“His eyes were still watering”: Robert Downey Jr. Was Relieved Val Kilmer Survived ‘Getting Choked to Death’ After Watching His Life Flashing Out in Scary Incident

Robert Downey Jr. has been in the industry for a few decades now. Having worked in movies and TV shows alike, he had made a name for himself even before all the controversies took over his life. But soon enough, life took a turn and now he is one of the most popular actors worldwide. And with so many years of experience in the industry, he sure has many wild stories to share.

In 2005, Robert Downey Jr. was in a film titled Kiss Kiss Bang Bang alongside Val Kilmer. This neo-noir black comedy was the directorial debut of Shane Black, who is also known for films like Iron Man 3. In an old interview, Downey Jr. shared a little story from the very first day of shooting the movie.

When Val Kilmer Almost Choked to Death on The Sets of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

In the neo-noir movie, Robert Downey Jr.‘s character gets tangled in a criminal case after being involved with Val Kilmer’s character, who is a private detective. And while the characters in the movie face a lot of life-threatening yet humorous situations throughout the story, it was a real-life happening that almost cost Kilmer his life. On the very first day of shooting, as RDJ recalled during a Reddit AMA, his co-star choked on a piece of chicken, before filming had even begun.

[Val Kilmer] almost choked to death on a piece of catering chicken right before we shot the first scene of the movie. His eyes were still watering until we got to his close up. I’m so happy he’s still with us.

Thankfully, Kilmer (and the rest of the cast) made out of this alive and well. And while the movie did not do that well at the box office, only managing to break even, it went on to become a cult hit later. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has a pretty good rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Val Kilmer and His Health Battle That Almost Took Him Away From Us

Val Kilmer has been part of the Hollywood industry since the early 1980s, and found fame with movies like Top Secret (1984), Top Gun (1986), and Willow (1988), among others. He also played Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever (1995) after Tim Burton and Michal Keaton’s duo left the scene. After decades of earning name and fame in the industry, Kilmer had to go through a traumatic phase in life.

Back in 2015, the Heat actor was diagnosed with throat cancer. He kept his battle a secret for two long years, as he battled in silence. This had a serious effect on his voice, as for a while he could not even talk, and even when he did, it was very difficult for him. In a documentary titled Val, which is available on Amazon Prime, Kilmer said:

Now that it’s more difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever.

The actor went into remission soon after he completed his treatment and has been much better. He even made a cameo in Top Gun: Maverick back in 2022, which was a treat for the fans. The movie is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is available on Apple TV+ for rent