Both Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer have memorable roles in 1993’s Tombstone, but the latter’s performance is the one that’s most securely stood the test of time. The film centers around notorious lawman Wyatt Earp and his friends, including the infamous Doc Holliday, as they hunt down a deadly gang that’s plaguing the American Wild West. It’s a thrilling story of revenge, friendship, and loyalty that hugely contributed to the Western genre’s resurgence in the ‘90s, Tombstone was loosely based on a true story, and these two actors bring the iconic figures to life in fascinating ways.
Both Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are captivating characters in their own ways, but they’re hugely different. While Wyatt brings a more fierce and commanding spirit to the Earp Vendetta, Holliday is much more calculated and uses his charisma to manipulate situations into going his way. Russell and Kilmer use these differences in character to make their roles stand out from each other, but it’s their on-screen chemistry that makes Tombstone really succeed. Ultimately, while other actors almost played Doc Holliday, it’s Kilmer’s supporting turn that really allows this Western to reach the heights that it does.
Kurt Russell & Val Kilmer Are Both Great In Tombstone, But Kilmer Edges It
Both Actors Are At Their Absolute Best
Both actors are fantastic in Tombstone; their characters necessitate different things from the story, and their performances reflect this. Earp is the protagonist, so it’s no surprise that somebody with a commanding screen presence and extensive action movie catalog like Kurt Russell was chosen to lead the film – with his talent and experience, there was no way he could have missed the mark. However, Kilmer’s casting as Doc Holliday was much riskier, as the actor didn’t necessarily have much experience playing these kinds of characters.
But Kilmer easily rose to the occasion and managed to outshine Russell in the film’s most intense scenes. Many of Tombstone’s best quotes are spoken by Kilmer’s character – his deliveries are so unconventional and charming, which makes everything he says instantly memorable. Russell manages to hold his own, but Earp is fairly similar to characters that he’s tackled in the past. It’s the playing against type that makes Kilmer’s performance so special, and it’s something that he’s carried forward in his career since then.
Every Scene He’s In, Tombstone’s Doc Holliday Is Impossible To Look Away From
Val Kilmer Is At The Top Of His Game
What makes Doc Holliday such an interesting character is his complexity: he isn’t the indestructible hero that Wyatt Earp likes to present himself as, but rather somebody who’s clearly past his prime and suffering from a debilitating illness. Yet that never takes away from his strength – he’s just as important during the shootout at the OK Corral as the others, and he’s the one that ultimately saves the day in Tombstone’s brilliant ending.
Wyatt Earp’s strength and anger makes him a commanding protagonist, but it’s Holliday’s more subdued personality that allows him to steal the show. He’s arguably just as important as Wyatt, even though he operates more quietly. It’s easy to cheer for the hero who’s clearly strong and filled with emotion, but the importance of Kilmer’s character is much more understated. Audiences spend the majority of the runtime viewing him as the weak but charming lawman, until he subverts expectations and proves that his strength of character outshines his physical weakness.
This Is The Scene That Confirms Val Kilmer As The True Star Of Tombstone
Holliday’s Showdown With Ringo Is The Shining Jewel Of The Film
While Kilmer shines in his supporting role throughout Tombstone, it’s not until the film’s climax that he really proves himself to be the star of the show. The character’s shootout with Johnny Ringo ranks among the film’s most intense scenes, as Holliday emerges from the shadows with his deputy badge to take his friend’s place in the fated duel. It’s a hugely powerful scene that not only cements Holliday’s loyalty to Earp and his cause, but also features some of Holliday’s best one-liners in the entire film.
There’s a mystery and unknowability about Doc Holliday that makes him so interesting to watch, and the way that he overcomes his physical sickness in Tombstone’s final scene is perfectly done.
Line reads such as “I’m your huckleberry” and his chilling “I wasn’t” really cement Kilmer as the star of the show, as he’s constantly subverting expectations in the way that he plays this character. There’s a mystery and unknowability about Doc Holliday that makes him so interesting to watch, and the way that he overcomes his physical sickness in Tombstone ’s final scene is perfectly done. The audience knows that he’s the one with the disadvantage, but he uses his words and charisma to put Johnny Ringo off his game, then pounces when his opportunity arises.