The greatest Hollywood legend of all time, Val Kilmer, was recently spotted reprising his role as Tom Kazansky, aka Iceman, in the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Kilmer is known for his memorable contributions to Hollywood, including the 1984 films Top Secret! and Real Genius, the 1985 film Real Genius.
In the 1995 film Batman Forever, and the iconic 1986 military action drama Top Gun (1986). While the actor has never failed to stun audiences with his commanding on-screen presence, life hasn’t been easy for Val Kilmer regarding his health and battle with cancer.
Jim Morrison of Hollywood had a throat cancer diagnosis back in 2015. His horrific battle with cancer ended his illustrious acting career, despite his desire to keep his illness journey a secret. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the Top Gun actor’s battle with cancer, his current health, and the long-term repercussions of his treatment on his voice and his career.
Val Kilmer’s Cancer Diagnosis
Val Kilmer, 62, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015; nonetheless, the actor decided to keep his illness a secret while undergoing cancer treatment. The Hollywood celebrity silently fought the terrible health ailment from 2015 to 2017. Kilmer gained recognition and admirers thanks to his consistently convincing acting abilities and wide range of characters. However, he initially revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017 when he spoke candidly about how the therapy significantly impacted his voice, breaking the hearts of Kilmer fans worldwide.
The actor said in a New York Times article that he had hesitated to seek primary medical care, despite his previous reluctance to discuss personal aspects of his health. Actually, his children convinced him to get the correct therapy for his throat cancer. He described his radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy treatments.
Val Kilmer’s Memoir and Documentary
Although Val initially kept his journey a secret, fans of the actor could follow his struggle with cancer starting around the year 2020 thanks to several interviews, the documentary Val, and his in-depth memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry. Amazon Prime now has the documentary Val accessible. You can see the youtube video below:
“I have been free of cancer for more than four years now, and there has never been any recurrence,” Val stated in his autobiography. I’m really appreciative. The biography also disclosed that Kilmer had to rely on a tracheostomy tube and a feeding tube for breathing and eating during his cancer treatments, which hurt his ability to communicate. Val Kilmer stated in the brave 2021 documentary made by his children Jack and Mercedes Kilmer, “Now that it’s more difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever.” So many celebrities are battling this illness, including Len Goodman.
Val Kilmer’s Battle With Cancer
At first, Kilmer refused traditional medical care; in fact, he thought that if his faith was strong enough, it may even be able to cure the tumors. However, he bowed to the steadfast requests of his children—Mercedes, 30, and Jack, 27, from his ex-wife Joanne Whalley, 61—to receive appropriate care and chemotherapy. In addition, a tracheotomy, a surgery that promotes a healthy flow of oxygen, was part of his therapy regimen.
The problematic issue, though, is that the surgical operation necessitates an incision in the front area of the neck to insert a breathing tube, also known as a tracheotomy tube, into the trachea or windpipe. Due to the procedure’s proximity to the vocal cords, loss of speech is a frequent side effect.
New York Post tweeted that Val Kilmer reveals struggle ‘to breathe or eat’ after throat cancer battle. You can see below:
Val Kilmer reveals struggle 'to breathe or eat' after throat cancer battle https://t.co/F8Fg5WDeR1 pic.twitter.com/6JgDqzEwgn
— New York Post (@nypost) August 25, 2021
Did Val Kilmer Permanently Lose His Voice?
Kilmer’s capacity to talk was undoubtedly negatively damaged by the tracheotomy. The Hollywood legend was able to reprise his part as Iceman in the action-adventure film Top Gun: Maverick, which also stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, and others, owing to the use of technology. According to reports, the film’s creators used artificial intelligence and innovative voice editing to mimic Kilmer’s original speech patterns accurately.
When one thing is stolen, though, another is given, stated Kilmer in one of his tweets announcing that he had begun painting. My creative juices were boiling over and flowing out of me with little voice. I rediscovered my creative side and began writing and drawing again. I experienced the art as healing.
How is Val Kilmer Currently Faring?
Val Kilmer was able to triumph despite all the challenges brought on by his throat cancer. In the movie “Top Gun: Maverick,” he recently played Tom “Iceman” Kazansky once more. According to Jerry Bruckheimer’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Cruise insisted that Val Kilmer be a part of the movie. We can write another celebrity illness. You can check Jeffrey Holland Illness.
For Tom Cruise to accept the project, Val Kilmer must appear in the movie. Everyone’s 35-year reunion through the movie was genuinely remarkable. According to Bruckheimer, everyone on the set reportedly became emotional while filming Kilmer’s sequences, especially after seeing him collaborate with Cruise again. There are instances when Cruise and Kilmer can’t stop giggling while filming, so it’s not all sad.
In an interview with the LA Times, Val Kilmer said that playing the same character again in “Top Gun: Maverick” is both emotional and personal for him. He continued by saying that he and Cruise were close and exchanged Christmas presents annually.
Public reactions to Kilmer’s presence in the movie have been surprisingly positive. He was ecstatic about it. The 62-year-old actor is doing fantastic right now. He asserts that he feels better daily regarding his physical and emotional health. He declared that he was not finished and that Werner Herzog would be the director of his next role, Frankenstein. He is eager to get started and anticipates soon showcasing their artistic abilities to the globe.
