Val Kilmer has died, and the world mourns the loss of a remarkable actor and person. Despite battling a severe illness, Kilmer remained incredibly brave and resilient until the very end.
Vocal cords in ruins
Val Kilmer, best known for his iconic role as Iceman in Top Gun, was a force in Hollywood throughout the ’80s and ’90s, with unforgettable performances in Batman Forever, Tombstone, The Doors, and Heat.
He was also one of the highest-paid actors of the 1990s, and saw his films gross over $3.7 billion worldwide. In 1992, film critic Roger Ebert stated, ”if there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it.”
Kilmer’s distinctive voice became a key part of his career, even extending to unique roles like voicing the iconic car, KITT, in the 2008 Knight Rider TV pilot and the subsequent series. His vocal talents added a new layer to his versatility as an actor, showcasing his ability to bring life to both human and non-human characters.
But after a tracheostomy procedure in 2015, a result of his battle with throat cancer, Kilmer’s voice was permanently damaged, and the one tool that had always fueled his creativity — his ability to speak — was no longer available to him.
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer fought bravely, beating the illness, but the treatment left his vocal cords in ruins (in order to speak, Kilmer plugged an electric voice box in to his trachea).
With speaking becoming increasingly difficult, Kilmer had no choice but to step away from his beloved film career. His final ever movie credit was in Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2022, where Kilmer reprised his role of the iconic Iceman.
In 2021, Val Kilmer teamed up with Sonantic, a London-based tech company, to digitally recreate his voice using AI. They used archived audio recordings to create over 40 vocal models, all aimed at finding the closest match for his original voice. The goal? To make sure his voice could be used in future projects, even after the damage caused by his battle with cancer.
