In this
New York Times
bestseller, legendary actor and star of the acclaimed documentary
Val
shares the stories behind his most beloved roles, reminisces about his star-studded career and love life, and reveals the truth behind his recent health struggles in a remarkably candid autobiography.
Val Kilmer has played many iconic roles over his nearly four-decade film career. A table-dancing Cold War agent in
Top Secret!
A troublemaking science prodigy in
Real Genius
. A brash fighter pilot in
Top Gun
. A swashbuckling knight in
Willow
. A lovelorn bank robber in
Heat
. A charming master of disguise in
The Saint
. A wise-cracking detective in
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
. Of course, Batman, Jim Morrison and the sharp-shooting Doc Holliday.
But who is the
real
Val Kilmer? With
I’m Your Huckleberry
—published prior to the highly anticipated sequel
Top Gun: Maverick
, in which Kilmer returns to the big screen as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky—the enigmatic actor at last steps out of character and reveals his true self.
In this uniquely assembled memoir—featuring vivid prose, snippets of poetry and rarely-seen photos—Kilmer reflects on his acclaimed career, including becoming the youngest actor ever admitted to the Juilliard School’s famed drama department, determinedly campaigning to win the lead part in
The Doors
, and realizing a years-long dream of performing a one-man show as his hero Mark Twain. He shares candid stories of working with screen legends Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert De Niro, and recounts high-profile romances with Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, and former wife Joanne Whalley. He chronicles his spiritual journey and lifelong belief in Christian Science, and describes travels to far-flung locales such as a scarcely inhabited island in the Indian Ocean where he suffered from delirium and was cared for by the resident tribe. And he reveals details of his recent throat cancer diagnosis and recovery—about which he has disclosed little until now.
While containing plenty of tantalizing celebrity anecdotes,
—taken from the famous line Kilmer delivers as Holliday in
Tombstone
—is ultimately a singularly written and deeply moving reflection on mortality and the mysteries of life.