Tom Hiddleston Calls Val Kilmer’s Role in ‘Heat’ “The Great Cinema Performance”

Tom Hiddleston recently gave a big shoutout to Val Kilmer, calling one of his movie performances “maybe THE great cinema performance.” He is promoting his new film The Life of Chuck, based on a story by Stephen King and directed by Mike Flanagan.

In it, Hiddleston stars with fellow Marvel actors Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Carl Lumbly. The story moves backward, starting at the end of Chuck’s life.

While doing an interview with Letterboxd for their Four Favorites series, Hiddleston named Heat as one of his top picks. The 1995 crime drama was directed by Michael Mann and stars big names like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. But Hiddleston said it was Val Kilmer’s performance that really stood out to him.

He said that Kilmer in Heat gave “maybe THE great cinema performance.” That’s a huge compliment, especially considering the film is packed with acting legends.

Kilmer’s work in Heat has been praised before. Director Michael Mann once said Kilmer’s scenes, especially during the shootouts, were so realistic that the footage has been used in real-life police and military training.

Experts on firearms have also said the same thing, pointing to how accurate and believable Kilmer was with his weapon handling in the movie.

In addition to Heat, Hiddleston also named The Great Beauty, Singin’ in the Rain, and The Shawshank Redemption as some of his all-time favorite films.

It’s clear that Val Kilmer’s performance in Heat continues to inspire actors and movie lovers alike, even decades after the film was released.

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