Val Kilmer’s Lost Roles: The Blockbusters He Almost Starred In

Val Kilmer was one of Hollywood’s most enigmatic stars. A leading man who delivered unforgettable performances yet often chose an unconventional career path. While he was best known for roles in Top Gun, The Doors, and Batman Forever, he was also reportedly on tap to star in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. From nearly joining Dirty Dancing to missing out on The Matrix, here are the blockbuster roles Kilmer almost played.

‘The Matrix’: Val Kilmer was almost Morpheus in the sci-fi hit

The Matrix filmmakers The Wachowskis considered several A-list actors for the role of Morpheus when casting the role in 1999. Among them? Val Kilmer.

The idea of Kilmer as the wise and mysterious resistance leader is fascinating. His cool, measured intensity could have given Morpheus a completely different energy than Laurence Fishburne’s powerful, commanding presence.

Kilmer’s casting in The Matrix would have been one of those “what if” moments in Hollywood history. Reportedly, Kilmer didn’t get the role because Will Smith passed on the role that eventually went to Keanu Reeves. In a 2019 YouTube video, Smith discussed passing on The Matrix.

“If I was Neo, Morpheus couldn’t be Black so they were looking at Val Kilmer. I was going to be Neo and Val Kilmer was going to be Morpheus,” Smith explained. Instead, Kilmer chose to star in the romantic drama At First Sight.

Val Kilmer turned down the lead role in ‘Dirty Dancing’

Before Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey made Dirty Dancing (1990) a box-office sensation, filmmakers considered Val Kilmer for the role of Johnny Cade, the romantic lead who swept Baby off her feet. While Kilmer had a proven ability to play both action heroes and brooding characters, the tough but tender role ultimately went to Swayze, who brought a mix of rugged charm and vulnerability that made the film a cultural phenomenon.

Producers didn’t only consider Kilmer for the role. Billy Zane, Benicio Del Toro, and Val Kilmer were all considered by producers to play the beloved Catskills dance instructor. Kilmer later said in a Reddit Q&A of his selective nature in choosing roles, “I only cared about the acting and that did not translate to caring about the film or all that money.”

Val Kilmer lost out on ‘Dune’ because of the shape of his lips

There’s a bizarre yet true Hollywood tale about how Val Kilmer reportedly lost out on a role in Dune (1984) due to the shape of his lips. Director David Lynch was casting for the sci-fi epic and was meticulous about the aesthetics of his characters.

It is rumored the producers considered Kilmer for the role of Paul Atreides (eventually played by Kyle MacLachlan). However, Lynch allegedly chose not to cast him because he felt Kilmer’s lips weren’t the right fit for the character’s look.

To Mashable, Dune‘s casting director Jane Jenkins admitted, “I think the biggest shake-up early on was that we were going to go with Val Kilmer for Paul.” Production Office Assistant Craig Campobasso agreed, “Val was actually the number one choice up until Kyle did his screen test.”

Kilmer could have been Ponyboy Curtis in ‘The Outsiders’

Val Kilmer was considered for the role of Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders per his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry. Kilmer discussed the conflict that kept him out of the lead role in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of the S.E. Hinton classic.

Just as The Outsiders was gearing up, Kilmer appeared on Broadway in the 1983 play Slab Boys. The actor turned down the film to do the play, which would only run for 32 performances, alongside Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, and Jack Earle Haley.

Supposedly, had Kilmer pulled out of the play, the production would have shut down, and everyone involved would have lost their jobs. C. Thomas Howell later won the role of Ponyboy.

What these lost roles say about Kilmer’s career

Bold choices defined Val Kilmer’s career, and his near-misses with some of Hollywood’s biggest films show what an in-demand actor he was. While other actors may have chased surefire blockbusters, Kilmer often pursued passion projects and roles that artistically challenged him.

However, Kilmer was also very gracious to his fellow actors after missing out on some parts that could have been career-defining. On Reddit, he discussed losing specific roles, “It’s not fair to the actor that ended up with the role, as they probably don’t know they weren’t the first choice. So I have to be supportive of my fellow actors and not ever say.”

Unforgettable roles in the films The Doors, Top Gun, Batman Forever, True Romance, Heat, Top Secret!, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Tombstone defined Kilmer’s career. He told David Letterman that embodying Jim Morrison in The Doors was “fun” saying, “It was fun to jump on people and get paid for it.”

Val Kilmer died on April 1, 2025, at 65 of pneumonia. The actor is survived by two children, Mercedes and Jack.