Val Kilmer Shares Throwback Videos with Kurt Russell to Mark Tombstone Turning 30: ‘Seems Like Yesterday’

Val Kilmer has previously suggested that Kurt Russell was “solely responsible” for the success of their 1993 Western

Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer in 1993’s ‘Tombstone’.PHOTO: BUENA VISTA PICTURES/COURTESY EVERETT

Val Kilmer has fond memories of making Tombstone with costar Kurt Russell.

On Monday, Kilmer, 63, shared a series of videos to Instagram shot during the production of the 1993 Western film, which opened in theaters Christmas Day 30 years ago. The videos show Kilmer filming Russell, 72, and other actors in their trailers and on location during the making of the film.

“TOMBSTONE opened in theaters 30 years ago today and it seems like yesterday!” Kilmer wrote in a caption to the video. “Merry Christmas and of course Happy Hollidays! 😉”

Kate Hudson, Russell’s daughter, even chimed in with a comment to express her appreciation at seeing throwback footage of her “Pa” as a younger man. “Oh wow! I love seeing this so much,” she wrote in a comment.

Kilmer and Russell costarred in Tombstone as real-life 19th-century Old West figures Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, respectively, in a film that follows Earp’s journey as his attempts to adjust from life as a law enforcement officer to retirement are thwarted by continual run-ins with groups of outlaws. Kilmer received two nominations for his performance as Holliday at the 1994 MTV Movie + TV Awards.

The actor has previously written about his time working on Tombstone on his personal blog. In 2017, he opined that Russell was “solely responsible for Tombstone’s success, no question” after the film changed directors mid-production, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Val Kilmer in 1993’s ‘Tombstone’.JOHN BRAMLEY/BUENA VISTA PICTURES/COURTESY EVERETT

“I was there every minute and although Kurt’s version differs slightly from mine, the one thing he’s totally correct about is how hard he worked the day before, for the next day’s shot list, and tremendous effort he and I both put into editing, as the studio [Hollywood Pictures] wouldn’t give us any extra time to make up for the whole month we lost with the first director,” her shared at the time.

“I watched Kurt sacrifice his own role and energy to devote himself as a storyteller, even going so far as to draw up shot lists to help our replacement director, George Cosmatos, who came in with only two days prep,” Kilmer added, per THR.

Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Kurt Russell & Bill Paxton in ‘Tombstone’.BUENA VISTA PICTURES/ALAMY

Kilmer most recently appeared on the big screen for a cameo alongside Tom Cruise in last year’s Top Gun: Maverick, in which he reprised his iconic ’80s character Tom “Iceman” Kazinsky.