Val Kilmeris the undisputed master of a certain cowboy based on a real-life gunslinger, despite competition from the famous Dennis Quaid. Doc Holiday was a real-world gunslinger, renowned for his eccentricities and past as a dentist. Though he’s inspired characters likeDjango Unchained’s Dr. King Schultz, Doc Holiday has been a character in multiple famous Westerns.
The two most famous adaptations ofDoc Holiday’s lifeon the big screen are fromTombstone, where he’s played by Val Kilmer, andWyatt Earp, where he’s played by Dennis Quaid. The two films invite easy comparison, being part of the strange phenomenon of two movies with oddly similar premises premiering around the same time, in 1993 and 1994, respectively.
Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday Was Considerably Better Than Dennis Quaid’s Version
Not To Say Dennis Quaid’s Performance Is Bad
Comparing the two performances, it’s sadly clear that Val Kilmer is the superior Doc Holiday. From the moment he enters the frame with one of themost iconic Western introduction scenesof all time, he absolutely steals every scene he’s in.
Dennis Quaid’s performance is certainly serviceable, but it literally pales in comparison to the more famous incarnation.
Dennis Quaid’s performance is certainly serviceable, but it literally pales in comparison to the more famous incarnation. His version is far more neurotic and less humorous, and the impressive 40 pounds of weight Quaid lost to play the character really shines through in his final performance.
However, Kilmer’s Doc Holiday goes on to deliver some killer lines, includingthe iconic “I’m your Huckleberry”, the popularity of which has gone on to eclipse the very film it comes from. From dry, crass humor to swaggering confidence and tragic death via illness, Kilmer simply nails every aspect of Doc Holiday’s complex psyche.
Tombstone Is A Better Movie Than Wyatt Earp, But The Gap Between Doc Holliday Performances Is Even Wider
Val Kilmer’s Presence Is Simply Overwhelming
Val Kilmer’s performance as Doc Holiday isn’t the only element ofTombstonethat outdoesWyatt Earp.Kurt Russell’s take on the titular gunfighter also outshines Kevin Costner’s version, but it’s the long-winded and poorly-paced story that dragsWyatt Earp’sscore down to a measly31% rating on RottenTomatoes.com.
Meanwhile,Val Kilmer’s Doc Holiday is simply the cherry on top of a gripping tale of duty, lust, and the violence of the frontier. There’s a good reason thatTombstoneis the unofficial “winner” of the films' competition. As great as the gulf is between the two films, the gap between the two performances is even greater, and the legacy ofVal Kilmerwill continue to live on in his iconic characters like Doc Holiday.
