Among his other iconic roles was portraying Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic, The Doors. Though the film would ultimately star Meg Ryan alongside Val as Jim’s girlfriend Pamela Courson, actress Jennifer Tilly fondly remembered auditioning for the movie.

“They paired together potential Jims with potential Pamelas. And they were running behind so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn, and the driveway,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants.”

Jennifer continued, “We all looked at each other like… Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance.”

After all, Val had a level of talent that made him unforgettable.

As director Michael Mann told The Hollywood Reporter of the late actor, “While working with Val on Heat I always marveled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character.”

“After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit,” Michael continued, referencing Val's battle with throat cancer, “this is tremendously sad news.”

For a closer look at Val’s epic life, keep reading.