Actor Val Kilmer felt so bad about refusing to recite lines from his movie Tombstone for fan Bob Dylan he recorded a version of one of the singer's classic hits as his cowboy character Doc Holliday and sent it to him.

The Doors star was thrilled to discover Dylan was a huge fan of the 1993 western and once had the chance to discuss the movie with his idol when he invited the singer/songwriter over to his house - but he couldn't bring himself to chat about his art and his new pal left frustrated.

During a recent guest spot on U.S. radio network Kcrw, Kilmer picked Dylan's It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) as one of his favourite five songs of all time and recalled meeting his hero in New York.

He said, "I found out he was in New York so I called my friend and I said, 'You know, I'd love to meet him, is there any chance?' and he says, 'I don't know, I'll find out.' And the next call I got I thought was going to be my friend, but it wasn't, it was Bob.

"I was real excited, like a crazy fan, like a child; it was so great... It was like, 'You want to come over?' and he was like, 'Yeah'... I was newly married and we had a baby and I went in and said, 'I think Bob Dylan's coming over!'

"He shows up and sits down and he wants to talk about Tombstone, but I just can't, you know, nor can I talk about any of his stuff. Eventually he says, 'Ain't you going to say anything about that movie?'

"Basically, I said no. I get like that sometimes. So I turned him down and, I thought, no one turns this guy down. Anyway, I felt like an idiot afterwards... I could have said a few lines. They're fun lines too. People still ask me to say lines (from the film) and now I'll tell any schmo in the airport... but I wouldn't say it to Bob Dylan!

"I felt so bad about it. I was like how could I make it up to him? So what I did was, I recorded It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) but as Doc Holliday, and I put in all of the big lines from the movie into the song and made him a little tape."