Opinion The Third Edit: Val Kilmer, the Iceman

Over its eight seasons, the early aughts sitcom Psych (2006-14) featured a procession of celebrity guests, like William Shatner, Molly Ringwald and Tim Curry. But no one was bigger than Val Kilmer who appeared for all of 10 seconds in the series finale as Officer Dobson, a character who was frequently mentioned but never seen on the show. Few stars of Kilmer’s wattage — once a Hollywood leading man who could rival Tom Cruise and George Clooney — would have consented to such a cameo. But the actor, who died this week at the age of 65, had always charted his own course.

Consider the decisions Kilmer made after playing the caped crusader in Batman Forever (1995). His talent and screen presence had caught attention with roles like Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun (1986), Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) — which critic Roger Ebert was moved to describe as a possession, not a performance — and Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993). Batman Forever, his first big-budget film as a solo lead, was a success that propelled him into the A-list. Yet, rather than work on the sequel and cement his status, the actor chose to work on The Island of Dr Moreau (1996) just so that he could work with his idol Marlon Brando. Moreau — which was plagued by chaos even before Kilmer joined the cast — was a colossal failure and nothing in what came after, except The Saint (1997), could meet the promise his career had once shown.

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Yet, Kilmer remained a deeply respected actor, even when a reputation for being difficult and, later, a cancer diagnosis, made his screen appearances rare. In his second act, Kilmer returned to his first love, the stage, with only occasional film roles. His final appearance on the big screen, as the iconic “Iceman” in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), was a farewell that came too soon.