'Top Gun' Actor Val Kilmer Relied on Electronic Voice Box in His Final Years

One of Hollywood's most underrated actors? Val Kilmer! The actor, who sadly passed away on April 1, 2025, was renowned for his remarkable versatility in iconic films like Top Gun, The Doors, True Romance, Batman Forever, Tombstone, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

As time went on, though, Val's career slowed down, mainly due to health struggles. In 2014, he began losing his voice — a condition that would change his life. Here's everything you need to know about his journey, including what led to the loss of his voice.

After initially losing his voice, Val Kilmer noticed a lump in his throat — but it wasn't until he began vomiting blood that he sought medical help. In January 2015, he was hospitalized for what his representative described as tests to check for a potential tumor.

At the time, Val Kilmer strongly denied these claims, posting on Facebook, "I have not had a tumor, or a tumor operations, or any operation. I had a complication where the best way to receive care was to stay under the watchful eye of the UCLA ICU."

However, in April 2017, the Heat actor made a more sobering announcement — he had experienced what he called a "healing of cancer."

Later that year, in December, The Hollywood Reporter published an emotional interview in which Val shared the harrowing details of his two-year battle with throat cancer.

Val explained that a procedure on his trachea had inadvertently damaged his vocal cords, leaving him with profound difficulty speaking. The surgery essentially reduced his voice to a rasp, making him short of breath. To speak, the father of two had to rely on an electric voice box that was plugged directly into his trachea.

During a rare interview in 2020 with Good Morning America, Val stated that he felt "a lot better than I sound." When asked what he missed most about losing his voice, the Willow star candidly replied, "That I had one! And that I didn't laugh like a pirate."

According to The Daily Mail, Val Kilmer's last words before losing his voice are truly gut-wrenching. His last interview before the life-altering surgery reportedly took place with a Norwegian television reporter at his Malibu home, apparently recorded in 2014.

In this reflective conversation, Val made a heartbreaking admission: He wished he had "loved more" and been a "better person" when he was younger. He openly acknowledged that he had been difficult to work with, confessing, "I was a dumb actor. I complained quite a bit when I was younger."

"I didn't appreciate the business that afforded me the lifestyle that I very quickly enjoyed. Very quickly. I starred in my first movie. I was the lead in the first play I did professionally," he admitted. "And now that I don't have that privilege, I wish that I loved more. I want to be a better person. I try to figure that out every day, how to be more grateful.'

When the reporter asked how he had been "full of himself," Val responded with a touch of humor, saying, "In every way." He continued, "I had ideas, I had insecurities about myself that I projected onto the movie business. Just the sounds from my mouth. So absurd. Absurdly unrealistic. Apparently, I had an evil twin."

Val also touched on how his career had faltered, revealing, "Yeah, I'm kind of blacklisted. I haven't gotten a studio job in 15 years." Despite this, he expressed hope about returning to the industry, saying he'd behave very differently — more in a way that would actually get him hired again.