The legendary Val Kilmer left an unforgettable mark on Hollywood, especially with his iconic role in the western classic Tombstone, where he starred alongside Kurt Russell.
But not too long ago, Russell shared a surprising detail that revealed Kilmer’s wicked sense of humor — particularly when it came to the gifts he gave.
A little-known story
Hollywood is still mourning the loss of Val Kilmer, who passed away on April 1 at just 65 years old. Tributes have poured in from legendary directors like Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, and Michael Mann, honoring the actor’s incredible legacy.
And in a newly resurfaced 2024 interview, Kilmer’s Tombstone co-star Kurt Russell shared a little-known story that offers a glimpse into the late actor’s dark sense of humor — especially when it came to the unforgettable gifts they exchanged after filming the western classic.
In an interview with GQ, Kurt Russell, 74, reflected on the tradition of actors exchanging gifts after wrapping a film — though he clarified it was never an obligation.
“If you’re asking me if it was great working with Val Kilmer, who played Doc Holliday on Tombstone, the answer is absolutely,” Russell said.
He went on to explain, “In those days, especially when you were working with people, sometimes at the end of the show you’d get them gifts or trade gifts. It’s not mandatory, it’s not something that you gotta do or that they’ve gotta do.”
A truly unique gift
Kurt Russell wanted to give Val Kilmer a truly unique gift after wrapping Tombstone, so he enlisted his driver to track down a few key items from the set.
“I asked my driver if he could ‘get a hold’ of Kilmer’s holster, gun, hat, and chair with his name on the back,” Russell explained. “Take a picture, and then in that picture, I wanted to have this thing.”
The Hollywood legend had a big surprise in store for his co-star.
Russell revealed that he gifted Kilmer a burial plot at Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone, Arizona — the same historic cemetery where many legendary Old West figures were laid to rest. Kilmer, however, had an equally dark sense of humor when it came to gift-giving.
“I give Val this present and he looks at me and he turns to his driver and says, ‘Give it to me,’” Russell recalled. “Because what I had gotten Val was a plot at Boothill. What Val had gotten me was an acre of land overlooking Boothill.”
Behind-the-scenes detail
Russell couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of their exchange. “Doc Holliday was all about death, but Wyatt’s all about life,” he said. “I guess that pretty much says it all.”
Another amusing behind-the-scenes detail from Tombstone perfectly highlights Val Kilmer’s sharp sense of humor. According to Kilmer, screenwriter Kevin Jarre was adamant that the actors wear historically accurate wool costumes during the shooting of the 1993 movie, staying true to the time period.
This became especially brutal during filming in Arizona’s scorching heat.
In the Birdcage Theater scene, Kilmer recalled spotting a thermometer on set that read a blistering 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56 degrees Celsius).
With his signature wit, Kilmer joked that the unbearable heat might explain Doc Holliday’s deadly reputation. “It’s just, like, he wore wool in the summer, in the Arizona territory, and that made him mad.”
Huge respect for Russell
It’s also clear that Val Kilmer had immense respect for Kurt Russell — something evident not only in his choice of gift but also in what he later said about his co-star.
In 2017, Kilmer openly credited Russell for the success of Tombstone, writing that Russell played a major role in shaping the film. ”He was solely responsible for Tombstone’s success, no question.”
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, confirmed to The New York Times that her father passed away on Tuesday due to complications from pneumonia.