Val Kilmer didn't want to do "silly," "warmongering" Top Gun at first
Kilmer's new documentary Val reveals that the studio forced him to star in Tony Scott's 1986 blockbuster

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Today marked the limited release (ahead of a streaming debut on August 6) of Amazon’s new documentary Val, in which Val Kilmer tells his life’s story, through both his own words, and decades’ worth of home video footage. (Although the actual narration of the film comes largely from Kilmer’s son, Jack, due to speaking difficulties Kilmer experiences due to being diagnosed with throat cancer a few years back.) Stories from the documentary are already starting to filter back—including Kilmer’s assertion that he really didn’t want to star opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun, the film that helped elevate him from “That goofy kid from Top Secret! and Real Genius” into a certified blockbuster star.