Val Kilmer Blocked A Bloodworth Sex Scene With Hilarie Burton For A Good Reason

Val Kilmer tragically died at the age of 65 on April 1, 2025, with an outpouring of support arriving on social media from the actor's fans and colleagues. Kilmer was often considered an actor who was somewhat difficult to work with, garnering a reputation as being a perfectionist, but one co-star who loved collaborating with him is Hilarie Burton. She posted a lengthy Instagram tribute to Kilmer, whom she worked with on 2010's "Bloodworth," and relayed an anecdote about how he cut a sex scene in the film between the two because "it didn't service the story or the character."

While Burton says she would have just gone along with the sequence because that was what was expected, she was pleasantly surprised to hear that the scene was altered at Kilmer's request. Instead, he changed it to a scene in which the two characters are enjoying barbecued ribs, which Burton called "infinitely more interesting." She continued, "I felt so safe and cared for by that man ... He made the scene about us instead of using me as a prop. That one day at work rewired my brain."

An often untold truth about Val Kilmer is that he adheres to the Christian Science faith, so it's possible he didn't want to do the scene because it conflicted with his beliefs. Either way, Burton definitely seems thankful they could work out something else in lieu of superfluous bawdiness. She concluded with this touching tribute to the late actor: "Val was kind to me. A thoughtful artist. I bought some of his paintings a few years back. I hope every young actor has a Val in their life. That movie was a magical experience."

There's more awareness now that sex scenes aren't always necessary to a film's plot, and the rise of intimacy coordinators has been incredibly beneficial in ensuring actors feel more comfortable filming such scenes when they are needed. But such a position wouldn't have been around in 2009 when Val Kilmer and Hilarie Burton were filming "Bloodworth," and it actually isn't the only time Kilmer's turned down raunchy material.

Kilmer played the villainous Dieter Von Cunth in 2010's "MacGruber," and director Jorma Taccone apparently wanted a scene where MacGruber (Will Forte) cuts off Dieter's male appendage and sticks it right back in the villain's mouth. Taccone told Yahoo! Entertainment, "We wanted to shove the d*** into his mouth. We pitched it so many times ... He's like, 'Let me stop you right there.'" Kilmer's also talked about having regrets in his career before, one of which was turning down the role of Jeffrey Beaumont in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" due to its graphic nature and him not being totally comfortable with the script.

If nothing else, Kilmer was an actor of conviction. He wasn't afraid to pass on notable roles or change scenes in the middle of production if he had something else in mind. He also refused to be typecast and worked in a variety of genres; he proved he had comedic chops in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," but could also handle more action-oriented projects like "Top Gun" and "Batman Forever." He's left behind an impressive legacy of work, and fans — as well as colleagues like Burton — aren't going to forget him anytime soon.