Inside Val Kilmer's Decade-Long Health Struggles Before His Death from Pneumonia at 65

Val Kilmer has had a Hollywood career that has lasted more than four decades, but privately, the actor also had health struggles in the last decade of his life.

AND Upper gun The actor died of pneumonia on April 1. After recovering from throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with more than a decade before. The actor facing the artist was surrounded by family and friends at his house in Los Angeles, said his daughter Mercedes Kilmer New York Times.

Kilmer’s first movie role was in 1984 Top secret!but he would run to new heights of glory as one of the stars Upper gun. The next decade he played in hits like Tombstone,, Heatand Batman forever.

In recent years, Kilmer has been diagnosed and recovered from throat cancer. He told his life story in Amazon’s documentary 2021. Wave and appeared on the final screen at Action Blockbuster 2022. Upper gun: Maverick.

“I have no regret,” Kilmer told Associated Press 2021. “I testified and experienced miracles.”

Here is a view of the health struggles of Val Kilmer who led to his death at the age of 65.

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014

Val Kilmer participates in the Novus SDG Moonshots Summit in the United Nations on July 20, 2019 in New York.

Rob Kim/Getty

Although Kilmer was diagnosed with a throat cancer in 2014, he did not reveal it to Reddit AMA in 2017. The actor asked about his ex -comments Spirit and darkness Kostar made Michael Douglas in 2016 in connection with Kilmer’s cancer.

“He was probably trying to help me the press probably asking where I was these days and I had cancer healing,” Kilmer wrote in Reddit Chat. “But my language is still swollen all.

Tracheostomy permanently damaged her speech

Val Kilmer participates in Simple Shakespeare’s live read about the “Venetian merchant” on October 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Amanda Edwards/Getty

Kilmer eventually recovered after the 2014 diagnosis, thanks to the combination of radiation, chemotherapy and tracheostomy that eventually damaged his speech.

“Now that it’s harder to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever before,” the actor said in a documentary 2021. Wave. “Obviously I sound a lot worse than I feel.”

“I can’t say without including this hole,” he explained in the movie, pointing to a hole in his throat. “You have to decide to breathe or eat. It is an obstacle that is very present with one who sees me.”

Kilmer noticed that the diagnosis of cancer was putting things in his perspective for him. “I was too serious,” he admitted Hollywood reporter In December 2017. “I would be upset when things like an Oscar and acknowledgment failed to come in my way.”

In an interview 2021. ExtraHis daughter Mercedes revealed that her father was “good” and “still recovered” from cancer. “The recovery process is just as hard as a real disease,” she said.

In the same year, Kilmer adorned the cover of people and confirmed that he was without cancer.

His voice was “digitally modified” for the sake of clarity in 2022 Upper gun: Maverick

Val Kilmer in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

Paramount of the picture

2022. Kilmer appeared on the final screen Upper gun: MaverickReprising his role as Tom “Iceman” from the 1986 classics. Although the rumors of AI for Kilmer’s voice appeared, in an interview USA TodayDirector Joseph Kosinski confirmed that AI technology was not used. Instead, the acting “The voice was digitally changed and it was mixed a little just for clarity.”

Kilmer died of pneumonia on April 1. 2025

Val Kilmer Twainmania funds raising on Sky Lane on June 02. June 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Rochelle Brodin/Getty

Kilmer died of pneumonia in his house in Los Angeles on April 1. Although he recovered from throat cancer, the tracheostomy he underwent brought him to a greater risk for respiratory diseases.

According to American thoracic society, “and tracheostomy pipes and endotraheal pipes increase the chance of pneumonia.”

After his death, many Kilmer’s Costaers and Hollywood colleagues paid tribute to the late actor on social networks. Michael Mann, who directed Kilmer Heatwrote on Instagram: “While working with a wave on Heat I have always admired the range, the great variability within the strong current of the wave of possession and expression of character. ”

He continued: “After so many years of fighting the wave, maintaining his spirit, this is extremely sad news.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education