Val Kilmer’s refusal to go along with a particularly graphic joke in MacGruber has come to light following his death earlier this month.
While promoting the 2010 comedy’s behind-the-scenes stories, director Jorma Taccone shared that Kilmer had one hard line – and it involved a brutally graphic gag that he just wasn’t going to do.
The revelation came during The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, where Jorma, 48, opened up about working with Kilmer. “He did do the movie – there was one joke, though, that he refused to do, which was that we did want to cut his penis off and shove it in his mouth,” Jorma said, laughing at the memory. “That was the one joke that he did not want to do.”
Kilmer starred as the villain Dieter Von Cunth opposite Will Forte’s absurd action hero in the Saturday Night Live-inspired spoof. Even though Kilmer declined the scene, a version of the line still made it into the MacGruber trailer. In it, Will Forte’s character threatens the act, keeping the tone darkly comic, but without the follow-through.
The Top Gun and Batman Forever actor passed away on April 1 at the age of 65 due to pneumonia, following a long fight with throat cancer. Kilmer’s legacy lives on through his iconic roles, but also through the surprising stories of his time on set – including how he got involved in MacGruber in the first place.
Will Forte and Jorma revealed that Kilmer came to the film’s table read without even having been cast. “He was just doing it as a favor,” Will recalled, still amazed. “I don’t even know who for, because none of us knew him!” Kilmer read the script cold and absolutely crushed it. “He nailed it,” Jorma added.
Podcast host Seth Meyers chimed in on the infamous gag refusal, saying, “I think now it’s especially a good decision on his part. It would be even harder to talk about him now had you guys made this poor person do this.”
Will Forte, who stayed close with Kilmer after the film, wrote a touching tribute in Vulture shortly after his passing. He called Val “just the most unique person I’ve ever met,” a statement that feels even more true when you hear stories like this.
Got a favorite Val Kilmer moment – from Top Gun to MacGruber?
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