Val Kilmer’s voicemail: Did the actor smoke?
VAL Kilmer rose to fame in the 80s for his role as Iceman in Top Gun.
However, fans of the film star have been wondering why the actor now uses a voice box.
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Why does Val Kilmer use a voicemail?
Val Kilmer had to undergo a tracheostomy for treatment Throat cancer.
Although he survived his battle with cancer, the effects of the procedure are permanent.
The tracheostomy means he is no longer able to speak without help.
Kilmer now relies on a voicemail to communicate.
In his Amazon documentary “Val,” he is seen using the device and straining his voice to get words out.
In the documentary he tells viewers: “I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. I still have problems.”
“It’s hard to talk and be understood, but I want to tell my story more than ever.”
The 2021 documentary, which includes years of personal home videos and images, marked the first time Val appeared with a voice box.
The documentary’s synopsis states: “For over 40 years, Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors, has documented his own life and craft through film and video.
“He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster films such as Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone and Batman Forever has spent.
“This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to the fullest and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.”
The actor now always wears a scarf in public.
Did Val Kilmer smoke?
While cancer can affect anyone, smoker or not, the actor has admitted that he was once addicted to smoking.
According to The Daily Mail, the actor started smoking as a child.
When he was eight years old, Val admitted to taking his uncle’s cigarettes before sneaking into a treehouse to smoke them.
A habit he reportedly regrets.
When was he diagnosed with throat cancer?
Val was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, but waited a while before revealing his condition.
He spoke publicly about his illness in 2017 after fellow actor Michael Douglas suggested that Val was battling cancer.
Michael, no stranger to cancer himself, told reporters that Val is “struggling with exactly what it is.” [he] had” during an event in May 2016.
Val initially denied that his health was in danger before coming clean during a Reddit AMA session promoting the film Cinema Twain.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Val opened up more about his condition, adding that he underwent a procedure, a tracheostomy, that radically changed his voice.
Val, a Christian Scientist, said his faith helped him get through these trials and he underwent chemotherapy to fight the disease.
He also said that he prefers to take it easy now. “I was too serious,” he said of his moment as a movie star. “I would be upset if things like Oscars and recognition didn’t happen.”
“I would like to have more Oscars than anyone,” he revealed. “Meryl Streep must be feeling pretty good, you know? It has to feel Pretty knowing that everyone loves her. It’s about being loved.”
Val was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles, California.
He was just 25 when he played Tom “Iceman” Kazanski in “Top Gun.”
In the early 1980s, Kilmer began studying at the Juilliard School, where he was the youngest person to be accepted into the drama department there.
He got his first big break in the industry when he was cast in the parody “Top Secret!”
This role made the actor famous and just two years later he was chosen to star alongside Tom Cruise in the cult classic “Top Gun”.
The actor’s ex-wife is actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met on the set of the film Willow.
During their marriage they had two children, a son and a daughter, Jack and Mercedes.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Val has an estimated net worth of $25 million (£18.6 million).
He earns his money through his numerous acting roles on stage, in film and on television.
Val has also appeared in many advertising campaigns.
What is a tracheostomy?
According to the NHSa tracheostomy or tracheostomy “is an opening created in the front of the neck so that a tube can be inserted into the windpipe.”
The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia to deliver oxygen to the lungs when the usual airway is obstructed or restricted.
A tracheostomy is not without complications and side effects, as Val has learned.
After the procedure, it is usually difficult to speak and swallow food.
During recovery from a tracheostomy, patients are initially advised to drink plenty of water before moving on to soft food and then to regular food.