When Val Kilmer disappeared from the film scene a few years ago, rumors that he was battling with cancer began to surface, rumors which Kilmer initially denied. In April, the “Tombstone” star finally admitted in an AMA on Reddit that he had in fact been diagnosed with cancer but said he was “healing.” In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published this week, the ’80s and ’90s superstar opened up about his two-year bout with cancer that took a severe toll on his body, including the severe impairment of his voice.
THR recently sat down with Kilmer, 57, and his two children from his marriage with British actress Joanne Whalley, Mercedes, 26, and Jack, 22, at the actor’s home in Brentwood, California for the publication’s “Hollywood Legacies” issue. As a video from the interview posted by THR shows (below), Kilmer’s battle with cancer, which included chemo and an operation on his trachea, has left him with a raspy voice, slurred speech and shortened breath — but he also said it gave him a better perspective on what really matters.
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