Latest news with #JulliardSchool
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Top Gun legend turn back on fame after devastating attacks
Kelly McGillis was one of the most iconic stars of the 80s, but after her role in Top Gun she walked away from the film industry after a series of devastating attacks and personal struggles The 80s hit film Top Gun rocketed many of its stars to fame, including the flight instructor character Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis, who quickly ascended to become one of Tinseltown's most sought-after actresses. Fast-forward three decades, and a life marred by personal tragedies paints a starkly different picture. Born into the well-heeled surrounds of Newport Beach, California, Kelly McGillis' transition to New York City to chase her acting aspirations was marked by harrowing episodes. In what should have been an enchanting second year at the elite Julliard School, she faced the terror of a mugging at gunpoint. Undeterred, though, McGillis pressed on with her ambition. Yet 1982 brought a grimmer chapter, only four years ahead of her acclaim in Top Gun; her own residence became the setting of a nightmare when intruders forced their way in and subjected her to a knife-point rape. It was the alarm raised by a neighbour that brought police sirens to the scene, precipitating the burglars' escape and their eventual capture, the principal assailant receiving a sentence of three years behind bars, reports the Mirror US. In an intimate recount to People Magazine in 1988, she shared visceral memories of the assault: "I'll never forget the way they smelled. Like alcohol and old one watched, the taller one got on top of me and held the knife to my right the other one got on top of me. They kept switching and telling me they were going to beat me until I was dead." Living with a woman during that period, McGillis interpreted the attack as a divine "punishment" for her sexual orientation. Despite facing a harrowing ordeal, McGillis continued to chase her acting dream and landed a major role in 1985 alongside Harrison Ford in Witness. In 1988, she played a prosecutor in The Accused opposite Jodie Foster, a part which she hoped would help her process her own past traumas. By 1989, McGillis had married yacht salesman Fred Tillman and was confronting her sexuality while relationship strains surfaced. They had two daughters, but their family life took a hit when Tillman was caught soliciting sex from an undercover policewoman posing as a prostitute. Seeking respite from New York's glare, the pair relocated to Florida and set up a bar called Kelly's. During this period, McGillis formed a bond with bartender Melanie Leis. Leis who was openly gay later said: "We were partners in crime and were both drinking and abusing drugs." After finalising her divorce from Tillman in 2002, McGillis left Tinseltown behind to co-parent with Leis in rural Pennsylvania, then moved back to New Jersey where she undertook a new role as a rehab counsellor. Returning to her acting roots in 2008 with a part in the lesbian-themed TV show The L Word, McGillis publicly came out the following year. In a candid chat with she declared: "I'm done with the man thing. "Life is a journey and it's about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are." In 2016, she endured another harrowing experience when an intruder broke into her North Carolina residence. When the casting for "Top Gun: Maverick" came around in 2022, McGillis was not selected to return to the iconic series, which she believes might be due to her refusal to undergo plastic surgery or revert her hair to its famous blonde hue – a claim director Joseph Kosinski has refuted. Speaking candidly to ET at age 62, McGillis offered a blunt perspective on the expectations of Hollywood, stating: "I'm old, and I'm fat and I look age-appropriate for what my age is. And that is not what that whole scene is about. I'd much rather feel absolutely secure in my skin and my age than place any value in all that other stuff."
Irish Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Top Gun star's harrowing life before turning back on fame
The 80s classic Top Gun catapulted its cast to stardom, including the character of flight instructor Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis, who became one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses. Fast forward three decades and life has dealt her some tough cards. Born into a well-off family in Newport Beach, California, McGillis moved to New York to chase her acting dreams, studying at the renowned Julliard School. Despite being robbed at gunpoint in her second year, she didn't let the incident deter her ambitions. However, in 1982, four years before her breakthrough role, McGillis faced a harrowing experience when two intruders broke into her apartment and raped her at knifepoint. Her screams alerted a neighbour who called the police, leading to the assailants' attempt to escape and subsequent arrest, with the main perpetrator sentenced to three years in prison. In a 1988 interview with People Magazine, McGillis recounted the terrifying event: "I'll never forget the way they smelled. Like alcohol and old one watched, the taller one got on top of me and held the knife to my right the other one got on top of me. They kept switching and telling me they were going to beat me until I was dead." At that time, she shared an apartment with another woman and believed the attack was a divine "punishment" for her sexuality, reports the Mirror US. McGillis persevered through tough times to land her major role with Harrison Ford in the film Witness in 1985. By 1988, she starred as a prosecutor in The Accused alongside Jodie Foster, tackling the heavy subject of seeking justice for a rape victim, hoping it would help her process her own past trauma. Her personal life also saw its share of turbulence. In 1989 McGillis married yacht salesman Fred Tillman and although they had two daughters together, their marriage faced challenges, exacerbated when Tillman was caught hiring a prostitute who turned out to be an undercover policewoman. The duo attempted to make a fresh start by moving to Florida and setting up a bar called Kelly's, where McGillis formed an intimate bond with bartender Melanie Leis. Describing their shared struggles at the time, Leis stated: "We were partners in crime and were both drinking and abusing drugs." After her divorce in 2002 from Tillman, McGillis stepped away from Tinseltown spotlight to focus on raising her children with Leis in the tranquillity of rural Pennsylvania, later moving to New Jersey to pursue a career as a rehab counsellor. Returning to acting in 2008, McGillis had a role in The L Word, a lesbian TV drama, and a year later she publicly came out, telling "I'm done with the man thing. "Life is a journey and it's about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are." In 2016, she became the target of an attack when an intruder broke into her North Carolina residence. Then in 2022, when casting for 'Top Gun: Maverick' was underway, McGillis wasn't selected to return to the iconic series, which she believes is due to her refusal to undergo plastic surgery or revert her hair to its famous blonde hue - a claim director Joseph Kosinski has refuted. Speaking candidly to ET at age 62, she offered a blunt perspective on the beauty standards of Tinseltown: "I'm old, and I'm fat and I look age-appropriate for what my age is. And that is not what that whole scene is about. I'd much rather feel absolutely secure in my skin and my age than place any value in all that other stuff."
MTV Lebanon
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- MTV Lebanon
Top Gun and Batman actor Val Kilmer dies aged 65
Hollywood actor Val Kilmer, known for his roles in hit films including Top Gun and Batman Forever, has died aged 65. Kilmer died of pneumonia on Tuesday in Los Angeles, his daughter Mercedes told US media. She said her father had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered. He had most recently reprised his role as fighter pilot Iceman alongside Tom Cruise in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick. "See ya, pal. I'm going to miss you", American actor Josh Brolin wrote alongside a picture of himself and Kilmer on Instagram. "You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There's not a lot left of those", he added. In 2021, Kilmer released a documentary chronicling the highs and lows of his life and career. Val, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, features 40 years of home recordings, including him speaking with a voice box post-cancer surgery. Born Val Edward Kilmer on 31 December 1959, Kilmer grew up in a middle-class family in Los Angeles. His parents were Christian Scientists, a movement to which Kilmer would adhere for the rest of his life. Aged 17, he became the then-youngest pupil to enrol at the Julliard School, in New York, one of the world's most prestigious drama conservatories. Kilmer had two children with his ex-wife, actress Joanne Whalley.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Top Gun' and 'Batman Forever' star Val Kilmer dies aged 65
American actor Val Kilmer has died aged 65 from pneumonia, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer. Kilmer passed away on Tuesday night in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends. 'See ya, pal. I'm going to miss you", American actor Josh Brolin wrote alongside a picture of himself and Kilmer on Instagram. "You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There's not a lot left of those", he added. Best known for his roles as Lt. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in Top Gun, Bruce Wayne / Batman in Batman Forever, Jim Morrison in The Doors and Perry Van Shrike in the underrated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer had previously survived a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies. Born Val Edward Kilmer on 31 December 1959, Kilmer grew up in a middle-class family in Los Angeles. Aged 17, he became the then-youngest pupil to enrol at the prestigious Julliard School in New York. He starred in 1984's spy spoof Top Secret! followed by the comedy Real Genius in 1985. His earned his big break in 1986 with his iconic performance opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun and playing Madmartigan in the now-iconic 1988 adventure film Willow. In 1991, he took on the role of the legendary Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors, a biopic based on the band. According to director Oliver Stone, Kilmer recorded an eight-minute audition tape to convince Stone to hire him, then lost weight and spent six months training to sing by recording his own voice on the original Doors tapes for the film. Famously difficult to work with, the actor was known for throwing himself into his roles, subscribing to the Method branch of Suzuki arts training. When playing Morrison, he wore leather pants and asked castmates and crew to only refer to him as "Jim" throughout the duration of filming. In 1995, Kilmer starred as Bruce Wayne / Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, taking over the role from Michael Keaton. While less critically acclaimed than Tim Burton's first two Batman films – Batman and Batman Returns – Batman Forever has gained the reputation over time as an underrated Caped Crusader adventure and a camp classic in some circles. His other major roles in the 90s include the iconic crime thriller Heat alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, the Western Tombstone, and playing Elvis' ghost in True Romance. He also filled the Roger Moore role in the 1997 film remake of TV series The Saint, and starred with Marlon Brando in doomed adaptation of H.G. Wells' 'The Island of Dr Moreau.' The production was notoriously difficult, marred by issues with the cast, harsh weather and a skyrocketing budget. The antipathy between Brando and Kilmer rapidly escalated into open hostility, and director John Frankenheimer and Kilmer had a heated argument on-set, which led Frankenheimer to state: "I don't like Val Kilmer, I don't like his work ethic, and I don't want to be associated with him ever again" Regarding his reputation, Kilmer defended himself by emphasising that art should come before commerce. 'In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honour the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad of Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio,' he wrote in his memoir, 'I'm Your Huckleberry.' Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, losing his voice in the process from complications during a tracheotomy. This curtailed his acting career, but he reprised his role as Lt. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. This was his final role on the big screen. In 2021, Kilmer released a documentary chronicling the highs and lows of his life and career. The film, Val, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and features 40 years of home recordings. 'I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed,' the actor says in Val. 'And I am blessed.' He is survived by his former wife Joanne Whalley and their two children, Mercedes and Jack.
Euronews
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
'Top Gun' and Batman star Val Kilmer dies aged 65
ADVERTISEMENT American actor Val Kilmer has died aged 65 from pneumonia, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer. Kilmer passed away on Tuesday night in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends. The "Batman" and "The Doors" star had previously survived a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies. 'I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed,' the actor said of his life and career in a 2021 documentary. 'And I am blessed.' Kilmer was the youngest actor to ever be accepted into the prestigious Julliard School at he time he attended. He earned his big break in 1984's spy spoof "Top Secret!" followed by comedy "Real Genius" in 1985. His career hit its peak in the early 1990s as he made a name for himself as leading man in 1993's "Tombstone", as Elvis' ghost in "True Romance" and as a bank-robbing demolition expert in Michael Mann's 1995 film "Heat" alongside industry heavyweights Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Actor Val Kilmer, left, and producer Eddy Moretti pose for a portrait in New York, Tuesday, April 24, 2012. Charles Sykes/AP The actor was known for throwing himself into his roles, subscribing to the Method branch of Suzuki arts training. When playing Jim Morrison in "The Doors" he wore leather pants and asked castmates and crew to only refer to him as Jim Morrison throughout the duration of filming. Kilmer's intensity gave him a reputation he was difficult to work with, something he grudgingly agreed with later in life. He defended himself by emphasising art should come before commerce. 'In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honour the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad of Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio,' he wrote in his memoir, 'I'm Your Huckleberry.' One career nadir was playing the titular Batman in Joel Schumacher's goofy 'Batman Forever alongside Nicole Kidman, for which he received lacklustre reviews. Kilmer blamed much of his performance on his suit. 'When you're in it, you can barely move and people have to help you stand up and sit down,' Kilmer is quoted as saying of the costume. "It was a struggle for me to get a performance past the suit." He is survived by his former wife Joanne Whalley and their two children, Mercedes and Jack.
