It’s time to saddle up and ride along on the adventure inone ofthe most beloved Western filmsof all time,Tombstone. Directed byGeorge P. Cosmatosand released in 1993, this highly quotable and recognizable cult classic is a delightful Western experience, an absolute joyride of entertainment, featuring some of the most popular and memorable one-liners and performances in movie history.
Indeed, this is an enjoyable film that can be watched repeatedly, leaving viewers amazed by its thrills. Where else can one find a more impressive cast of leading stars?Kurt Russell,Val Kilmer,Sam Elliott,Michael Biehn, and the lateBill Paxtonall contribute to this entertaining masterpiece and shine in different ways.The entire cast is incredible and gives some of the most delightful and revered performances of their career, all within this engaging story.Tombstoneis full of thrilling performances that are all memorable. In honor of this Western masterpiece, here are the ten best acting performances that made this film truly spectacular.
A successful lawman’s plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.
10Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Mattie Earp
Best known for her role as Gail Stanwyk in 1985’sFletchand her compelling supporting performances in shows likeFriday Night LightsandThe X-Files, the truly talented and underappreciatedDana Wheeler-Nicholsonplays Mattie Earp. The wife of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), Mattie, is a struggling woman, dependent on laudanum (a mixture of morphine and opium) who slowly realizes her husband is falling in love with a traveling stage actress.
Giving arguably one of the most underrated and heartbreaking performances of the entire film, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson is truly captivating in her brief but memorable role.Unfortunately, many of her scenes with Wyatt were cut from the film’s runtime, but she still shines through with the time she’s given, and she expertly portrays a suffering woman dealing with an addiction. Short but compelling, Wheeler-Nicholson’s performance indeed madeTombstoneall the more incredible.
9Jason Priestley
Billy Breckinridge
Another underrated performance inTombstonewas courtesy of actorJason Priestley. Best known for his role as Brandon Walsh inBeverly Hills, 90210, Priestley plays the modest peacekeeper Billy Breckinridge, a man who initially favored the Cowboys and detested the Earp brothers' actions after the gunfight at the O.K. Corral but slowly came to understand the errors of siding with criminals after the murder of his actor friend Fabian (Billy Zane).
Like with Wheeler-Nicholson, many of Priestley’s scenes were cut for time. But he still manages to make his limited screen time memorable with how genuine and compelling he appears.With what time he’s given, he conveys so much emotion and believability with his line delivery and stands out spectacularly.In a film full of memorable performances, his is an underappreciated highlight that gets more noticeable with every rewatch.
8Dana Delany
Josephine Marcus
Perhaps best known byBatmanfans as the voice of the tragic anti-hero Andrea Beaumont inBatman: Mask of the Phantasm,Dana Delanyplays the compassionate and optimistic stage actress Josephine Marcus. An aspiring adventurer, Josephine is a traveling artist hoping to experience the world. She wants to go along with the famed lawman Wyatt Earp, with whom the two develop a tender relationship during her time in Tombstone.
Delany shines with her unique and charming performance as Josephine. Though never present for most of the action scenes, she’s still quite entertaining in her moments with Wyatt.Delany’s onscreen chemistry with Kurt Russell is a definite highlight, as their characters' romance feels heartwarming and genuine. She’s not a stranger to stealing the spotlight, having already done that the same year inMask of the Phantasm, and here she does so many times.
7Powers Boothe
Curly Bill Brocius
The legendary late tough guy actorPowers Bootheis an absolute delight asTombstone’s menacing main antagonist, William ‘Curly Bill’ Brocius. As the ruthless leader of the Cowboy gang, Brocius is vicious and determined to make his criminal organization expand and thrive in the untamed Wild West. When his men engage ina costly blood feud with the Earp brothers, he’ll make sure the Earps pay for their defiance with their lives.
Being both terrifying and darkly comedic, Boothe is a blast to watch in this film. He has perfect line delivery, and all of his quotes are memorable and captivating.
Having played despicable bad guys inSudden Death,Sin City, andBlue Sky,Curly Bill fromTombstoneis undoubtedly Boothe’s most thrilling antagonist roleand one of the best of his career. Being both terrifying and darkly comedic, Boothe is a blast to watch in this film. He has perfect line delivery, and all of his quotes are memorable and captivating. Though one other villain actor outshines him, Boothe’s performance is a sight to behold.
6Bill Paxton
Morgan Earp
Despite not always being the leading man, the late great Bill Paxton knew how to command the screen. His talents show here in his role as the doomed younger Earp brother, Morgan. Hot-headed and always ready for a fight, poor Morgan’s eagerness to become a famed lawman like his brothers he so idolized all his life, unfortunately, leads to his tragic demise at the hands of the Cowboys, becoming the catalyst for his brother Wyatt’s bloody vendetta against those responsible.
FromAlienstoTwister, the incomparable Bill Paxton made the most of his supporting roles and strove to be one of the most entertaining characters in a film. Although he’s not given too much screen time here, he shines every one of his moments.His character’s tragic death near the midpoint of the story is heartbreaking and poignant, a testament to his ability to make audiences root and deeply care for his characters.This is undeniablyone of Paxton’s greatest films, one in which he truly leaves a lasting impression.
5Stephen Lang
Ike Clanton
Before playing sinister and formidable villains in films likeDon’t BreatheandJames Cameron’sAvatarfranchise, the always remarkableStephen Langplayed the despicable secondary antagonist, Joseph Isaac ‘Ike’ Clanton, in this movie. A remorseless criminal but one who turns into a crumbling coward when situations get hairy, Ike is a loathsome associate of the Cowboy gang whose intense hatred of Doc Holliday and the Earp brothers ignites a vicious rivalry between the two groups, culminating in a gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Lang’s onscreen tension with Val Kilmer’s Doc Holiday is a thrilling highlight of the film that the two made so compelling and darkly hilarious.
In a movie full of captivating lead performances, Lang beats the odds and stands out with his marvelous performance as the unlikable and conniving Ike Clanton.He shines with how memorable and despicable his character can be. Lang’s onscreen tension with Val Kilmer’s Doc Holiday is a thrilling highlight of the film that the two made so compelling and darkly hilarious. Lang’s performance and the character’s role inTombstoneare essential and integral to the story. He may not have a commanding screen presence, but he shines through with his skills.
4Sam Elliott
Virgil Earp
The great Sam Elliott embodiesthe spirit of the Old West, and his commanding performance inTombstoneis one of the shining examples. He plays the eldest Earp brother, Virgil, who is the first to take up a law badge and oppose the Cowboys' control over Tombstone. Stoic, brave, and compassionate, he’s one of the most noble men to take a stand against evil in a town riddled with crime, even at the risk of his life.
A renowned tough guy actor who often steals the show with his powerful speaking voice and mad charisma, Sam Elliott is a true sight to behold in this movie, and he’s so memorable as Virgil. Though not as onscreen for long compared to Russell or Kilmer, he takes up every moment of his time, showing off his act as being an intimidating yet stoic presence.Tombstoneis one of Elliott’s most noticeable films, and he is easily one of the best parts of the story.
3Michael Biehn
Johnny Ringo
Though he’s mostly known for his heroic performances as Corporal Hicks inAliensand Kyle Reese inThe Terminator, Michael Biehn gives one of the most fascinating and chilling performances of his career as the unhinged gunslinger Johnny Ringo inTombstone. The second-in-command of The Cowboys behind Curly Bill, Johnny’s the most bloodthirsty, professional, and intelligent member of the gang and the one who’s most determined to see Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday suffer for going up against them.
Now, Biehn’s no stranger to playing villain roles, having played an unstable, murderous Navy SEAL in James Cameron’sThe Abyss, but here he’s allowed to go full-blown sinister, and it’s downright creepy.Biehn loses himself in this mesmerizing and eerie performance, a far cry from his more good guy roles, and it’s absolutely spectacular.Every moment he’s on-screen is intense, and there’s no telling what he will do or what he is thinking. Dark, unpredictable, and incredibly menacing, Michael Biehn’s performance as Johnny Ringo resulted inone of thegreatest Western villains of all time.
2Kurt Russell
Wyatt Earp
A major component that led toTombstone’s popularity and success was allowing the one and only Kurt Russell to take on the badass lead role of Wyatt Earp. Dawning the famed lawman’s badge and epic mustache, Russell delivers a truly extraordinary performance, portraying a once-determined peace officer who wants to retire his gun and seek his fortune in Tombstone, only to get roped back into the profession once he and his brothers unintentionally get into a fight with the vicious Cowboy gang.
A man who always brings a certain level of charm and charisma to all of his roles, Russell’s presence in this movie is astounding, and arguably, half the movie wouldn’t have worked without him. While he’s seenas a king of Western cinema, with many impressive films under his belt, Wyatt Earp inTombstoneis undoubtedly his most iconic and beloved role in the genre. It’s hard to look away from the screen whenever he appears, as he’s so cool and a blast to hear every time he speaks. Though he’s upstaged by one other performer in this movie, this is still one of Kurt Russell’s best acting works.
1Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
Was there ever any doubt this wouldn’t be number one? Of course,Tombstone’s most compelling and memorable performance goes to the incredible Val Kilmer in his scene-stealing role as John ‘Doc’ Holliday.A southern gentleman and dentist turned fearless gambling gunslinger after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Doc is a reckless dead man walking but a capable friend who anyone would want by their side during a fight. Loyal only to his close friend Wyatt Earp, the two prove to be a remarkable pair as they rid Tombstone of its dreaded Cowboy problem.
Giving undoubtedly the most captivating performance of his career, Val Kilmer is the true star ofTombstoneand one of the primary reasons the film has become so beloved and quoted all these years.He dominates every moment of screen time with mad charm, and his pairing with Kurt Russell’s Wyat Earp is an incredible sight to behold, as the two have impeachable chemistry.Doc is a celebrated and iconic movie character thanks to Kilmer’s nuanced performance. It’s a role the talented performer will always be associated with and stands the test of time asone of thebest performances in Western movie history.
