Straight from Tombstone: Val Kilmer’s Timeless Advice to His Children – Mercedes and Jack
In the dusty heat of Arizona, where legends walk and echoes of the Wild West still whisper, Val Kilmer gave one of his most iconic performances as Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993). But offscreen, the gunslinger with a poet’s soul had a different role: a father.
Val Kilmer, whose artistic brilliance spans decades, shared some enduring wisdom with his two children — daughter Mercedes, born in 1991, and son Jack, now an actor like his father, born in 1995.
Back on the set of Tombstone, amid the chaos of production and the weight of legacy, Kilmer once said, “No role I ever play will matter more than being your dad.” His advice to his children remains simple, soulful, and timeless:
“Find your voice. Love fearlessly. And never forget—truth always wins, even in the darkest corners.”
Now grown, both Mercedes and Jack carry that message forward. Jack, stepping into his father’s creative footsteps with his own rising career, often credits Val’s quiet strength and vulnerability as his biggest inspirations.
As Val Kilmer’s own voice may have softened in recent years, the power of his message rings louder than ever—etched not in stone, but in the hearts of his children.
