Bob Dylan and Val Kilmer: An Interesting Relationship

      The previous week unveiled the intriguing link between Hollywood actor Val Kilmer and Bob Dylan.

      Val Kilmer is a legendary figure, whose presence and natural charisma helped shape new dimensions of masculinity in contemporary film. He has portrayed numerous characters, but one role in particular captivated Bob Dylan.

      In a tweet, Kilmer mentioned that the music icon had a special fondness for Tombstone, the early '90s Western where Kilmer left a lasting impression as Doc Holliday.

      This tuberculosis-stricken character is memorable for several fantastic lines, including the iconic “I’ll be your huckleberry,” blending classic Hollywood with a fresh twist.

      Kilmer once tweeted:

      “Once Bob Dylan came over to hang out. I was so flattered. He kept asking for Doc Holliday quotes. I replied, ‘Okay, sing some #Blowininthewind first.’ Bad answer!”

      In a follow-up interview, he shared more details:

      “Well, it turns out Bob Dylan loves Tombstone. I learned he was in New York, so I called a friend and asked, ‘Is there any chance I could meet him?’ My friend said, ‘I’ll check.’ The next call I received wasn’t from my friend—it was Bob.”

      “I was incredibly excited, like a fanboy, like a kid; it was fantastic. It felt so natural, like we were old friends, and I was like, ‘Do you want to come over?’ and he replied, ‘Yeah.’ But the surreal nature left me questioning myself. After he hung up, I went to my wife and said, ‘I think Bob Dylan’s coming over … but I’m not sure. It might be a prank.’”

      “When he arrived and sat down, he started talking about Tombstone, but I struggled to engage, nor could I discuss any of his work. Eventually, he asked, ‘Aren’t you going to say anything about that movie?’ and I responded, ‘Sing some ‘Blowin’ in the Wind,’ and I’ll…’ Basically, I turned him down. I can be that way sometimes.”

      “I thought, no one turns this guy down. What was I thinking?” he chuckled. “Anyway, I felt foolish afterwards—like, I could have thrown out a few lines. They are fun lines too. People still ask me to say them, and now I’ll tell any random person at the airport, ‘I’m your huckleberry,’ but I wouldn’t say that to Bob Dylan.”

      However, in the end, Bob got what he wanted. “I regretted it so much. I thought, how can I make it right? So, I recorded Bob Dylan's song ‘It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)’ as if I were Doc Holliday from Tombstone, incorporating all the big lines from the film into the song and made him a little cassette.”

      “I’m not sure if he ever listened to it. I gave it to someone who was supposed to deliver it, but you never know with Bob. He could have put it in a drawer or maybe listens to it every morning—who knows?”

      In his part, Bob Dylan provided a brief overview of their meeting during his extensive 2009 interview with writer Bill Flanagan:

      “Funny thing about actors and that identity thing. Every time I see Val Kilmer, I say, ‘Why, Johnny Ringo – you look like somebody just walked on your grave.’ Val always responds, ‘Bob, I’m not Johnny Ringo. That’s just a role I played in a movie.’ He might be right, or he might be wrong. I think he’s wrong, but he says it so genuinely.”

      It’s well-known that Bob Dylan is a fan of Westerns, as themes from these stories appear throughout his work, and he both acted in and provided the soundtrack for Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.