'I was too serious before I got sick': Val Kilmer reveals how two-year battle with throat cancer changed him as he poses with son and daughter in Hollywood Legacies shoot
- Val Kilmer has opened up about his two-year battle with throat cancer
- He underwent a tracheostomy that left him with a raspy voice and short breath
- Kilmer credits his Christian Scientist faith for carrying him through the crisis
- He admitted that he was 'too serious' prior to his cancer diganosis
Val Kilmer has opened up about his two-year battle with throat cancer saying he was 'too serious' prior to his diagnosis and that he did undergo chemotherapy despite being a Christian Scientist.
The Grammy nominee, who turns 58 on New Year's Eve, spoke of his cancer treatment while posing with his two children, Jack and Mercedes, for THR's Hollywood Legacies issue.
Kilmer underwent a tracheostomy that left him with a worryingly raspy voice and shortness of breath as part of his treatment.
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Opening up: Val Kilmer posed with his two children, Jack and Mercedes, for THR's Hollywood Legacies issue, in which he revealed he underwent chemotherapy during his two-year battle with throat cancer
In 2015, the Snowman star's 26-year-old daughter was injured on the leg in a car accident and they wound up recovering in UCLA Medical Center together shortly after his cancer diagnosis.
Val's 22-year-old son recalled: 'I was just, you know, miserable, distraught, sitting next to these two.'
Kilmer credits his devout Christian Scientist faith for carrying him through the crisis.
Kilmer - known for roles in Real Genius, Top Gun, The Doors, and Batman Forever - was reluctant to admit to having cancer and denied it for a year until an April 26 Reddit session.
When Val looks back at his hey-day, he called fame 'sort of a mess' and wished he had had an acting career like three-time Oscar winner (and 20-time nominee) Meryl Streep.
'I was too serious,' Kilmer admitted.
'I'd get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way. I would like to have more Oscars than anybody. Meryl Streep must feel pretty good, you know? It must feel nice to know that everyone loves her. It's about being loved.'
Religious: The resulting tracheostomy left the Grammy nominee - turning 58 on NYE - with a worryingly raspy voice and shortness of breath, but he credits his devout Christian Scientist faith for carrying him through the crisis
'Healing': The Snowman star - known for roles in Real Genius, Top Gun, and The Doors - was reluctant to admit to having cancer and denied it for a year until an April 26 Reddit session
In the accompanying video interview, the acting family played Fishing for Answers and the eighties icon revealed his first celebrity crush was Casablanca stunner Ingrid Bergman.
Jack's favorite movie of his father's was the 1993 flick Tombstone because he 'just loves a good western,' and Mercedes' favorite was Michael Mann's Heat co-starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
'Easily,' the stage starlet said. 'I'm very proud that we have our family contribution to LA noir [genre].'
And while Jack made his acting debut opposite his famous father in Gia Coppola's 2013 drama Palo Alto, Mercedes prefers to run in 'New York avant-garde theater circles.'
The Song to Song actor divorced their mother Joanne Whalley in 1996 after falling in love on the set of Ron Howard's 1988 fantasy flick Willow.
'I can't remember not being aware [of my parents' fame],' Mercedes remembered.
'I was too serious. I'd get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way': When Val looks back at his hey-day, he called fame 'sort of a mess' and wished he had had an acting career like three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep (pictured in 1988)
The Los Angeles native - wearing a black puffer vest and grey pants - kept his head down to hide his tracheostomy scar as he ran errands on Tuesday
'It was about navigating how other people perceived us rather than any kind of reckoning.'
The British 53-year-old will next play Priscilla opposite Jim Caviezel in Andrew Hyatt's Biplical flick Paul, Apostle of Christ, which hits US/UK theaters next March.
The Juilliard grad was spotted Tuesday stocking up on supplies at Blick Art Materials in Los Angeles.
As usual, the Los Angeles native - wearing a black puffer vest and grey pants - kept his head down to hide his tracheostomy scar for the errand.
Val made sure to tip the female customer services representative, who helped him haul his purchase to the trunk of his car.
Kilmer - who boasts 1.1M social media followers - is currently selling his $350 curated Mark Twain gift boxes featuring his metal artwork and an autographed Citizen Twain script.
The busy star has four films due out next year - Stephan Rick's The Super, Shaun Hart's Riptide, Ali Atshani & Sam Khoze's 1st Born, and his own directorial debut Mark Twain and Mary Baker Eddy.
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