Jeffrey Hunter

Hunter's two previous marriages included actress Barbara Rush in the early 1950s. He was initially cast in the part and was excited about playing the Mormon church founder, but had to back out due to other acting obligations. He died the following day from his injuries. Recently, Kilmer was in negotiations with Richard Dutcher (God's Army, Brigham City) for the lead role in his 2005 film Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith. In May 1969, shortly after marrying actress Emily McLaughlin, he suffered a cerebrovascular accident while at home, causing a fall and a skull fracture. Many comment on his great enthusiasm, high intelligence, and dedication to both the roles he plays and the projects he is involved with in general, although the adjective "eccentric" continues to surface in descriptions of the actor. With the demise of the studio contract system in the early 1960s and the out-sourcing of much feature production, Hunter like many other leading men of the 1950s had to find work in B-pictures produced in Europe, Hong Kong, and Mexico, with the occasional television guest part in Hollywood. Kilmer is regarded as "difficult" by some in the industry, such as directors John Frankenheimer (The Island of Doctor Moreau) and Ron Howard (Willow). Frankenheimer reportedly became so angry that he had Kilmer physically escorted from the set, later commenting "At my age there are two things I will never do, climb Mount Everest or work with Val Kilmer ever again!" Many others who have worked with Kilmer consider him a gifted, dedicated artist with whom they would be happy to work again.

But Hunter was soon filming the pilot for yet another NBC series, the espionage thriller Journey Into Fear, which the network failed to pick up and a motion picture called Brainstorm (1965). They have two children, daughter Mercedes and son Jack. Although Temple Houston did not survive its first season, NBC offered him the lead role of Captain Christopher Pike in the pilot episode (The Cage) of a new science fiction series, Star Trek. His pensive take on the role was in contrast to the more idiosyncratic style of William Shatner, who took the part after Hunter, deciding to concentrate on motion pictures, declined to film a second Star Trek pilot requested by NBC in 1965. The two met while working together on the film Willow. that included starring as a circuit-riding Texas lawyer in the NBC series Temple Houston (1963-64), which Hunter's production company co-produced. Kilmer's ex-wife is Joanne Whalley, an actress and former lead singer of Cindy & the Saffrons. Having guest starred on television dramas since the mid-1950s, Hunter was now offered a two-year contract by Warner Bros. Caruso also lost a brother in a tragic accident.

Among an all-star cast in the World War II battle epic The Longest Day (1962), he provided the climactic heroic act of breaching the defense wall atop Normandy's Omaha Beach. Caruso explored the theme of loss together in their film release The Salton Sea. Ford also recommended Hunter to director Nicholas Ray for the role of Jesus in the biblical King of Kings (1961), a difficult part met by critical reaction that ranged from praise to ridicule. J. A loan-out to co-star with John Wayne in the title roles of the now-classic western The Searchers (1956) began the first of three pictures he made with director John Ford, followed by The Last Hurrah (1958) and Sergeant Rutledge (1960). Recently, Kilmer and director D. Hunter's handsome looks and gentle manner recalled two earlier Fox stars, Tyrone Power and the young Henry Fonda. When Val was 17 and just about to start study as the youngest student ever admitted to the Juillard School of Fine Arts in New York, Wesley tragically drowned in the family's own swimming pool.

He made his Hollywood debut in Fourteen Hours (1951), had star billing by Red Skies of Montana (1952), and first billing in Sailor of the King (1953). Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Kilmer is one of three sons born to Gladys and Eugene Kilmer, the others being older brother Mark and younger brother Wesley. In 1950, while a graduate student in radio at the University of California, Los Angeles and appearing in a college play, he was spotted by talent scouts and offered a two-year motion picture contract by 20th Century Fox that was eventually extended to 1959. In a 2002 film, he plays Danny Parker, a jazz trumpeter who infiltrates a group of crystal meth addicts and becomes one himself in an attempt to avenge the senseless death of his wife which they caused. He served stateside in the United States Navy in World War II, then studied drama at Northwestern University. Kilmer is known for roles as diverse as the Elvis-like teen idol Nick Rivers in Top Secret! to real-life legends Billy the Kid, cultural hero Robert Elliot Burns, and rock idol Jim Morrison, to larger-than-life characters Bruce Wayne/Batman and Simon Templar, the Saint. He was born Henry Herman McKinnies, Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he began acting in local theater and radio in his early teens. Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor considered by fans to be one of the most talented and underappreciated actors currently working in film and television.

Jeffrey Hunter (November 25, 1926 - May 27, 1969) was a film and television actor. A License to Steal (2005). Delgo (2005). Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (2005). Alexander (2004).

Mindhunters (2004). Spartan (2004). Wonderland (2003). The Salton Sea (2002).

Run For the Money (TV) (2002). Pollock (2000). Red Planet (2000). Joe the King (1999).

At First Sight (1999). The Prince of Egypt (1998). Africa Unbottled (TV documentary) (1998). The Saint (1997).

The Ghost & the Darkness (1996). The Island of Doctor Moreau (1996). Heat (1995). Batman Forever (1995).

Dead Girl (1995). Wings of Courage (IMAX) (1995). Tombstone (1993). True Romance (1993).

The Real McCoy (1993). Tis Pity She's A Whore (Joseph Papp Public Theatre, New York) (1992). Thunderheart (1992). The Doors (1991).

Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid (TV) (1989). Kill Me Again (1989). Hamlet (Colorado Shakespeare Festival) (1988). Willow.

The Man Who Broke 1000 Chains (TV) (1987). The Murder in the Rue Morgue (TV) (1986). Top Gun (1986). One Too Many (TV) (1985).

Real Genius (1985). Top Secret! (1984).