---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was no one around called 'Val' when…"
description: "\"There was no one around called 'Val' when I was young, so I wanted to be John or Bill. Now I like it.\" — Val Kilmer"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg"
---

#  There was no one around called 'Val' when I was young, so…

![“There was no one around called 'Val' when I was young, so I wanted to be John or Bill. Now I like it.” quote by Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg)

> “There was no one around called 'Val' when I was young, so I wanted to be John or Bill. Now I like it.”

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

I wanted to be named John or Bill because no one named Val existed in my youth.

**In simple terms:** Choosing a name based on uniqueness.

Key Takeaway

Embrace individuality over conformity.

Themes

identity naming self personal growth culture

Mood

introspective lighthearted neutral

Type

personal storytelling

When to use this quote

- Childhood naming
- career branding
- personal storytelling
- social interactions

Key Concepts

Self-concept social identity name significance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your name influence you?
- Would you change your name for a fresh start?

A Different Perspective

Names can shape perception but also limit flexibility.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [Lil John is like home slice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sky-blu/lil-john-is-like-home-slice/)

[Sky Blu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sky-blu/)

> [He's just like my father that way-my father just adored my mother and let her do whatever she wanted. John's like that. He's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-carter-cash/he-s-just-like-my-father-that-way-my-father-just-adored-my-mother-and/)

[June Carter Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-carter-cash/)

> [I had access to John like very few people had had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-pang/i-had-access-to-john-like-very-few-people-had-had/)

[May Pang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-pang/)

> [“ Local Girl Missing, Feared Dead. Beneath it was a photo of me-my most recent school photo. “Oh, no.” My heart filling with dread,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/local-girl-missing-feared-dead-beneath-it-was-a-photo-of-me-my-most/)

[Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/)

> [“In fact I wanted to be John Cleese and it took me some time to realise that the job was in fact taken.” At”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/in-fact-i-wanted-to-be-john-cleese-and-it-took-me-some-time-to/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [If you wanted John Gielgud to cry, he could say, 'Which eye?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hedges/if-you-wanted-john-gielgud-to-cry-he-could-say-which-eye/)

[Peter Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hedges/)

> [I wanted to be John Cleese. It took me some time to realise that the job was taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-wanted-to-be-john-cleese-it-took-me-some-time-to-realise-that-the/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Neil Young and Bob Dylan are my main influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/jack-johnson-john-mayer-neil-young-and-bob-dylan-are-my-main/)

[Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/)

> [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/)

[John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/)

> [I feel very confident that that information should be sufficient for the members of the Senate to make an informed decision about John Roberts'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-gonzales/i-feel-very-confident-that-that-information-should-be-sufficient-for/)

[Alberto Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-gonzales/)

> [I love 'Fishing With John' so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-posey/i-love-fishing-with-john-so-much/)

[Parker Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-posey/)

> [“As his ears rang and his heart broke for her, he stayed strong against the gale force she let loose. After all, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/as-his-ears-rang-and-his-heart-broke-for-her-he-stayed-strong-against/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [“Are you even listening to yourself right now? You sound like you’re from the nineteen hundreds, not the two thousands." I pointed at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelin-lamontagne/are-you-even-listening-to-yourself-right-now-you-sound-like-you-re/)

[Katelin LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelin-lamontagne/)

> [If you have John Terry, Frank Lampard on the pitch, they've seen everything in football. And it gives you a good feeling because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-schurrle/if-you-have-john-terry-frank-lampard-on-the-pitch-they-ve-seen/)

[Andre Schurrle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-schurrle/)

> [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/)

[Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/)

## More by Val Kilmer

> [I'm a better person when I'm preparing for a role, when I'm studying a role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-m-a-better-person-when-i-m-preparing-for-a-role-when-i-m-studying-a/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [A lot of old guys in movies are like cowboys - they talk like cowboys and they dress like cowboys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/a-lot-of-old-guys-in-movies-are-like-cowboys-they-talk-like-cowboys/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I'm very wary of news on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-m-very-wary-of-news-on-television/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Youth is seen as everything. You don't know anything when you're young. It's great being older, just having a more balanced perspective. I wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/youth-is-seen-as-everything-you-don-t-know-anything-when-you-re-young/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [It's a really weird thing, modern divorce. I found out I was getting divorced on television. That was kind of weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/it-s-a-really-weird-thing-modern-divorce-i-found-out-i-was-getting/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I was in love with Tina Goodman since I was three and her parents came popping out of the trash cans. I think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-was-in-love-with-tina-goodman-since-i-was-three-and-her-parents/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Without deadlines and restrictions I just tend to become preoccupied with other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/without-deadlines-and-restrictions-i-just-tend-to-become-preoccupied/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Do what you like to do so well that someone will pay you wages for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/do-what-you-like-to-do-so-well-that-someone-will-pay-you-wages-for-it/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Hollywood's like a warehouse. It's just a place that you go. What's interesting in the warehouse has to do with the creative people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/hollywood-s-like-a-warehouse-it-s-just-a-place-that-you-go-what-s/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I don't believe in death. I think it's just a state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-don-t-believe-in-death-i-think-it-s-just-a-state-of-mind/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Acting is very immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/acting-is-very-immediate/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [There are lots of actors who are awful people, but nobody talks about them being awful because they've made billions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/there-are-lots-of-actors-who-are-awful-people-but-nobody-talks-about/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [Mark Twain had a way of telling stories that shifts your consciousness away from labels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/mark-twain-had-a-way-of-telling-stories-that-shifts-your/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I've found that Hollywood's a really honest business. They don't pull any punches. They tell you exactly what you want-I want the fake breasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-ve-found-that-hollywood-s-a-really-honest-business-they-don-t-pull/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [There was such a relationship between the buffalo and the American Indian - the Indians would eat them, live inside their pelts, use every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/there-was-such-a-relationship-between-the-buffalo-and-the-american/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

[Explore all 135 Val Kilmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

## More Bills quotes

> [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/)

[John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/)

> [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

> [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/)

[Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/)

> [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/)

Chuck Peddle

> [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/)

[Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/)

> [The one thing the police cannot protect us from is a politician like Bill de Blasio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-one-thing-the-police-cannot-protect-us-from-is-a-politician-like/)

[Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/)

> [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/)

[Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/)

Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There was no one around called 'Val' when I was young, so I wanted to be John or Bill. Now I like it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Val Kilmer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when-i-was-young-so-i-wanted-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bills"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when-i-was-young-so-i-wanted-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/val-kilmer-3242_bills_there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when_1098410.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There was no one around called 'Val' when I was young, so I wanted to be John or Bill. Now I like it.” — Val Kilmer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Val Kilmer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There was no one around called...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when-i-was-young-so-i-wanted-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/there-was-no-one-around-called-val-when-i-was-young-so-i-wanted-to-be/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
