Val Kilmer's Supporting Role in 'Heat' Is One of the Best in His Career – ryan

Throughout his awe-inspiring career, the late Val Kilmer was known for his unwavering dedication to his work. He was an actor who managed to go method without being annoying about it or drawing too much unnecessary attention to it. His ability to disappear into his roles was uncanny, as seen by many of his performances, but it’s his supporting turn in Michael Mann’s Heat that showcases that, even in a supporting capacity, Kilmer could feel the entire screen with his bravado. It’s a role that allows him to have quiet moments of excellence while also providing him with instances of pinpointed intensity that feel so real and lived in that it’s almost impossible to believe that Kilmer is just playing a character. It’s some of the actor’s best work and a testament to his ability to pull the focus in his direction.

In the heist film, Kilmer portrays Chris Shiherlis, McCauley’s dedicated and loyal solider who is the best at his job but also suffers from his own vices, most notably a gambling problem. The film features an impressive ensemble cast, including Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, and Natalie Portman, among others.

Val Kilmer Elevates His Henchman Role in ‘Heat’ With Great Character Depth

The most impressive aspect — and there are many — about Kilmer in Heat is that he raises the role beyond being a mere henchman to De Niro’s character. He’s cold and deadly but also the heart of the film, largely due to his dedication to the other person in his life, his wife Charlene (Judd). It’s a deep romantic affection that overcomes the issues between them. Both performers do an excellent job conveying their combustible passion for one another, proving above all else that they’ll be there for each other in the end, no matter the obstacle.

One scene in particular displays their unwavering connection. Without even expressing dialogue, the two say so much without saying anything at all, as Charlene signals to Chris that he can’t come home because the LAPD is prepared to bust him. The scene is powerful because, in just over a minute, you see their devotion to each other, and then Charlene’s little subtle gesture to Chris, without changing her facial expression, tells him everything he needs to know. Keep in mind that Kilmer only smiles when necessary in Heat, and it involves two things that the character loves. One is as he exits the bank to begin the film’s epic shootout, and in the moments when he’s with Charlene, he showcases the character’s passion for what he lives for the most.

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It’s Kilmer’s reaction at this moment that sells it, as he’s happy to see his lady love, and then the slight change in expression shows a little grief that he can’t come see her because of the risk. It’s also great character work from the duo because, since Chris is a gambler, Charlene gives him the blackjack stay sign to let him know that he needs to stay away. For a film littered with more combustible moments, this quiet scene between Kilmer and Judd is one of the best in Heat.

It might be daunting to be in a film with two of the acting greats of cinema, but Kilmer doesn’t break a sweat. The actor shares most of his scenes with De Niro, proving that he could go toe to toe with excellence. The incredible thing about Heat is that all of these performances seem stripped of being actors playing roles. All of these characters feel completely lived in, so the partnership between Kilmer and De Niro feels 100% authentic.

The audience believes that Chris is McCauley’s most loyal foot soldier and would do anything to serve him. In a lesser film, Kilmer’s role would likely fade into the background as one of the main villain’s lackeys, but the actor infuses the character with a larger-than-life personality that can’t help but take over just about every scene he appears in. That’s not to say he overpowers De Niro in their scenes, but he doesn’t shrink in his presence either.

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Heat

Release Date: December 15, 1995
Runtime: 170 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Writers: Michael Mann

Cast

Kilmer disappears so fully into Chris, and his casting is pitch-perfect because the film needed a believable right-hand man to MCauley. Because the actor was no stranger to disappearing into roles, Heat provides a glowing example of his dedication to the craft. When Chris tells McCauley, “The bank is worth the risk. I need it, brother,” you believe it because of Kilmer’s ability to convey his loyalty to De Niro’s character and to the job.

Casting someone who could sell this sense of loyalty was crucial because De Niro, certainly at this time, was serving up some of his best in the ’90s, dropping the gangster classic Casino and Heat within mere weeks of each other in 1995. He was the personification of being in a new stage of confidence in his career, and someone needed to act alongside him who also shared that confidence. Heat was promoted as an epic reunion between Pacino and De Niro, but none of the tension in the film works without the audience believing that De Niro’s team is as dangerous as they come.

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For fans of Heat, it may not be the fantastic character work that Kilmer lays down in the film that is the most memorable. The movie is widely known for one of the best shootout scenes to ever hit the big screen, and Kilmer’s attention to detail here is crucial. Watching the actor firing off rounds at the LAPD, covering De Niro like the loyal watchdog he is in the film, is probably one of the big screen’s finest cinematic treats. Kilmer’s precision with the reloads has become a part of Hollywood lore, something fans of the actor are just now discovering following his tragic passing. The actor was so tactical in his gun handling during the scene that it allegedly became a part of U.S. Marine training to showcase how one swiftly reloads during combat. That is a level of cool that most actors would dream of achieving.

With a slew of terrific performances, Kilmer’s work in Heat stands out in such a way because it was meant to be a supporting role alongside the two titans that the film was marketed around. The actor proved the saying true: “There are no small roles, only small actors.” Kilmer was no small actor, and even in a film that runs 170 minutes, he knew the importance of being equally committed to a project on the same level as the leads, even if he didn’t share the same amount of screen time. Perhaps Mann said it best about Kilmer when addressing his passing: “While working with Val on Heat, I always marveled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing an expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.”

It’s no doubt tremendously sad news, but thankfully, Kilmer leaves behind work such as this, which proves he was one of the greatest to ever do it, and that will make his undeniable footprint on this industry something that will never be forgotten. Heat is streaming on Netflix.