Val Kilmer names his biggest acting inspirations

“Marlon Brando and George C Scott. They are accomplished actors that I looked up to,” he shared C Magazine. He also told a story about his time at acting school. “At Juilliard, I had a master class with a Japanese director who had a half-Chinese, half-Japanese actress who was as good as Brando,” he revealed. “I wish I remembered her name.”

Although that artist’s name may never be known, his other two heroes have gone down in cinema history. A master of both stage and screen, Scott will be most familiar to fans of Dr. Strangelove, The hustlerand Anatomy of a Murder. He won an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’ Patton in 1971, but became the first on-screen talent to turn down the award, arguing that performances could not and should not be compared. He too called the ceremony itself is a “two-hour meat parade.”

As for Marlon Brando, his name speaks for itself. Considered by some to be one of the greatest actors of all time and by others to be a giant pain in the rear, the man best known for playing Vito Corleone in The Godfather remains one of the most controversial figures in Hollywood history. Kilmer got the chance to work with him in the 1996s The island of Dr Moreauone of Brando’s last films. Production was plagued by problems including On the waterfront actor who refuses to learn his lines and retreats into solitude after the death of his daughter. The end result was a garbled, messy film that doesn’t hold a candle to the HG Wells novel it’s based on.

Despite the troubled environment and poor reception of the film, Kilmer defended working with his idol when he conducted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit. “Brando was everything you want the great icon of your world to be, a genius and a gentleman,” he said. “I was going through a divorce at the time and he was so gracious in offering me time and thoughtful consideration. He offered to call my ex on behalf of the kids.”

In addition to being a stand-up friend, Brando was also a joy to perform with, according to Kilmer. “It was such a privilege to work with the greatest,” he continued. “He wasn’t really respected tho (sic) and the film suffered a lot by not taking his suggestions. He always took big chances and that real daring always makes people nervous. He would improvise which I love but they wouldn’t film that or use that often did. To be so great and so misunderstood.”

With both Brando and Scott as frames of reference, it’s no wonder Kilmer has proven as successful as he has. They may have their own complicated legacies to deal with, but inspiring one of his generation’s standouts must be an important tick in both their columns.

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