Star Val Kilmer, claimed that music legend Bob Dylan was enthralled by “Tombstone”. Kilmer shared that he met with Dylan and the two spoke of the movie.
Kilmer was in his hotel room when he was contacted by Dylan who asked if he could come over. He eventually popped by and the two were able to admire each other’s work to each other’s face.
Shooting Michael Biehn
Spoiler warning: A major plotline of "Tombstone" is where Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) shoots Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn).
Many fans were upset at the shooting in the film, but Biehn later confessed that he was ok with the scene. “I wanted him to shoot me!” the actor admitted. Biehn continued saying, “Well, I always thought Johnny Ringo had a little bit of a ‘[death] by police’ mentality."
A Riveting Scene
The scene where Doc Holliday shoots Johnny Ringo became a favorite of the cast on set. Star Sam Elliott considered the scene to be one of the best in the entire film.
In an interview, he said that the tension between the two is so good that people are edging for the explosion between them to happen. Though the scene garnered mixed reactions from fans, it did add a new level of drama and intensity to the dramatic Western.
A Rush of Adrenaline
According to star Michael Biehn, the character of Johnny Ringo liked to live on the edge and to be in the center of situations that would create “that adrenaline rush.”
He said that the simple life of the Old West would have created an oppressively boring atmosphere for a man like Johnny. Just thinking about him in a saloon full of warm beers with no air conditioner would be enough to make you see his (miserable) side of things.
Connecting with the Character
Michael Biehn said that stepping into the character of Johnny Ringo was one of his favorite roles. He was able to easily connect with the character and bring the storyline to life.
In fact, he gave the character a high ranking, comparing him to another iconic role he played, Kyle Reese. About the role he said, “...Johnny Ringo’s probably, along with Kyle Reese, my two favorite characters.” Michael Biehn also had previously gained acclaim for his performance as Kyle Reese, a pivotal character in the first two "Terminator" films.