Val Kilmer announced his throat cancer in a peculiar way, years before he lost his voice and underwent medical procedures.
The legendary American actor sadly passed away aged 65 on Tuesday (1 April), with his daughter confirming the news to the New York Times.
Kilmer was battling cancer for years, and died as a result of pneumonia.
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Known for his roles in Batman Forever, The Doors, and Top Gun among other blockbuster hits, the actor last made an appearance in the latter's sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, reprising his role as Iceman and using AI to help generate his voice for the scene.
The actor became emotional when hearing it for the first time, having been unable to speak following a tracheotomy surgery.
His first symptoms surfaced in 2014, when he noticed a lump in his throat, and woke up one night bleeding in his bed, quickly seeking medical help.
However, the news of his cancer diagnosis wasn't revealed by him, but another Hollywood celebrity without his knowing.
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Michael Douglas confirmed the news in 2016, and Kilmer was said to be unwilling to confirm the diagnosis as a lifelong Christian Scientist.
The actor was born to parents who also followed the movement, which delayed his announcement as due to spiritual reasons, he was hesitant to seek help at first, needing some convincing from his son, Jack, and daughter, Mercedes.
He would then undergo chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for his diagnosed throat cancer.
When Kilmer did decide to address the rumours, he did so on Reddit of all places, in an 'Ask Me Anything' thread on the forum site back in 2017.
A fan asked: "A while ago, Michael Douglas claimed you had terminal cancer. What was the story behind that?"
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The actor replied: "He was probably trying to help me cause press probably asked where I was these days, and I did have a healing of cancer, but my tongue is still swollen altho [sic] healing all the time.
"Because I don't sound my normal self yet people think I may still be under the weather."
He also went on to answer questions about films he had been in, some of the stars he had worked with, and his love for Mark Twain, creating a one-man show called 'Citizen Twain' about the American writer.
Kilmer spoke about his diagnosis and recovery in his 2020 memoir I'm Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime Documentary Val.
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He underwent both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as a tracheostomy, which damaged his vocal cords and impacted his voice.
Narrated by his son Jack, the documentary delved into his darkest places and experiences, as well as using hundreds of hours of video Kilmer had recorded over the years to give an insight into the sets he worked on.
“I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel,” the Iceman star said in the doc.
“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat.
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“It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”
Speaking about Kilmer's final appearance on screen, Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise told Jimmy Kimmel in 2023: “I just want to say that was pretty emotional,
“I’ve known Val for decades, and for him to come back and play that character… he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again.”
Topics: Cancer, Celebrity News, Health, Top Gun, Val Kilmer
Joshua Nair