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When it was announced that despite playing the Caped Crusader in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 epicBatman Forever, Val Kilmer won’t return for the sequelBatman & Robin, it was a sure sign that something had gone amiss for the actor. Kilmer had solidified his reputation for being difficult to work with, ever since his rise to fame in the comedyTop Secret!(1984).
Therefore, despite his iconic portrayal of Batman in the 1996 movie, Joel Schumacher claimed that Val Kilmer’s behind-the-scenes behavior was reportedly far from heroic. Having constant fallout with the filmmaker while working on the DC project, Kilmer was thus called out by Schumacher, for his prickly attitude and childish behavior.
Val Kilmer’s Prickly Attitude Led to a Falling Out with Joel Schumacher
Val Kilmer, known for his iconic roles inTop GunandBatman Forever, has had areputation for being difficult to workwith. His entitled behavior and prickly attitude have thus led to a number of public feuds and controversies throughout his career. This particular reputation of Kilmer even led to a number of directors and actors refusing to work with him, despite his talent as an actor.
“I was just too shy back then”: Val Kilmer Will Forever Regret Rejecting 1 Movie by Dune Director After Coming Fresh With Top Gun Fame
One filmmaker in particular who had a difficult time withVal Kilmerand publicly called out the actor was hisBatman Foreverdirector Joel Schumacher. Working with the actor in his 1996 DC movie, Schumacher suffered miserably while dealing with Kilmer’s entitled behavior and unbearable attitude, which even led the filmmaker to dismiss Kilmer from returning toBatman & Robin.
Dubbing Val Kilmer “psychotic” during an interview viaIndependent, Joel Schumacher revealed why henever invited the actor back for his sequel,Batman & Robin, despite his flawless performance in the prequel. Revealing that his relationship with Kilmer had once become so bad on the set that they stopped talking, Schumacher admitted that he never wanted to reunite with Kilmer.
I’m tired of defending overpaid, overprivileged actors. I pray I don’t work with them again.
Well, this isn’t the only time Joel Schumacher has called out Val Kilmer. According to reports, the filmmaker was one among the Hollywood professionals who provided their testimonials on why they refused to work with Kilmer.
Testimonials from Val Kilmer’s Colleagues Highlight His Unbearable Attitude
Despite solidifying his reputation as a versatile leading man playing parts inThe Doors(1991) andDoc Holliday in Tombstone(1993), Val Kilmer often lost incredible opportunities for his on-set behavior. Take for example when the actor lostBatman & Robin, despite proving his commercial viability in the$336M-grossingBatman Forever(viaThe Numbers).
“I’d already begun my preparation for the Dark Knight”: Val Kilmer Was Fated to Play Batman as Actor Was in an Actual Batcave Before Even Getting Cast
Gradually, with his growing reputation as Mr. Unpopular in Hollywood, industry professionals began refusing to work with Val Kilmer no matter how big the box office payback was. Soon, as perEWreports, several filmmakers offered their reasons why they loathed working with Kilmer.
Val would arrive, and an argument would happen. I don’t like Val Kilmer, I don’t like his work ethic, and I don’t want to be associated with him ever again.John Frankenheimer reported.
There’s a dark side to Val that I don’t feel comfortable talking about. [We] were deep in conversation about Doc Holliday, and this stand-in brought over a very colorful sort of locust and said, ‘Look what I found!’ I looked up and said, ‘Hey, that’s pretty good,’ and Val, without saying a word, grabbed the locust from the guy and ate it. And it was big. He said to me, ‘As you know, I have a reputation for being difficult. But only with stupid people.’Kevin Jarre shared.
Therein, during one of such testimonials,Joel Schumacheronce again dubbed his one-time collaborator “childish and impossible” and shared an anecdote. Further addressing the reports behind Kilmer’s absence fromBatman & Robin, Schumacher offered a laid-back response.
[We] had a physical pushing match. [Kilmer] was being irrational and ballistic with the first AD, the cameraman, the costume people. He was badly behaved, he was rude and inappropriate. I was forced to tell him that this would not be tolerated for one more second. Then we had two weeks where he did not speak to me, but it was bliss… [for Batman & Robin] he sort of quit, we sort of fired him. It probably depends on who’s telling the story.
As Val Kilmer’s behavior grew into a problem that affected several industry professionals, people started calling out the actor’s unprofessional conduct which created a toxic and challenging work environment for others to do their jobs.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3218
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
