Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer is an actor born in Los Angeles, California who made his start as a trained stage actor. He eventually transitioned to film acting, and became well-known after his role in 1985's Top Gun, starring opposite to Tom Cruise. He grabbed attention with his detailed performance as Jim Morrison in The Doors. As was the case in The Doors, Kilmer is known to prepare meticulously for the characters he plays.

In the fall of 2008 and the winter of 2009, Kilmer mulled over a run for Governor of New Mexico. In an 2009 interview with the Associated Press, Kilmer confirmed that he had been thinking about running for the seat that Bill Richardson leaves in 2010.MSNBC: Vil kilmer Ponders Running for N.M. Governor (February 6, 2009)

Kilmer was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He was accepted at age 17 into Julliard's drama department, at the time making him the youngest student ever to enter the program. Kilmer made use of his stage training, writing and starring in the play How It All Began, which was performed in 1981 at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He would soon go on to act in various television commercials, and eventually make his big-screen debut in the 1985 spoof comedy, Top Secret!.

• Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• December 31, 1959: Born

• 1986: Top Gun

• 1991: The Doors

• 1992: Thunderheart

• 1993: Tombstone

• 1995: Batman Forever

• 1995: Heat

• 1997: The Saint

• 2004: Spartan

• 2005: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

• 2006: Deja Vu