Val Kilmer voice box: Did the actor smoke?
VAL Kilmer shot to fame in the 80s, thanks to his role as the Iceman in Top Gun.
However, fans of the movie star have wondered why the actor now has use a voice box.
Why does Val Kilmer use a voice box?
Val Kilmer had to undergo a tracheostomy in order to treat his throat cancer.
Although he survived his battle with cancer, the effects of the procedure are permanent.
As a result of the tracheostomy, he has lost the ability to speak without assistance.
Kilmer now relies on a voice box to communicate.
In his Amazon documentary, Val, he is seen using the device, and straining his voice in order to get words out.
On the doc he tells viewers: "I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. I'm still struggling.
"It is difficult to talk and be understood, but I want to tell my story more than ever."
The 2021 documentary, which includes years of personal home movies and images, was the first time that Val appeared with a voice box.
The synopsis for the doc reads: "For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting 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 movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever.
"This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man."
The actor now opts to wear a scarf whenever in public.
Did Val Kilmer smoke?
While cancer can affect anybody, smoker or not, the actor has admitted he was once addicted to smoking.
According to The Daily Mail, the actor began smoking as a child.
When he was eight years old, as he has admitted, Val would take his uncle's cigarettes before sneaking away to a treehouse to smoke them.
A habit he reportedly regrets.
When was he diagnosed with throat cancer?
Val was first diagnosed with throat cancer back in 2014, but waited a while before revealing his condition.
He spoke publicly of his illness in 2017, after fellow actor Michael Douglas dropped a hint that Val was battling cancer.
Michael, who is no stranger to cancer himself, told journalists that Val was "dealing with exactly what [he] had" during a May 2016 event.
Val first denied his health was in danger before coming clean during a Reddit AMA Session promoting the movie Cinema Twain.
In a 2017 Hollywood Reporter interview, Val opened up some more about his condition, adding that he underwent a procedure, a tracheostomy, which radically changed his voice.
Val, a Christian Scientist, said his faith helped him get through those ordeals, and he has underwent chemotherapy to combat the disease.
He also said he now likes to keep things light. “I was too serious,” he said of his movie-star moment. “I’d get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way.”
“I would like to have more Oscars than anybody,” he revealed “Meryl Streep must feel pretty good, you know? It must feel nice to know 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 played the character Tom "Iceman" Kazanski, in Top Gun.
In the early 1980s, Kilmer began studying at Juilliard, having become the youngest person to be accepted into its drama division.
His first big break in the industry came when he was cast in spoof Top Secret!.
This role put the actor on the map and just two years later he was picked to star alongside Tom Cruise in cult-classic Top Gun.
The actor's ex-wife is the actress Joanne Whalley, who he met on the set of the film Willow.
They welcomed two children while married, a son and a daughter, Jack and Mercedes.
Val has an estimated to be worth $25million (£18.6million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.
He has earned his money through his many acting roles on stage, film and television.
Val has also appeared in many advertising campaigns.
What is a tracheostomy?
According to the NHS, a tracheostomy or tracheotomy "is an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe".
The procedure is usually carried out under general anaesthetic to deliver oxygen to the lungs if the usual route for breathing is obstructed or reduced.
A tracheostomy does not come without complications and side-effects, as Val has learned.
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It is usually difficult to speak and swallow food following the procedure.
During recovery after a tracheostomy, patients are first encouraged to drink plenty of water before moving on to soft foods, followed by regular foods.