Heat is surely one of the best crime dramas ever made.
Two screen legends, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, on screen together for the first time, in a blistering cat-and-mouse saga between a cop and a master criminal. The downtown shoot out, the coffee shop meeting, so many great moments and amazing performances.
Playing the smaller but important role of Chris Shiherlis, Val Kilmer may have been lower down the bill than De Niro and Pacino, but as the actor revealed in a recent Reddit AMA, he has nothing but fond memories from working on Heat.
His answer to the question ‘What was your experience like working on Heat?’ is just fantastic:
“Well imagine being able to say, “Al and Bob” for the rest of your life. Not many people can do that. I have seen Bob, giggling like a school girl in a van in the middle of the night, because we have to be quiet cause they are filming outside…
“I have been hugged by Al Pacino in the middle of downtown LA like he was my older brother. I have shot live rounds from high powered assault weapons over Bob’s head while rehearsing lines from our film. I got to kiss Ashley Judd
“I sometimes lived at Michael Mann’s house. I am in one of the greatest cops and robbers films in film history, has to be in the top 20. I am on the poster for goodness sake. What an honor! Priceless experience.
“Watching ALL the actors do their thing. We all work hard but when you are with the icons, you get really squared away. Loved every minute of it.”
If you didn’t already love Heat, you’ll love it even more now. And if you didn’t already love Val Kilmer, watch him lampoon his turn as Batman in Life’s Too Short:
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