Even renowned celebrities are fans! Val Kilmer was so star-struck by his hero, Bob Dylan, that he once turned down a simple request from the singer-songwriter. We can empathize with Kilmer’s dilemma. When you meet someone you’ve long admired and looked up to, chances are the scenario you had planned in your head won’t be replicated in reality. Out of nervousness, you may end up fumbling. Something similar of the sort happened to the Top Gun star.
Even after an initial meeting with Dylan that went against Kilmer’s expectations and subsequently knowing the musical icon for ten years, the actor was desperate to make a solid impression on the singer. He wanted to be liked by his idol. It’s safe to assume that the Batman Forever alum never got over his fan-like adoration for Bob Dylan.
Val Kilmer’s Regretful First Meeting With Bob Dylan
Heroes have their heroes. The Batman star was fortunate enough to meet his. Recounting their first rendezvous on KCRW, Val Kilmer revealed embarrassing details of his unintentional behavior around legendary singer Bob Dylan.
This encounter would later birth an apology tape courtesy of Kilmer. But before we get into the specifics, how did the two meet in the first place? In his recollection, the Willow star disclosed learning of Dylan’s fascination for the former’s 1993 movie, Tombstone. At one point, the renowned musician was in New York. Kilmer had phoned his buddy to arrange a meeting after knowing about this.
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Kilmer’s friend wasn’t sure whether that could happen, but he informed the Hollywood actor that he would look into getting the two to meet. The Top Gun star would soon receive a call. Fully expecting it to be his friend, the talent was stunned to know that it was none other than his hero, Bob Dylan. Shedding light on their phone call, Kilmer stated the following:
“I was real excited, like a crazy fan, like a child; it was so great. […] It was like we were old friends, it was like ‘You want to come over?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah.'”
Initially, the actor thought it was a hoax. He wasn’t convinced the person he had long admired would meet him. Fortunately, Bob Dylan had shown up.
Val Kilmer Turned Down Bob Dylan’s Request
Upon meeting, the singer, who loved Val Kilmer‘s film Tombstone, naturally wanted to talk about it. For whatever reason, the film’s leading actor was unwilling to oblige. It was then that something regretful happened:
“Eventually he [Bob Dylan] says, ‘Ain’t you going to say anything about that movie?’ and I said, ‘Do some ‘Blowing in the Wind’ and I’ll…’ That’s what I said to him, basically I said no. […] I turned him down and, I thought, no one turns this guy down.”
The actor affirmed having “felt like an idiot” after this incident. Kilmer realized he needed to make amends. As an apology to Bob Dylan, he decided to do the following:
“I was like how could I make it up to him? So what I did was, I recorded ‘It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding’ but as Doc Holliday [Kilmer’s character in Tombstone], and I put in all of the big lines from the movie into the song and made him a little tape.”
That was undoubtedly a thoughtful gesture, which we hope the singer-songwriter appreciated. What is astounding is that Kilmer still had a fan-like affection and admiration for Dylan years after this interaction. He desired the approval of his hero.
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Val Kilmer Wanted Bob Dylan To Like Him
In an interview with the Guardian, Kilmer voiced his appreciation for Bob Dylan. “I love that Bob Dylan asked me to be in the first movie he wrote,” the actor said about 2003’s Masked and Anonymous. The Batman star stated that he seldom gets nervous around people, but the singer-songwriter had a different effect on Kilmer:
“I’ve known him for over ten years, and I don’t get nervous around that many people but he’s someone I’m real concerned about. Well, I might get nervous about wearing these pink socks if Bob was coming by.”
When asked what he would rather wear in front of Dylan, the actor replied:
“I dunno! But I mean I’m a fan! I want him to like me! So I’d probably think, what would Bob like me to wear?”
Val Kilmer appears to be like most fans. He holds Bob Dylan in the greatest regard and wants to be liked by his hero. Isn’t that something all of us have desired at some point in time with our respective idols? Only a select handful, such as Kilmer, are lucky enough to experience it in reality.
