Val Kilmer Dropped Out Of The Hollywood Spotlight And Here's The Reason

Oct 22, 2021

Val Kilmer is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable leading men. From his turn as Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the classic '80s film "Top Gun" and the fantasy film "Willow," to playing the Caped Crusader himself in 1995’s "Batman Forever," Val has had a long and varied career.

Spanning decades, other notable roles of his include rock star Jim Morrison in "The Doors," as well as roles in "True Romance," "Tombstone," "Heat" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." And while he's continued to work in Hollywood over the years, he hasn't been in the spotlight like he once used to be.

Sadly, after lying low for a period in the mid-2010s, it was revealed that the actor was battling throat cancer. Val initially denied reports that he was ill, trying to keep his personal life separate from his public life and career but in 2017 he decided to reveal his diagnosis to the public. This was while he was already well into his treatment but suffice to say, fans gave him their full support. 

While battling the disease, Val underwent chemotherapy and two tracheostomies, which ultimately left him with a rasp in his voice, changing the way he speaks. But while his voice is no longer like it once was, Val is still acting and doing interviews and showing that he hasn't lost his sense of humor. 

These days, he's making somewhat of a comeback after being cancer-free for the last few years. Last year, he published "I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir," while earlier this year a documentary about his life was released. Titled "Val," the film features never-before-seen archive footage that Val filmed himself. Meanwhile, he’s also making his return to the big screen.

Val was born on Dec. 31, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. He is the second of three sons. When he was just 8 years old, Val’s parents divorced, and his mother remarried two years later. Sadly, Val had to adjust to much more difficult moments in his personal life in the following years, as his younger brother died at the age of 15. In 1993, Val’s father passed away.

The aspiring star needed an outlet and it was clear that acting was what he was destined to do. He attended high school with other actors and even dated Mare Winningham – who is now a TV and film actress – during this time. It was clear from an early age that Val had plenty of talent and he began taking his passion more seriously.

Val began acting by being accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School, where at the time he was the youngest person ever to be accepted. He got his start in the theater and at the same time was showing off his other creative talents by writing plays and publishing poetry.

He broke through in Hollywood with the 1984 film "Top Secret!," which was followed by a lead role in "Real Genius" and soon after, "Top Gun." The rest, as they say, is history, and Val's filmography from the 1980s through to the 2000s speaks for itself. 

The actor went on to play many real-life figures in movies, such as Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley and Doc Holliday. He has also portrayed plenty of fictional characters, and even the iconic role of Bruce Wayne and Batman in 1995’s “Batman Forever.”

Considering he was a real Hollywood heartthrob, it's no surprise to learn that Val had quite the bevy of famous girlfriends during his career, including Cher, Ellen Barkin, Cindy Crawford and Michelle Pfeiffer. 

When asked last year what made him so appealing to these charismatic women, he had a very mature answer: 

"I'm committed. You have to be committed with a woman that's as dynamic and as committed to their work. As someone like Cindy Crawford, who was the number one model on the planet at the time."  

It’s evident that Val left a great impression on many of the people he dated. Speaking with People in August 2021, Cher opened up about her past relationship with the actor. She revealed that she called him Sid and he called her Ethel, names that they have since kept for each other. They first met at a birthday party Cher’s friend held for her. “We became friends because we laughed at the same things constantly,” she said. Val would platonically spend the night at her place and tell the singer about his dreams.

They spent time with each other’s children and their bond continued to grow, but they stayed determined to remain independent. That didn’t mean that they weren’t there for each other, though, as Cher revealed that Val helped her with the screen test for the film “Mask” and she later returned the favor by helping him with “Desire Under the Elms.” They shared a similar sense of humor and had an amazing amount of fun together.

Recalling her relationship with Val, Cher said, “It went from madly in love and laughing hysterically to respecting each other’s ability.” The two were with each other during difficult moments. 

In fact, one of Val’s ex-girlfriends, who he's still close with, was even there to help him through his recent battle with cancer. As reported by People, Val writes in "I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir" about an incident that happened when he was at Cher's home:

"One night I suddenly awoke vomiting blood that covered the bed like a scene out of The Godfather. I prayed immediately, then called 911. Then alerted my hostess. Cher stepped in and stepped up."

After being hospitalized for throat cancer in January 2015 and undergoing multiple surgeries, Val underwent a two-year battle with the disease but he's slowly been making his recovery. Now, he's been cancer-free for the last few years, which he told Good Morning America in an interview last year. However, he did reveal that he uses a feeding tube as he can no longer eat.

Despite having lost the ability to speak how he once did, the actor certainly hasn't lost his sense of humor. In the same interview with GMA, after being asked what he missed most about his old voice, he proclaimed: "That I had one! And that I didn't laugh like a pirate." That hasn't stopped Val from continuing to act, and this year, movie studios were even able to recreate his voice through AI technology by using archival audio of him speaking.  

As for what's next for the Hollywood icon? On top of releasing his memoir last year and the documentary "Val" this year, Val has even embarked on working with his two children — Mercedes Kilmer and Jack Kilmer. Mercedes, 29, made her feature film debut alongside her father in 2020's "Paydirt," while Jack, 26, was the narrator of his father's self-titled documentary.

Both of Val’s children have already shown that they are very talented in the entertainment industry. Jack has worked on a handful of movies over the years, including “Palo Alto” and “Lords of Chaos.” He also played Ozzy Osbourne in the singer’s music video for “Under the Graveyard.” On top of that, Jack has found work as a model.

Jack first found his passion for the arts at a young age, and met Gia Coppola when he was in first grade and she was in sixth grade. Later on, Coppola asked Jack to review her script for “Palo Alto” – a film based on James Franco’s book of the same name – thus jumpstarting the project that helped Jack make a name for himself.

After his bout with throat cancer, Val’s voice was left raspier than it once was. For his 2021 documentary titled “Val,” he chose his son to narrate the story, detailing the highs and lows of his personal life. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival before premiering on Amazon Prime in August that year. While Val’s children have shown that they are talented on their own, seeing the Kilmer family come together is even more meaningful.

According to Entertainment Weekly, using Jack as the narrator helped provide the documentary with a “poignant and spot-on soundalike narrator,” helping viewers fully immerse themselves into the film. Working on the documentary was something that meant a lot to Jack, as he has continued to be inspired by his father’s dedication and passion for work and life.

The film has since touched the hearts of many viewers, including one of Val’s former partners, Cher. The iconic singer described the film as “an extension of his art and his life,” as it showed not only the great moments in Kilmer’s life, but also the tough times from when he was sick. 

She wrote to Kilmer explaining just how much she loved the documentary and how it truly encompassed all the wonderful traits Kilmer possesses. “You are brave and beyond brilliant,” she wrote to him. It’s clear that the two still share a beautiful bond with one another.

Speaking about Val with People, Val’s kids talked about how much their dad has overcome in his life and what an inspirational person he truly is. “My dad’s been crazy profile since he was diagnosed with cancer, sometimes against his better judgment,” Jack said. 

With Val finally finding his footing in the entertainment industry again with full force, both Jack and Mercedes explained that they hope audiences will get to witness all of the sides of their father they have been able to see their whole lives. While the world has witnessed Val as a tough man who has overcome a great deal of hardships, Jack and Mercedes hope everyone can see his softer and funnier side.

Speaking with People, Mercedes said:

“When he was first diagnosed, the prognosis did not look very good. But he’s always been very physically resilient. The way he’s related to his illness has definitely been very inspiring. He has such a sense of humor. Even in the hospital he’d be cracking jokes and making all of the doctors laugh. But, of course, it’s really difficult to go through that with a parent and also to go through it with someone in the public eye.”

Jack said, “He’s a guy who wants to go out there and just be the best that he can be and he doesn’t have time to think about how vulnerable he is because he’s thinking about the next smash-box-office hit. He has crazy energy. He can’t be stopped.”

Val’s children certainly think the world of him, and many of Val’s fans have been long-awaiting the actor’s return to the big screen. He has had some great strides in the following years, but it seems like his true return is now officially on the horizon.

Back in 2017, the San Antonio Current reported that Val would be portraying the real-life historical figure Mark Twain in the film version of his one-man stage show “Citizen Twain.” Val called Twain “an honorary Founding Father,” and shared that he appreciated the late writer’s mindset.

Back in 2014, Val had portrayed the character in the comedy adventure film “Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn.” He starred in the movie alongside Joel Courtney, Katherine McNamara, Noah Munck and Jake T. Austin.

Although Val had to take some time away from Hollywood to focus on himself and his health, he is finally in a good enough place that he is ready to share his talent with the world once again. Recently in 2022, Val made his return as Ice Man in the the "Top Gun" sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick.” Starring alongside Tom Cruise once again, Val told GMA, "It was absolutely moving." Not wanting to give any plot details away, he did disclose:

"In between takes, Tom and I just laughed like we were in high school."

According to Yahoo News, the new “Top Gun” film, as well as the latest “Jurassic Park” film “Jurassic World Dominion,” could result in the month of June 2022 grossing $1 billion at the box office for the first time since 2019.

On top of that, Val is set to appear in more films in the upcoming future. According to his IMDB page, the successful actor is expected to be in the film “Riptide” alongside Chace Crawford and Henry Thomas. The film is currently in its pre-production stage and is set to be about complications in the life of a biker gang. Val also has another project in the works currently called “Mark Twain and Mary Baker Eddy,” which he is writing, directing and starring in.

Although Val had to take some time away from Hollywood to focus on himself and his health, it’s clear that the actor is back and better than ever. We can’t wait to see what else the future holds for him!

Are you a fan of Val Kilmer? Did you know about his battle with cancer and his recent return to the silver screen? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.