Advertisement
In a January 2024 GQ interview, actor Kurt Russell shared a story about a darkly humorous gift exchange between him and Val Kilmer after filming the 1993 Western Tombstone. Russell portrayed lawman Wyatt Earp, while Kilmer took on the role of gunslinger Doc Holliday. The two developed a strong bond on set and marked the end of filming with unique, personal gifts.
Russell explained that exchanging gifts after a project wasn’t a requirement but was a common gesture among actors. Recalling his experience with Kilmer, he said, “Back then, sometimes at the end of a shoot, you’d exchange gifts—it was just something you did.”
For Kilmer, Russell arranged a particularly on-theme present: a burial plot at Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone, Arizona, the famous cemetery known for its Old West outlaws. “I handed Val this gift, and he turns to his driver and says, ‘Give it to me,’” Russell recalled, amused.
The gift was meant to match Kilmer’s character, who was heavily associated with death throughout Tombstone. Russell noted the contrast between their roles, saying, “Doc Holliday was all about death. Wyatt Earp was all about life. It was perfect.”
Kilmer, unbeknownst to Russell, had also planned a return gesture. He gifted Russell an acre of land overlooking that very same cemetery. “Val got me an acre of land overlooking Boothill,” Russell revealed.
This gift exchange not only reflected their off-screen camaraderie but also mirrored their characters’ opposing themes—Holliday’s confrontation with mortality and Earp’s fight for justice and survival.
Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later went into remission, died from pneumonia on April 1, 2025, at age 65. His performance as Doc Holliday is widely remembered as one of the standout roles in Western cinema.