Val Kilmer is an American actor and filmmaker who has been active in the entertainment industry for over four decades. He has starred in various films and television shows and has gained recognition for his exceptional acting skills.
Val Kilmer has received several awards and nominations for his performances over the years, including 5 MTV Movie Awards, a Saturn Award, a CableACE Award, and a Chicago Film Critics Association Award.
For a highly respected and decorated actor and filmmaker with a successful career spanning more than four decades, it’s almost impossible to have a private life and to completely stay out of the public’s sight.
Unsurprisingly, Val Kilmer has become the next in a long line of celebrities whose romantic and personal life has been put into question as many fans are asking if the Hollywood veteran is gay.
There are several rumors flying around that arbitrarily support the notion of Val Kilmer being gay. But how accurate are these rumors? Let’s find out!
Val Kilmer’s Background
Val Kilmer’s acting career began in the 1980s when he appeared in a number of television shows and films. He broke into the limelight for his performance in “Top secret!” in which he played an American rock and roll star.
Some of his early roles included parts in “Real Genius” and the action film “Top Gun”, in which he starred alongside Tom Cruise. Following this, he appeared in a number of Television films, including “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains”.
Kilmer also appeared in the 1988 fantasy adventure movie, “Willow”, where he met his wife-to-be, Joanne Whalley, on the set of the film. In the 1990s, he starred in the thriller, “Thunderheart”, “The Real McCoy”, and teamed up with Tony Scott once again to make an appearance in “True Romance”.
In 1993, Joel Schumacher, the director of Batman Forever, was impressed by Kilmer’s performance in Tombstone and wanted him to play the role of Batman, although the role still belonged to Michael Keaton.
In 1994, Kilmer took the role after Keaton dropped out due to some differences, and in 1995, Batman Forever was released. The movie was a huge success in the box office, and Kilmer was praised for his performance.
He went on to appear in other notable movies, including “The Saint”, where he received a salary of $6 million for his performance, “Red Planet”, which was a box office disaster, “The Salton Sea”, and Oliver stone’s “Alexander”.
In 2005, Kilmer starred as “Gay Perry” in the action-comedy film “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” alongside Robert Downey, Jr. The following year, he worked with Tony Scott once again and starred in the box office hit, “Deja vu”, alongside Denzel Washington.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Kilmer continued to act in a variety of films and television shows, including “The Island of Dr. Moreau” and “The Traveler.”
He has also taken on roles in theater productions and has worked as a voice actor in animated films like “The Prince of Egypt” and “Planes”.
He appeared in the 2017 film, The Snowman, and in 2022, he reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky for Top Gun: Maverick.
Val Kilmer has received several awards and nominations for his performance, including 3 MTV Movie Awards for Most Desirable Male for his work on “Tombstone”, “Batman Forever” and “Heat”, 2 MTV Movie Awards for Best Actor in a Movie for his performance on “Tombstone” and “The Doors”, a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work on “Heat” and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, a CableACE Award for Actor in a Movie or Miniseries for his performance in “The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains”, and a Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor for his performance on “The Doors”.
In 2022, he won the Critics’ Choice Documentary Award for his work on “Val”, a 2021 American documentary film.
What Triggered The Rumor About Val Kilmer’s Sexuality?
The rumor about Kilmer’s sexuality began after he played the role of Gay Perry in the 2005 action comedy film, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. He played the role so well that fans began to wonder if it was indeed just a performance or if there was more to it.
In the movie, Val Kilmer shared a kiss with Robert Downey Jr. A moment that seemed all too natural for the Hollywood star, as he was described to have been very casual and comfortable about the scene.

This comes as no surprise, as we understand that this was not the first time he was kissing a man. In the 2004 movie Alexander, Val Kilmer also kissed Colin Ferrell.
In an interview with The Guardian, he said, “You know, the only other guy I’ve kissed was Colin Farrell, and Robert was…better. Colin’s sloppy. Well no, not sloppy – but he’s not a giver.”
Is the Rumor True?
The rumor certainly isn’t true, as Val Kilmer has never come out as gay and has been romantically involved with only women throughout his career. Kilmer was married to actress Joanne Whalley from 1988 to 1996, and the couple had two children together.
He also briefly dated actress Cindy Crawford in the 1990s, but the couple eventually separated in 1997 after just 2 years.
He expressed in his memoir, “I’m Your Huckleberry,” “Oh God, I loved Cindy and just kept loving her, I thought I could have died from her love because its delight was simply too much to bear. I would die of happiness”.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2005, Kilmer fondly reminisced on their romance. When asked if he dated Cindy Crawford, he said, “Yeah, she’s very nice. A smart girl with a great sense of humor. She’s a fantastic cook too, always carried recipes around when she traveled.”
He also revealed in his memoir that he had a long-term relationship with actress Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s.
Kilmer has been linked to being romantically involved with other high-profile celebrities, such as Cher, Lesley Ann Warren, Daryl Hannah, and Ellen Barkin.
Who Is Val Kilmer Dating Now?
It is unknown who Val Kilmer is dating at the moment. However, he revealed in his memoir that he has been single for 20 years.
This was a bit hard to believe for someone with his level of romantic involvement with women. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in 20 years. The truth is I am lonely part of every day,” he said.
Val Kilmer has been a Hollywood playboy for several years, and just maybe, age has given him a different view of life, and he has other pursuits to occupy his mind.
Conclusion
It is clear that Val Kilmer is definitely not gay. He is an openly straight 63-year-old man who has had quite the run in the movie industry.
Throughout his career, Kilmer has been praised for his versatility as an actor and his ability to portray complex characters. He has received numerous awards and nominations for his work and has established himself as a versatile and talented performer.