in the 90s Right and then
we went like however many yearsit's been since the 90s, where
it was like boomers were dyingor the youngsters were dying,
like Gen X was like leveled out.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah, the actors you were watching in your parents'
movies.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yes, those were the ones who were dying off.
And then now we get to thispoint where it's like your
friends are dying off andeverybody you knew, everybody's
getting cancer and all these.
It's just weird.
Getting old is so weird it'sit's, it is, it's like I don't
know.
You know, recently I have beenthinking about you know where
(10:16):
I'm obviously atheist uh, whereyou stand, like what happens
when you die, because I wassitting thinking the other day
like, like does the late just go?
Like what happened?
Are you conscious through itall?
And then you just like I wonderwhat happens.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I do believe that you always know when you're dying
like that, you've died.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
You do.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Because I think, isn't it true, when you get
decapitated, you're still alive.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
It's like 10 seconds, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
So you would think you'd at least still be alive
that long once your heart stops.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I don't know, it's just like a weird.
I guess I never really hadthought about it until the Grim
Reaper was looming.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
And I used to think because I'm not religious at all
, I just kind of figured I don'treally care what they do with
my body when I die and my mom'sdonating her body to science,
and I was like oh, maybe I'll dothat.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
That's a good idea.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
But then I was kind of like I don't believe in um
well, religion is basically asit is here, but I do believe in
energy yeah and I do believethat everything is
interconnected and I kind ofthink I do want to go back to
the earth, um, so I don't knowwhat that looks like, though
(11:34):
it's just a way.
It's just like I don't think Iwant to be cremated, because
then my cells don't go back, orlike I don't go back into the
earth.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
It's just ash.
I'm donating myself.
Well, somebody is going to bedonating me to the body farm.
Yeah, Okay.
A, so you can?
You know, then I can helppeople solve crimes, which
obviously I have always wantedto do.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yes and B, it's not a burden on your family because
nobody has to bury you, nobodyhas to pay for a funeral, nobody
has to buy.
Yeah, that makes very goodsense for you.
Yeah, like I throw you in afield somewhere and let you
decay, and yeah I'd really loveto just be buried in my backyard
, but that's not legal, so noand they probably come after
somebody wanting to know why mydead body's in the backyard
(12:24):
maybe I mean, I definitely don'twant to be in a casket, I don't
think I want to be cremated Idon't know.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I always wanted to be cremated, but then I started
thinking about it and I was like, well, I wouldn't mind, you
know if I'm gonna be useful,because nobody's gonna be able
to use my organs that's a greatidea for you, I have fucked them
all up, so um, but like bodyfarm, that is like you're
helping to solve crimes.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
That's kind of neat.
Yeah, maybe if my murderaddiction continues to grow,
I'll decide to go that route aswell.
But no, I really do Like Iwould love to.
Ultimately, if I could dosomething and if this is a thing
I'll have to figure it out butI would like to be buried in a
hole and have a tree planted ontop.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
They actually do.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
They have green burials now okay, yeah, where
you're not in a box.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah, I don't know that if you can do it in
delaware yet, but I do know thatthey do have green burials now
where you can um I don't need tobe buried in delaware.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
All right, I just want to be.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Well, I'm going to be dead because you cannot die
before me.
I won't, I promise.
It's against the law I promiseI won't.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Can't take it.
I know you can't, no, and Ipromise I won't.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Okay, I'll probably.
You heard all that, everybodyheard that.
So if she dies before me, Iwon't.
I'm coming for her anyway, allright.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
so um val kilmer, uh, the actor who played the
infamous ice man in top gun andtook on the role of the caped
crusader batman forever, died inlos angeles on april 1st.
The 65 year old's cause ofdeath was pneumonia.
According to his daughter, merKilmer, the illness followed the
actor's 2014 throat cancerdiagnosis that required a
(14:08):
trachostomy, yes, chemotherapyand radiation before going into
remission, and that was reallysad because that had a big
effect on him.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
I imagine that it does.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yeah, and through reading this I found he was a
very private person and he didcome back and act in the
maverick top gun maverick.
So I wonder if he would haveliked to have acted more but
couldn't if it got cut shortthat's another thing like I
wonder about myself.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Like if I were to be given the cancer diagnosis, I'm
not sure I would go through allthat.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah now, yeah, I mean, that's something you can't
answer until you're in thatsituation, but I'm not sure I
would go through all that.
Yeah, now, yeah, I mean, that'ssomething you can't answer
until you're in that situation,but I would understand that and
some people do that it's usuallyolder people.
Well, I'm tired.
I know I've had enough.
I know, and you know, I'll tryto talk you into it if that time
(15:05):
comes, all right.
So if wait, not if, if Not if,I've lived a magical life,
kilmer said in a 2021documentary.
I've captured quite a bit of it.
(15:26):
The versatile actor led astoried career, first gaining
recognition for his performancein 1986's Top Gun and
skyrocketing to fame for hisportrayal of rock musician Jim
Morrison in the 1991 movie theDoors.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I can't believe that was 91.
Isn't?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
that crazy.
That's the year I graduatedhigh school.
That's what I mean.
These people are like our age,because he was probably in his
early 20s when he did that and II just can't believe it was
that long ago that that moviecame out yeah, I guess he was
probably in his later 20s, butanyway, um, after playing the
title role of batman forever in1995, a role that failed to
(16:01):
impress even kilmer, the losangeles native, appeared in a
string of less successful moviesbefore making a comeback with
MacGruber in 2010.
He took a break from actingfollowing his cancer diagnosis
but later returned to the screenin 2017's Song to Song.
Kilmer's appearance in hisfinal film in 2022, reprising
(16:24):
his famed role as Iceman in TopGun Maverick.
Have you ever heard of Song toSong?
I have not.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I have not either.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Did you see the Doors ?
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I'm going to say no, yes, I did see that one and I
saw the Batman, but I don'tremember.
I should have watched it overthe weekend to refresh myself.
I know I've seen every Batman,so I do know I've seen that, but
I don't remember it at all.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I know I meant to watch his movies this weekend
too, but work and work's beennuts the past two weeks, so when
I'm home my brain is just it'smostly Candy Crush and murder
documentaries.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I've been watching the Big Bang.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Theory.
That's all I can handle, me too.
So who was Val Kilmer?
Actor Val Kilmer rose to famein the 1980s with a role in Top
Gun and was later known forportraying Rockstar.
I already said that the LosAngeles native was 17 when he
became the youngest person to beaccepted into Juilliard's drama
program.
(17:21):
At the time, his first majorrole was as navy pilot, tom
iceman kazansky, opposite tomcruise and top gun.
Have you seen top gun?
I have not, and I know everybodyreally okay look I don't have a
problem with it hop off my nutsI've never seen titanic, so I
don't like tom cruise I don'tlike tom cruise either.
(17:41):
Yeah yeah yeah, I did see TopGun a lot.
I mean it was VHS when we werekids so it was one of the ones
we had on tape.
So I've seen it 5,000 times.
So I guess you didn't seeMaverick either.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
No.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Okay, I actually was pleasantly surprised with
Maverick.
I didn't want to watch it, butmy husband's a big Tom not Tom
Cruise, but Top Gun fan, right.
So we watched it and I was.
It wasn't bad, all right.
So after his breakthrough inthe Doors, his career bounced
from the Western Tombstone tocrime thrillers like Heat and
(18:16):
the dramas the Ghost and theDarkness and the Salton Sea.
Have you heard of any of thosebesides?
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Tombstone.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Nope, you know Tombstone, though.
Of those besides Tombstone,nope, you know Tombstone, though
I do know Tombstone.
Okay good, that is an excellentmovie and that's the one I
really want to try to rewatchthis weekend, but it didn't
happen.
Kilmer was married to fellowactor Joanne Whaley for several
years before divorcing.
In 2014,.
He was diagnosed with throatcancer.
(18:44):
His treatment was successful,though his voice was permanently
damaged from surgery.
Kilmer died at age 65 in April2025.
So some quick facts, because welike our little Quick facts.
They are quick facts.
This time they're not reallyfun facts.
So his full name is Val EdwardKilmer.
He was born December 31st 1959.
(19:05):
So I guess he's 14 years olderthan me, so a little bit older.
He's not a Gen X.
He was born in Los Angeles,california.
He was married to Joanne Whaleyfrom 1988 to 1996.
He has two children, namedMercedes and Jack, and his
(19:26):
astrological sign is Capricorn.
Ooh, that's fancy, I know Hisearly life.
Val Edward Kilmer was born onDecember 31, 1959 in Los Angeles
, the son of an aerospaceequipment distributor Wow yeah
and a real estate developer.
Kilmer's parents divorced whenhe was a child.
(19:47):
Tragedy struck years later whenhis younger brother, wesley,
drowned after having anepileptic seizure.
Oh geez, I know the 15 year olddied while on the way to the
hospital.
His brother his brother's deathlater informed Kilmer's
performance in the 2002 moviethe Salton Sea.
I feel like I need to watchthat one now.
(20:08):
He began acting while atChatsworth High School.
His classmates were there,included the now notorious Kevin
Spacey and Mayor Winningham,who also became famous actors.
Wait, can I ask a question?
(20:28):
So?
Speaker 1 (20:29):
what are we supposed to do about kevin spacey,
because I really like kevinspacey's?
Movies, but I understand nowthat he is a despicable human
being however, seven is one of,I know, my favorite movies of
all time.
And his performanceparticularly, is just
outstanding.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
He is an amazing actor.
You can't take that away fromhim.
But I feel like one of myfavorite stupid comedy movies is
Get Him to the Greek andbetween Diddy and Brand.
I mean that movie's done.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I can't ever watch it again.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
I mean, I've seen it a hundred times so I could say
it verbatim I hate and Brand.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
I mean that movie's done.
I can't ever watch it again.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
I mean, I've seen it a hundred times, so I could say
it verbatim I hate Russell Brand, I hate him.
Yeah, I'm not a fan, but thatmovie is fucking funny, yeah.
So to me it's up to you.
I mean, you don't tell anybodywhat to do, you navigate that
your way.
I just don't know if I would beable to watch things now, like
how am I going to laugh at you,right, or I don't know.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I've heard one way, where it was you can hate the.
I guess hate the player, notthe game.
But I have heard like you canenjoy the art but just like
dislike the person.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
So yeah, I mean this all started for me as a struggle
with R Kelly.
Yeah because Ignition is was myjam.
I mean I will go straight uphigh school dance on you with
that song.
But now I don't feel like I canlisten to it anymore.
I just can't enjoy it becauseI'm like, yeah, I don't know,
(22:12):
yeah, I mean, but I don't wantto say it sucks, because I'm
glad people are finally feelinglike they have a voice and they
can stand up to even the richand famous.
Yep, um, so uh.
Kilmer later attended thehollywood professional school
and the jilly guard school ofnew york city, where the 17 year
old was the youngest student tobe accepted to the drama
(22:33):
division.
At the time he became a methodactor.
Uh, I saw some actor methodactor got in trouble recently
and I don't think I'm going toremember his name.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
That's crazy, that method actor I know, heath
Ledger, was also a method actor.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I think they go in.
I mean what he did yeah, but Ithink a lot of people I have
seen a lot of actors, both maleand female say it kind of took
them a while to get over beingthat character.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah, I would like to digress one more second.
Yes, I know we're talking aboutno, please, val kilmer, and but
I'm sorry, but, um, heathledger, I don't care who you are
, he is the best joker yeah so,behind jack nick and um, how was
it caesar romero that played onthe tv show?
Speaker 2 (23:23):
yeah, yeah, yeah, I think.
Uh, I think you're in themajority there with heath ledger
it was just fucking phenomenalyeah, I think a lot of people 10
things I hate about you oh mygod, I don't even that silly
movie he did the the spoof of.
Was it romeo and juliet?
No, that's what 10 things Ihate about you.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
It's the taming of.
Was it Romeo and Juliet?
No, that's what it.
Ten Things I Hate About youit's the taming of the shrew.
Oh okay, it's the taming of theshrew.
Okay, almost.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I do remember that I was thinking.
I never saw that, but I doremember that.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
It's not like Romeo and Juliet, where it's word for
word, but it is done in iambicpentameter and it is it mimic,
it is it mimics, it is thetaming of the shark.
Gotcha, Gotcha.
Okay, cool.
I love that fucking movie.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yeah, let's see.
Kilmer began his professionalcareer in the New York theater
scene.
Oh, I forgot to tell my story.
The method actor.
Recently he attended a grievingparents support group.
Oh boy Because he was going tobe playing a grieving parent.
(24:29):
But I think he played alonglike he was a grieving parent
and then people found out he wasthere just to study.
Yeah, not a good look.
Luckily I can't remember hisname so I can't call him out,
but you can Google it if youlike.
All right, so professionalcareer in the new york theater
scene.
He had several roles in theearly 1980s, including the drama
(24:50):
the slab boys with fellow castmembers sean penn and kevin
bacon.
Uh, come 1984, kilmer made hisdebut uh, film debut in the spy
spoof top secret.
I have seen that.
I do remember that movie.
I can actually that's back when, um well, not in 84, but not
(25:13):
too many years later I wasworking in a couple of video
stores and I can still rememberwhat that movie VHS tapes cover
look like A string of supportingparts, including as the
roommate in Real Genius, whichwas a movie I loved when I was a
kid.
That movie came out in 1985.
But his breakout was rightaround the corner.
(25:36):
Another supporting rolematerialized in the form of Navy
pilot Tom Iceman Kaczynski inTop Gun in 1986.
Initially Kilmer wasn'tinterested in the Tom Cruise
vehicle.
I get that.
Me too.
I didn't want the part.
I didn't care about the film.
The story didn't interest me.
Kilmer later wrote in hismemoir.
But the rising star wasconvinced when director Tony
(26:00):
Scott promised Iceman's rolewould develop from the original
script.
Top Gun ultimately became thetop grossing movie in 1986,
earning nearly $177 million atthe box office.
That's a lot of money back then.
That is a lot of money.
So he portrayed Jim Morrison inthe Doors in 1991, and that
(26:21):
really launched his career inthe Doors in 1991, and that
really launched his career.
Now a familiar face.
Kilmer received his truebreakout role in 1991 as rock
icon Jim Morrison in OliverStone's the Doors.
The film allowed the actor toshow off another talent, as his
own singing voice was recordedfor the soundtrack.
I did not know that, I did noteither.
I bet that made it extra sadfor him when he lost his voice.
(26:44):
Yeah, yeah, uh.
Tombstone, true romance andbatman forever.
Kilmer followed this success byportraying another american,
other american legends in two ofhis next movies gunslinger doc.
Holiday in tombstone in 1993and the spirit of elvis presley
(27:04):
in true romance in 1993 I didnot know he was in true.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Um, okay, here's the thing.
I would move heaven and earthfor gary oldman, yeah he is in
true romance and um, there isnot a gary oldman movie that I
will not see, and I'm sorry.
I don't care if he murdered 37000 people, I would still that's
(27:30):
how I feel about george clooneyand so true, yeah, yeah, he's
got a great part in true, I lovetrue romance.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I am definitely gonna go back and watch that one.
Um, if Feast of the Spirit ofElvis Presley it wasn't that
it's in Vegas, right?
Mm-hmm, yeah, that must havebeen, maybe.
Yeah, yeah, it was during thisperiod in his career that Kilmer
earned a reputation for beingdifficult to work with.
The actor, notably clashed withMichael Apted while working on
(28:00):
Thunderheart in 1992, and withJoel Schumacher during the
filming of Batman Forever in1995.
Kilmer's turn as Bruce Waynewas notably poor, which the
actor blamed his character'siconic outfit.
It was a struggle for me to geta performance past the suit and
it was frustrating until Irealized that my role in the
(28:23):
film was just to show up andstand where I was told to.
Kilmer shared in a 2021documentary about his life and
career.
After refusing to repeat therole, kilmer broke his Batman
contract and went on to otherprojects.
He really isn't.
I don't know if I've seen thatone, but he's not a memorable
Batman because if you told me tolist who's been Batman, I don't
think if I've seen that one,but he's not a memorable batman
because if you told me to listwho's been batman, I don't think
(28:46):
he would pop up in my head Ithink that is the one where the
suit had nipples.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Maybe it's the one with two face and the riddler,
and jim carrey is the riddler,um and I.
That would be a cool kidmanmaybe was in it, maybe um yes I
think you're right.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I think I did see a picture and there was a robin.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
No, he doesn't have nipples in this picture, but, um
, it was he robin, was it?
It's a shame too, because, um,from I don't remember it because
I haven't watched it in like itdoesn't sound very memorable.
No, but it seems to me that JimCarrey would make a great
Riddler.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
He would, but I bet he's really obnoxious to work
with oh.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
I don't know, because the other day I saw something
with him and he seemed like, notLike, I feel like I I think
he's a method actor also, um,from what I understand, the, um,
the movie.
Oh, what the fuck was thatmovie?
Uh, you know what I'm talkingabout?
(29:58):
Ace ventura, no, the one wherehe plays the cable guy which is
my favorite, the one where heplayed Andy Kaufman, man on the
Moon.
He apparently was Andy Kaufmanto the point where Andy
Kaufman's parents he spent asignificant amount of time
(30:20):
trying to get his.
It's a very good movie I don'tknow that.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I've seen it.
Is it a serious movie?
I guess, yeah, I don't thinkI've ever seen that I like, I
like jim carrey um, you knowwhat?
It's not that I don't like jimcarrey, I don't like ace ventura
and dumb and dumbers all right.
Yeah, I don't like all thosestupid ass movies that he made,
(30:46):
although the Cable Guy yes.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Well, that's a dark comedy, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
And it's got Matthew Broderick in it who I love too,
but that movie is fucking funny.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
That and you know the Grinch.
I enjoy him as the Grinch.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
See, I don't like the Grinch as a whole.
No, him as the Grinch.
See, I don't like the Grinch asa whole.
No, just not Like I watch itthe original at Christmas time.
That Grinch with Jim Carrey isone of Cailin's favorite
Christmas movies.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
She has the weirdest face in Christmas movies.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
It was my niece's favorite she loves that one and
she loves Polar Express, which,even though it's Tom Hanks that
one kind of creeps me out.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
It's like AI Right.
Like early AI and it just kindof creeps me out.
It's called Uncanny Valley.
It's what it's called.
Okay, and it's too close tobeing real but not, Not cartoony
.
Yeah, it's like it's there's athere, it's called Uncanny
Valley, where there's like a,like a point where it's not
cartoony enough, but not realenough yeah cartoony enough, but
not real enough.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
So it's like a it's that it freaks people out and
there's a reason for it.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Yes, um, I did read, just to educate everyone, and
I'm probably doing this allwrong, so I'm probably lying
straight up to you, I probablyjust imagined it right, but it's
because of way back when therewere other humanoids around.
They kind of look like us butnot look like us.
So there was enough of adifference then and obviously
(32:10):
homo sapiens cleaned out therest of the of the herd so um.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
That's why that actually makes a lot of sense
and then so back to jim carrey.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Um, that was your fun fact of the day, even though it
might not be true.
That was your fun, maybe factTell all your friends.
Yes, it's definitely calledUncanny Valley.
I do know, that?
What was the one where he wasin the bubble?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Whatever that one was was good.
The Truman Show the Truman Show.
The thing about Jim Carrey washe made a promise to his dad
that he was going to make amillion dollars by a certain
amount of time, and he wrote acheck to his dad for a million
dollars.
Oh so he took every singlesolitary role that came, no
(33:02):
matter what, whether he liked itor not.
Plus, I mean in Living ColorFire Marshall Bill Abira Are you
kidding?
Speaker 2 (33:11):
me.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
DeMilo, I mean any you know it's funny.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
You said that because I thought earlier today we need
to do an episode on LivingColor, because I wanted to be a
fly girl because of JenniferLopez.
I want to do do.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
I think we should start a secondary podcast and do
a watch.
I don't know if anybody's donelike a a rewatch of you know how
they have like the podcast withthe rewatch of buffy or a
rewatch of in living color.
I don't think anybody has doneone.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Well, now you told everybody hey, that's trademark,
poor man's, don't steal heridea, god damn it, we're gonna
put that on our patreon yeah,whatever that means, yeah all
right anyway.
Um, that's a pay to play.
Uh.
Following batman forever.
Kilmer signed on for the crimethriller heat.
(33:59):
I do feel like I remember thatthere was a movie called Heat.
I don't think I watched it.
That was 1995, along withRobert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Yeah, that is starting to ringa bell now.
In 1996, he co-starred withMichael Douglas in the Ghost and
the Darkness.
I do love Michael Douglas, yes,so I might have to look that
(34:23):
one up too.
During the late 1990s, kilmerdelivered a string of less than
successful performances,including the movies the Saint
in 1997, at First Sight in 1999,and Joe the King in 1999.
After lending his booming voiceto the role of Moses in the
animated movie the Prince ofEgypt in 1998, he returned to
(34:47):
form as a tormented drug addictin the Salton Sea in 2002.
Yeah, again, not one I've heardof.
Kilmer drew upon his youngerbrother's untimely death decades
(35:13):
earlier to portray hischaracter, danny parker, who is
haunted by witnessing his wife'smurder.
No, sounds like it might begood.
Yeah, uh.
In 2004, kilmer portrayedphilip the second of macedon in
alexander.
Uh, appearing alongsideangelina Jolie and Colin Farrell
.
Two years later, he played FBIagent Paul Prizewara.
I don't know why that name hasto be so difficult.
Why do they do that?
I know, yeah, just making PaulJones.
Yeah, who cares?
(35:34):
In the film Deja Vu starringDenzel.
I do love me some, denzel, Iknow you do, I do love me some
Denzel, I know you do.
Kilmer went on to earn notableroles in Conspiracy in 2008,
Double Identity in 2009, and theTraveler in 2010, while voicing
the supercar Kit in a reboot ofthe hit 1980 series Knight
(35:56):
Rider.
I don't think I realized he wasthe voice.
I don't think I realized thatthey did a reboot of Knight
Rider.
I did know.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
You do know Danzel Washington has a house in
Bethany, right, I do.
I don't know where it is.
I probably could find out.
Don't tell me.
If you do, no stalking Danzel,I don't need to get arrested.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Kilmer continued contributing to films across a
range of genres, including thefarcical comedy MacGruber in
2010, the horror flick Twixt in2011, and the Disney animated
feature Planes in 2013.
He also starred as Mark Twainin Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry
(36:39):
Finn in 2014, which I think thatsounds really good.
I haven't seen that, but Ithink he'd be a good Mark Twain.
Before launching a one-manstage show about the famed
writer and humorist.
Following a cancer-inducedhiatus from the screen, kilmer
surfaced in the romantic dramaSong to Song and the suspenseful
(37:01):
the Snowman in 2017.
Drama Song to Song and thesuspenseful the Snowman in 2017.
His illness prompted atrachostomy that permanently
altered his speaking ability, soboth parts were small For the
Snowman.
His voice was dubbed, which isa damn shame.
His final role as a return tothe character that first brought
(37:25):
Kilmer to the public'sattention Iceman Tom Kaczynski.
The actor briefly reprised therole alongside Tom Cruise's
Maverick for the massivelysuccessful sequel Top Gun
Maverick In 2022, blockbustermade nearly one of the 2022.
I was like wait, blockbusterisn't around, all right the 2022
(37:45):
blockbuster made nearly 1.5billion in tickets ticket sales
worldwide and was credited withsaving movie theaters in the
wake of covid19 pandemic.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Oh yeah, that's nice of them yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
So now we get to the juicy stuff, because I love
celebrity relationships.
She loves to spill the tea.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
I do.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
My poor husband knows everybody who's married to, who
, who's dating, who, who's brokeup, and he, finally, has
started listening to me, so I'llstop telling him.
So when I go to say something,he can tell me back and I'll be
like oh okay, I already told you.
So yeah, so this is the sweetspot for me.
Um so, throughout his prolificcareer in hollywood, the actor
(38:30):
dated few a-listers, includingshare I remember, share, I mean
not just the human being share,but I remember.
I mean it's hard to not remembershare, but um, I remember and
they stayed friends their wholelife, which I will get to later
okay I'll wait no, uh, cindycrawford and angelina jolie boo,
(38:54):
I didn't know, we hated her.
Oh, I really hate her.
Oh, because it's brad pitt andjennifer aniston oh and I was
reading something the other dayabout like his split from
jennifer aniston.
Even though he had cheated onher, it was amicable and they've
remained friends and all thatand then his like nightmare
(39:15):
divorce from angelina joliewhich there are two sides to
every story and and they have 37kids.
They do, and I don't know ifwhose side it is true, although
I feel like Brad Pitt says,because I feel like she talk,
talk, talks too much to not betrying to prove a point.
But whatever, all right, itcould be because Brad Pitt's
(39:37):
cute too, I don't know.
I suppose, most notably, he wasmarried to actress joanne
whaley for nearly a decade.
The couple welcomed twochildren before they split in
1995.
Years later, kilmer told theguardian in a may 2005 interview
that he'd recommend marriage.
It's a lot of security andcomfort.
(39:59):
It's naturally how we are.
We pair up as species.
Would I get married again?
Sure, he explained, although henever did.
Fast forward to 2020, kilmerrevealed in his memoir I'm your
Huckleberry, a memoir that hehad not had a girlfriend in 20
years.
Smart man.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Very.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Still, he admired women for different reasons.
I've always found womeninfinitely more interesting than
men.
True that perhaps that's whywe've always gotten along.
We are big oafy elephants andthey are butterflies not all of
us.
My friend used to call me abutterfly with I forget, because
(40:47):
I'm generally nice generallyuntil you piss me off, yes, and
then I'm not nice.
Um.
Shit, I can't remember.
Maybe it'll come to me, maybenot.
Um.
Legendary singer and actress,share might be better known for
her marriages to Sonny Bono andGreg Allman, but she also dated
Kilmer.
After they met at a birthdayparty in the early 80s, we
(41:10):
became friends because welaughed at the same things
constantly.
He would sleep over and it wasjust a friendship at first.
She told People in August 2021.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
I love me some Cher yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Yeah and I love how she, Cher, yeah, yeah and she.
I love how she does not give afuck, Not even a little Nope.
Eventually, Kilmer and Cher'sconnection turned romantic,
which evolved into artisticadmiration.
It went from madly in love andlaughing hysterically to
respecting each other's ability.
She said the couple dated for afew years before splitting.
(41:43):
We had unbelievable times andthen put up with some times when
they weren't that way becausewe were both alpha males.
She continued, alluding to whythey broke up.
We were both individuals andneither of us was going to give
that up.
Afterward, Kilmer and Cherstayed friends.
In his memoir, the actor wroteabout his 2015 throat cancer
(42:07):
diagnosis and the support shegave him through the illness.
Kilmer stayed in Cher's guesthome while his health was in
decline.
One night I suddenly awokevomiting blood that covered the
bed like a scene out of theGodfather.
I prayed immediately, thencalled 911, then alerted my
hostess.
He said Cher stepped in andstepped up.
More recently, Cher reflectedon their relationship during a
(42:31):
November 2024 interview with theHoward Stern Show.
Sometimes you're only meant tostay with someone so long.
And Val was really young.
She said Cher likes them reallyyoung.
Yes, she does.
She gets older, but herboyfriends get younger.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
You know what?
I'm beginning to think?
That she sucks the blood out ofthem or something, because she
does not age, so she is.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
You're right yeah.
Maybe she's a vampire she mightbe, and all her little
boyfriends are now vampiresobviously not val kilmer too
soon.
That's our dark humor comingout.
You have to forgive us,whatever.
Um in the 1980s kilmer datedfellow actress ellen barkin, who
(43:24):
is another one of my favorites,yeah I like her oh my god,
she's awesome.
Uh, who has starred in movieslike switch, fear and loathing
in las vegas and oceans 13,which I just watched a few
weekends ago.
I love those.
I do too, and she's so good inoceans.
13 yeah when she gets seducedby, uh, matt damon.
Oh my god, it's so funny yeahum.
(43:47):
In his memoir, kilmer describedbarkin, who was born in the
bronx, new york, as having thebest smile in all five boroughs.
The actors were together onlybriefly, but kilmer recounted
some of his favorite features ofher decades later.
I remember, remember her wit,her sultry eyes, but mostly her
laugh and her hair, he said.
Kilmer recalled window shoppingon Rodeo Drive by day and
(44:12):
barbecuing at night, andrevealed that Barkin was one of
the enchantresses who got away,no doubt due to my unmanageable
preoccupations, my neglect.
Yeah, she does have sultry eyes, like that's the perfect way to
say it.
In a November 2006 interviewwith Elle, he shared that out of
(44:32):
his previous partners, if hewere arrested he'd pick Cher as
his character witness.
Meanwhile, kilmer quipped thathe would most fear Barkin to
testify against him.
Oh snap, she's got the dirt.
Meanwhile, kilmer quipped thathe would most fear Barkin to
testify against him.
Oh snap, she's got the dirt.
Kilmer met English actressJoanne Whaley in 1987 while they
were filming the movie Willow.
(44:52):
They married in 1988 and hadtwo kids Mercedes was born in
1991 and Jack was born in 1995.
Shortly after welcoming Jack,the couple separated and Whaley
filed for divorce from Kilmer,citing irreconcilable
differences, which is my leastfavorite reason that celebrity
couples give because I want thedirt.
(45:18):
In 2017, Whaley, Mercedes andJack joined Kilmer for an
interview with the HollywoodReporter, in which he disclosed
his throat cancer.
Mercedes followed her parentsinto acting, starring as
Kilmer's on-screen daughter inthe 2020 crime thriller film Pay
Dirt.
Do you know that one?
(45:38):
No, yeah, me neither.
Similarly, Jack has landedroles in several movies,
including Palo Alto, Lords ofChaos and the Pretenders no, no
and no, no, Maybe the Pretenders, but no, I don't think it's the
same Pretenders.
I don't think so.
(45:58):
Supermodel Cindy Crawford firstcrossed paths with Kilmer at the
premiere of Batman Forever in1995.
So she saw that movie at thepremiere and still dated him At
the time.
He had recently separated fromWhaley and she was divorced from
Richard Gere.
Kilmer and Crawford dated fortwo years, splitting in 1997.
(46:18):
The actor mentioned Crawford inhis memoir, expressing his
gratitude for their relationship.
Oh God, I love Cindy and I justkept loving her.
I thought I could have diedfrom her love, because its
delight was simply too much tobear.
I would die of happiness, hewrote.
And you know part of me.
I'm reading through this.
I'm like that's so kind that hewent through, like all his old
(46:40):
girlfriends and said all thesenice things, but some of it's
kind of cheesy too.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Well, I mean yeah, but it's still very nice,
probably what happens whenyou're dying.
True, that You're going toremember the good stuff and try
to put out the bad.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
Some people have been told that they like to put
things in tiny boxes and pushthem away.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
I wonder who that was .
I wonder who that was.
Yeah, but it is very nice ofhim to not go back and say
anything bad about them andpoint out what he loves so much
about them.
I thought that was very sweet.
I had fun writing this part.
In a May 2005 interview withthe Guardian, kilmer described
(47:24):
her as very nice and a smartgirl with a great sense of humor
.
He added she's a fantastic cooktoo.
Always carried recipes aroundwhen she traveled.
Kilmer began dating actressDaryl Hannah.
Speaker 1 (47:31):
What the hell happened.
Where is Daryl Hannah?
I don't know.
She kind of just like droppedoff the face of the earth,
didn't she?
Speaker 2 (47:37):
Yeah, like a really long time ago yeah.
Maybe she's one of those actorsthat left Hollywood and moved
to the Midwest, maybe I hope shedidn't get eaten at one of the
celebrity parties.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
Maybe that's what happened to her Maybe.
She got eaten.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Yeah, they were like Daryl, come over to our party.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
They splashed water on her.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Yeah, yeah, and then ate her All right.
So he dated Daryl Hannah afterthey were co-stars in In God we
Trust in 2001.
Never heard of it.
I'm really sorry if, like ValKilmer, fans are listening Like
how have you never heard of anyof these movies?
Speaker 1 (48:20):
But I'm not.
I'm just not a movie buff, no.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
Like, obviously I watched a lot as a kid because
we had a VCR and that's what youdid.
Yes, but yeah, now even myhusband, he'll try to pick out a
movie, and I'm just like I'drather play on my phone and just
kind of have my numbing TV on.
I just I can't.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
I don't know why I can binge watch a show for 14
hours straight yes, if you say,let's watch a movie, I'm like,
oh, I can't pay attention.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
I know I don't know what it is.
Yeah, for real, and really Iwill end that series and be like
I basically just watched a 14hour movie, but easy peasy, no
problem.
Speaker 1 (49:04):
And now I can't imagine going to a movie theater
and sitting in a movie theaterand watching something I mean
nowadays.
I mean, for fuck's sake, I livein an efficiency apartment and
my TV is like half the room.
So I'm like, right, I'm in themovies with it.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Yeah, the last one I went to see was Barbie, but I
wanted to see that one withother people, I took a friend's
daughter to see Labyrinth theredo.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
I was going to say, wow, that was a really long time
ago.
It was like last year.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
And which of your friends, when you were five, had
a daughter?
Speaker 1 (49:44):
Hey, I like older people.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
Alright.
They broke up the followingyear and she later married
Neilil young in 2018.
Hold up all right.
Yes, you, you know what Iforgot, because I actually got
the script done early and that'swhy I don't do scripts early,
because I forgot what was inhere and I meant to bring that
up, like make a point of that,when it came up did you know
(50:11):
that she married neil young?
Speaker 1 (50:13):
no, she was married to neil young and just in 2018?
Speaker 2 (50:16):
that was only seven years ago.
What?
Speaker 1 (50:18):
yeah, so she's.
She didn't get eaten sevenyears ago right so it's been
since seven years ago that shehas been eaten, poor neil young.
Wow, I did uh-huh yeah, look atthat you learn something new
every day yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (50:37):
In his memoir, kilmer recalled the time they spent
together in new mexico and wrotethat his breakup from hannah
was particularly painful.
Lord knows I've sufferedheartache, but daryl was by far
the most painful of all, hewrote, jokingly, adding ne
adding.
Neil Young, I always loved you,but I'm afraid I hate you now.
Huh.
I just I'm, I'm, so I guessshe's really the one that got
(50:59):
away.
I guess so.
Actress Angelina Jolie workedwith Val Kilmer on the 2004 film
Alexander, in which they playedthe parents of Alexander the
Great.
I couldn't wait to kiss Angie,buy her a Gulfstream jet and
(51:19):
have a V and J painted inrainbow glory on the tail,
kilmer wrote in his memoir.
He also told director OliverStone that he'd only take the
part if he and Jolie could haveflashbacks to falling hard for
each other and storming thecastle with passion before
turning against each other.
He wanted to make out with her.
Kilmer described Jolie asperhaps the most soulful and
(51:43):
serious of the women he dated.
He continued when people askwhat she's like, I say she's
like other women and othersuperstars, just more.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
I can see how she's just more of everything, yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:57):
So his cancer In January 2009.
Let's bring the room down.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Yeah, no more fun.
Speaker 2 (52:04):
In January 2015,.
Kilmer was hospitalized afterhaving emergency surgery
performed on his throat.
In April 2017, he finallyconfirmed the longstanding
rumors that he was battlingthroat cancer.
The lifelong Christianscientist wasn't eager for
medical intervention in keepingwith his religious faith, but
decided to undergo treatmentanyway on account of his
(52:26):
children.
He had a trachos Fucking word,I'm not even going to say it
again that permanently damagedhis vocal cords, as well as
radiation and chemotherapy.
Ultimately, the cancer wentinto remission.
Late in 2017, the actor openedup about how things had changed
since his cancer diagnosis.
I was too serious, he toldHollywood Reporter, Recounting
(52:51):
his days as an A-lister.
I'd get upset when things likeOscars and recognition failed to
come my way.
Too serious, he told HollywoodReporter, recounting his days as
an A-lister.
I'd get upset when things likeOscars and recognition failed to
come my way.
Kilmer shared more detailsabout his experiences as a
cancer patient in his 2020memoir I'm your Huckleberry,
revealing his ex-girlfriend Cherhad helped him get through some
of the toughest times.
The movie star died ofpneumonia on april 1st 2025 at
(53:13):
age 65 in his hometown.
And that's my story on valkilmer.
So, although I am not a valkilmer super fan, there are a
lot of his movies that I haven'tseen.
Um.
The ones I have seen of his arejust iconic, um, and I love
them and I just, yeah, this onejust kind of sucked some do you
(53:37):
know.
Like some of them you get hit byharder um yeah, and you don't
even really expect it like, evenwhen I heard it I was like oh,
but as the day progressed, I waslike oh it kind of sucks.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
I find, um, of course , you know you, you know this,
but I don't know if everybodyelse.
Anthony bourdain is the onethat hit me the hardest because
a, I love anthony bourdain, Imean, I mean, he lived, yeah,
the best life he did and he was,you know, I identified with him
(54:11):
, obviously because he was achef and um, I'm not, but he
didn't, he wasn't like chefy.
I put that in air quotesbecause you didn't see that he
wasn't chefy, he was a cook yeahyeah, yeah, he was a cook yeah,
um, because he loved what hedid.
Speaker 2 (54:32):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (54:33):
I mean, it was in his bones and he always said he was
terrible at it.
But so I think my issue withhim particularly, like you know,
robin Williams was difficultand Prince was hard and you know
hard yeah.
But I'm telling, the one thatsticks with me is anthony
(54:54):
bourdain, and you know therehave been other um suicides.
You know, of course, kurt cobain, and you know but he was kind
of that classic god, I did notsee that one coming and that's
my point, your best lifetraveling the world, meeting
people, just loving, like he hadsuch a quit smoking or life he
(55:15):
had gone on depression medic, hehad gone on medication, he had
done everything to prolong hislife exactly he had, he had he
had a kid and he was married andhe was absolutely at the top of
his life and here's the thingabout that.
(55:39):
And as someone who strugglesevery single solitary day with
depression, sometimes worse thanothers, and I am medicated and
he was medicated.
So at what point and I talk tomy therapist about this all the
time At what point do you justsay I'm done?
There has to be, because youhear of these people who have
(55:59):
gone 50 years and then theycommit suicide at 50, 60 years
old and you have to think atsome point.
Speaker 2 (56:05):
There's a point where you're just like Well, it
always stuck with me, our friendthat committed suicide when we
were younger.
The part that I remember mostabout that story was he came
home from work, he ate his lunch, he took the dog out, fed the
dog and then he went in thebedroom the last few days of his
(56:29):
life.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
I did um that time with him and it was.
He was great, he was having thetime of his life he had.
He was just.
Everything was firing on allcylinders and actually my
therapist said, and it may, andthat's the day it like hit me.
I was like, oh wow, is I?
(56:51):
I said you know they just andyou hear this about everybody
that has.
I think you're not supposed tosay committed suicide anymore,
it's completed suicide oh yeah,I have not heard that, yeah, um
so everyone it's like, oh, wedidn't see it coming.
He had been so happy and she hadbeen so happy.
The last few days were justgreat.
And I said that to my therapistand she was like, because they
(57:12):
know it's over and I was like oh, so they want you to remember
them.
Well, no because they know thatthey're, they're about to stop
their suffering and that makesthem happy yes, they know it's
over or soon to be over.
That's what she said.
That's when they make theirdecision and then they, they.
After that they're having thetime because they know that
(57:34):
they're it's gonna end.
So if you ever see me actinghappy like, watch out, don't let
me eat shrimp mentally prepareif I'm just like yeah today is
the greatest day ever.
Speaker 2 (57:46):
Something I would think you've been kidnapped and
somebody was making you say thatI'm wearing a heather suit.
Speaker 1 (57:56):
Yeah, it's just so.
That's the one that hit me thehardest was Anthony Bourdain, I
think, and of course Prince.
Speaker 2 (57:59):
but yeah, prince sucked yeah, that one sucked
yeah.
I watched MTV all day that day,because all they did was play
his music videos and his movie.
I watched Purple Rain.
Yeah, prince was.
Speaker 1 (58:12):
Yeah, principal's.
Okay, cancer's a bitch.
That's what my uncle died of,but he hung on for four years he
did.
He had stage four liver cancerwhen they found it and he hung
on.
Speaker 2 (58:32):
He said fuck you, you stage four liver cancer.
He lived the last.
I'm going out on my term.
Speaker 1 (58:36):
Yeah, he did live the rest of his life and they
cruised everywhere andeverything but yeah.
Yeah, cancer sucks, fuck cancer.
Speaker 2 (58:46):
Yeah, fuck cancer.
Speaker 1 (58:48):
It's brewing in here somewhere.
You hope I know.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
You'll be the one person on earth who never gets
cancer.
I'm trying really hard I don'tknow the garbage I eat Cancer's
like no thanks.
No, We'll go find somebody thatjogs and eats vegetarian this
(59:13):
one's gonna live forever?
Speaker 1 (59:16):
god, I hope not.
So that was good.
Yeah, val kilmer.
Yeah, rip val kilmer rip valkilmer bringing it back.
Yeah, um.
So she told you all up at thebeginning, but I'm going to tell
you all again because we haveyet to decide how to change the
ending or how to end it.
(59:38):
We just spent.
Yeah, thanks for listening.
Like share rate review.
Find us where you listen topodcasts.
Tell a friend, follow us on allthe socials.
At likewhateverpod, you cansend us an email and tell us why
(01:00:00):
we should watch more Val Kilmermovies.
Yes To likewhateverpod atgmailcom.
Or don't like whatever.
Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Whatever, bye, bye.
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