Val Kilmer Talks Fighting Throat Cancer, His Children’s Aspirations For Showbiz
Val Kilmer has opened up about his battle with throat cancer and how his life has taken a completely different turn since his diagnosis.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Top Gun actor was joined by his children, Mercedes, 26, and Jack, 22, as he shed some light on his two-year struggle with the life-threatening disease.
The publication also pointed out that cancer has taken a toll on the actor's health. A procedure on his windpipe has made the actor's voice raspy and left him short of breath.
On Life Before Cancer
"I was too serious," Kilmer told THR about his life before he was diagnosed with cancer. "I'd get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way."
The 57-year-old actor added that his desire for awards hasn't changed though and he would still like to win more Oscars than anybody else.
"Meryl Streep must feel pretty good, you know? It must feel nice to know that everyone loves her. It's about being loved," he said.
Kilmer added that although his road to recovery was tough, his faith as a Christian Scientist helped him through it. He also pointed out that he underwent chemotherapy treatment to fight the illness.
On His Children's Future In Showbiz
Following their father's footsteps, Kilmer's children are also part of the entertainment industry. While Jack is an actor who was featured in films like The Stanford Prison Experiment and The Nice Guys, Mercedes prefers to run in "New York avant-garde theater circles."
"Fame is sort of a mess," Kilmer noted. "You get treated differently, but it doesn't have anything to do with who you actually are."
Kilmer's Initially Denied Cancer Diagnosis
Kilmer opened up about his cancer struggle months after he took to Facebook to initially deny claims made by actor Michael Douglas that his Ghost and the Darkness co-star was suffering from cancer. Douglas, himself was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2010 but was later cleared of the deadly disease.
However, Kilmer later retraced his steps and confirmed his throat cancer diagnosis during an AMA on Reddit.
"(Douglas) was probably trying to help me 'cause press probably asked where I was these days," Kilmer said at that time. "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."
