Val Kilmer Names His Two All-Time Favorite Comedy Films
The action star reveals the two comedies he watches when he needs a laugh, and one choice might surprise you. His backstage antics during a musical production show just how much these films mean to him.
Val Kilmer built his career on action flicks and dramatic roles. Top Gun, Heat, and his memorable turn in Tombstone made him a household name. But comedy? That wasn't exactly his wheelhouse.
His filmography includes just a handful of funny movies. Top Secret!, his debut film from the Airplane! creators, showed early promise. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang could have launched a comedy career. It didn't. An uncredited cameo in The Love Guru happened. We don't talk about that one.
The Actor's Go-To Comedies
Despite his limited comedy resume, Kilmer had strong opinions about what made him laugh. Speaking with author Cindy Pearlman for her book about Hollywood's favorite films, he revealed his two picks without hesitation.
"I really like The Full Monty and Anchorman," Kilmer said. "I like those movies, and those are my answers."
His enthusiasm for Anchorman went beyond casual viewing. During a stage musical production, Kilmer spent downtime backstage doing Will Ferrell impressions. "For the first few weeks during the down times I was running around backstage doing dumb Will Ferrell jokes because he plays this great pompous dumb guy in Anchorman," he explained.
The cast had no idea what he was talking about. So Kilmer took action. "I like this movie so much that I got a copy of the film and ran it so my 55 cast-mates could understand it."
Two Very Different Films
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy hit theaters in 2004. Will Ferrell's bumbling newsreader in San Diego created a comedy phenomenon. The film's quotes became part of everyday language. When someone says things "escalated quickly," thank Ron Burgundy.
The Full Monty tells a completely different story. Unemployed British men turn to stripping to make ends meet. Set in Sheffield, Yorkshire, it's worlds away from sunny California. The film balances laughs with genuine drama about fathers, sons, and economic hardship.
That dramatic weight earned The Full Monty an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Comedy rarely gets that kind of recognition from the Academy.
Two wildly different movies united by one thing: they made Val Kilmer laugh when he needed it most. If they worked for him, maybe they'll work for you too.