The late Val Kilmer was a reality TV fan just like the rest of Us.
Kilmer was set to participate in the popular reality TV show The Amazing Race thanks to his ex-roommate, actor, and comedian Will Forte. Following Kilmer’s passing on April 1, Forte disclosed the details of how they almost made it onto the program in an interview with Vulture.
Forte reminisced, “I used to watch The Amazing Race, and he came back home at some point when I was watching it and was like, ‘What are you watching that garbage for? Come on, that stuff’s going to rot your mind,’” Forte shared with the publication.
“I said, ‘It’s pretty good. You should sit down and watch it. Give it a try before you criticize it,’” he added. “So he sat down, started watching, and ended up really getting into it. Eventually, he turned to me and said, ‘Will, you and I must participate in The Amazing Race. We must. Let’s compete in The Amazing Race.’”
Forte was completely open to the idea, explaining: “I’m like, ‘I am so fully in.’ We got really excited about it, and then we called our respective agents and managers, and they were like, ‘There’s no way you guys are doing that.’”
The actor added that he still wishes the pair could have made it happen. “That is, maybe to this day, the biggest regret of my whole career — that I never did The Amazing Race with Val. I think we would’ve gotten out very quickly, but it just would’ve been the experience of a lifetime.”
Kilmer’s family issued a statement two days after his death . While speaking to People on Thursday, April 3, they said, “Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory. We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated. At this time, we would like to grieve privately.”
The actor died of pneumonia on Tuesday at the age of 65. He was previously diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.
Tom Cruise, who co-starred with Kilmer in the 1986 movie Top Gun, asked for fans to observe a moment of silence in honor of the late actor at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday.
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer, for a moment. I can’t tell you how much I admired his work,” he said. “If we just all take a moment to remember the wonderful time we had with him — let’s just take a moment.” He concluded, “I wish you well on your next journey.”
