Wonder Why Val Kilmer’s ‘Tombstone’ Character Doc Holliday Is Called “Lunger”? We Have Your Answer

Tombstone is still considered one of the best Westerns ever made, even 30 years after the fact, and that’s in no small part to Val Kilmer‘s performance. Of course, part of why Kilmer is so great in the Doc Holliday role is because of the other actors he has to work with, each of whom make his performance all the better. But have you ever wondered why Doc Holliday is called a “lunger” by the people of Tombstone? It’s a historical term, but one loaded with plenty of Old West meaning. If you love Western history, and have been dying to learn the truth since 1993, then journey with us as we unpack Doc’s strange nickname here…

“Lunger” Is an Old West Slang Term Referring to Doc Holliday’s Condition

The short answer to what the “lunger” term is all about is that it’s Old West slang for someone with tuberculosis, which was often called “consumption” in those days due to the wasting nature of the disease. If you’ve ever read a Western novel or watched other horse operas where a character is dying from this illness, you’ll likely hear some variation on this term, even if it’s not exact. Characters in Red Dead Redemption II call the video game’s dying hero “black lung,” which is somewhat similar. In Doc Holliday’s case, he suffers from an incredibly advanced stage of the disease, one that ultimately takes his life. “Lungers” could be anyone who contracted the sickness, but Tombstone uses it as more than just a descriptor for Doc’s poor condition. In this case, it’s also a reflection on his Old West reputation.

Doc is called a “lunger” because he has tuberculosis, sure, but it’s also because his reputation as a sick gunslinger precedes him, and in the Wild West, your reputation is about all you’ve got. For Doc Holliday, that’s quite literally true since he no longer has even his own health to boast about. To add insult to injury, Big Nose Kate (Joanna Pacula) left him behind as well. As he’s often seen coughing up his own lungs, the Western icon slowly succumbs to the nasty disease (hence all the sweating). In fact, the real-life Doc Holliday died from only six years after the famed Gunfight at the O.K. Corral at only 36 years old. This is exactly why Doc is willing to die in a blaze of glory in a battle against Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn). He would much rather go down swinging than in a hospital bed. And yet, because of his reputation, he of course wins, and ends up dying in the hospital anyhow.

‘Tombstone’ Is Val Kilmer at the Top of His Acting Game

Val Kilmer has had an incredible career. From Top Gun and Batman Forever to Heat and The Prince of Egypt, Kilmer’s wide range made him one of the most notable up-and-comers of his day. But even considering all those other pictures, there’s no Val Kilmer role quite like Doc Holliday in Tombstone. The highly-quotable, earnest, and persistent Doc Holliday is a pure mixture of Western grit and fallen grace, brought magnificently to life by an actor at the very top of his game. It’s hard to think of anyone else playing this particular role in this particular picture. Six months later, Dennis Quaid would play the part of Doc Holliday in Kevin Costner‘s Wyatt Earp, and though he does a fine job with his own interpretation, he has nothing on Kilmer, who is still undoubtedly the best there is.

There’s a reason that we’re still talking about Tombstone over 30 years later. The film is a brilliant and rich Western, and is a gripping portrayal of historical events that mark the often dark history of the Old American West. The story of the Earp brothers who fought to defend Tombstone, Arizona from a highly-unstable gang of killers is one that just about anyone can get behind. While Kilmer may say that Kurt Russell is the reason that Tombstone was made (and that’s certainly true), his Doc Holliday is the reason that Tombstone really works. Without him to stand alongside the Earp brothers, and push our heroes to face their troubles, this would be a far less interesting Western. As Doc says in the film, “I’m in my prime.” Kilmer likely didn’t realize how right he was.

Tombstone is available to watch on Hulu in the U.S.

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