is Val Kilmer the most difficult actor in Hollywood, or its most ruthless perfectionist?
William Leith talks to the man formerly known as ‘Psycho Kilmer’about his gruelling new role Even if he’s carrying some extra weight, there’s no question that, aged 44, Val Kilmer still looks good. He’s tall and muscular, with healthy skin and good teeth. His teeth, in fact, are so good that they sometimes look unconvincing in the mouths of the venal, destructive characters he so often plays. His face is broad, with high cheekbones and plump lips; he is a mixture of Irish, German, Swedish and Cherokee. When I meet him in a suite in the Dorchester hotel he looks as if he’s dressed for a morning in front of the television, in clothes that would suit someone 25 years younger – T-shirt, baggy jeans, short jacket, and shoes that might almost be slippers.
