Val Kilmer lost his voice to throat cancer. He was, by all account, a beautiful man and a talented actor. But, according to him, he was too outspoken and that got him blacklisted by Hollywood. He couldn’t work for 15 years, he said, and then learned the lesson all must if they want to work in tinseltown – they want you compliant and silent.
Either way, he seems to have changed his mind and understood by this interview that he needed to be more grateful and less outspoken. He realized too late that working was a privilege. How Hollywood could squander a talent like this is beyond me, though. Here is the last interview before he lost his voice:
Val Kilmer died at 65 years old of pneumonia. He leaves behind a legacy of memorable performances. The Juliard-trained actor was never given his proper due as an actor because his good looks kept getting in the way and, I suppose, his personality.
His Jim Morrison was next level:
He will always be forever embedded in American culture as the Iceman:
A character he revived in Top Gun Maverick.
Says the New York Times:
Rest in peace, Iceman.
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