Val Kilmer gets emotional as he struggles to talk with voice box in trailer for life story 'Val'
Val Kilmer is shown breaking down in the trailer for his new movie Val as he admits he struggles to talk and be understood since undergoing a tracheotomy.
The 61-year-old actor — who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 — is sharing years of personal home movies to tell his life story in the new documentary film, which is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kilmer shared the trailer on Twitter saying: "It feels like yesterday and yet it has been a lifetime. As I write this, my documentary is getting ready to premiere at Festival De Cannes. And as grateful as I am for being selected with this high honor, I look forward most to sharing my life's story with all of you.
It feels like yesterday and yet it has been a lifetime. As I write this, my documentary is getting ready to premiere at Festival De Cannes. And as grateful as I am for being selected with this high honor, I look forward most to sharing my life's story with all of you.
— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) July 6, 2021
"As a lifelong filmmaker it thrills me to say the film will be in theaters July 23," he added. "And as a person who also enjoys getting cozy, I'm possibly more happy that it will be on [Amazon Prime] Aug. 6. Here's to giving every day the opportunity to be the most beautiful of your life."
The trailer for Val shows behind-the-scenes footage the actor has shot himself over the years — including footage of Hollywood stars Sean Penn and a very young Kevin Bacon.
The voiceover declares: "I've lived a magical life and I've captured quite a bit of it.
"I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. I'm still recovering.
"It is difficult to talk and be understood, but I want to tell my story more than ever."
A montage of footage shows Kilmer in tears and then later talking with a voice box device, saying, "I've tried to see the world as one piece of life."
His rasping words are subtitled.
A voice box device is normally battery-operated and can be implanted or held against the throat to help the user produce sound if they have had their larynx removed for medical reasons.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. He went public with the diagnosis in 2017 after initially denying he was ill.
He began his movie career in 1984 and over the years has starred in hit movies including Top Gun, Willow, Batman Forever, The Doors and Heat, among numerous others.
Kilmer and Tom Cruise are this year set to appear in Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel to the 1986 action movie.
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