A Look at Val Kilmer’s Brave Cancer Journey

Val Kilmer passed away on April 1 at the age of 65 from pneumonia, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told The New York Times. He had dealt with health issues, specifically being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.

Kilmer underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and two tracheotomies that affected his ability to speak and breathe. He later recovered from the disease, but it’s unclear at this time if the pneumonia was related to his throat cancer battle.

Val Kilmer Opened Up About His Battle With Cancer in a 2020 Interview

In an interview with The New York Times in 2020, Kilmer revealed a lot about his battle with cancer. Specifically, his symptoms first began when he was in Nashville touring with “Citizen Twain,” a humorous one-man play that gave a glimpse into the mind of Mark Twain.

Kilmer discovered a lump in his throat that made it hard to swallow and was forced to cancel his show. The actor had ignored some signs before, having even “woken up in a pool of his own blood a time or two back in Malibu,” according to The New York Times. He was then diagnosed with throat cancer.

That same year, he had surgery and then underwent chemotherapy and radiation. Kilmer described the process “that zapped my whole throat, and it’s still dry as a bone,” which left him needing a tracheostomy tube and a feeding tube.

At times throughout his battle, Kilmer denied having cancer. But, he eventually confirmed it.

Val Kilmer’s “Top Gun: Maverick” Cameo

In “Top Gun,” premiering in 1986, Kilmer plays Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who competed with Tom Cruise’s character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, to be the best pilot in their class.

Iceman eventually did graduate at the top of the class, but Maverick earned his respect when he saved Iceman on their first mission together. Because of that, Iceman delivered one of the most memorable lines in the franchise.

“You can be my wingman anytime,” he said at the end of the first film.

Kilmer returned to his role more than thirty-five years after he starred in the original for “Top Gun: Maverick.”

In his cameo, Kilmer is seen wearing a scarf around his neck and communicates with Maverick through the computer after it’s revealed Iceman is dying from cancer which makes it too hard for him to speak. In the movie, Kilmer’s character dies a few days after he and Maverick have their final meeting