In this day and age, being diagnosed with some form of cancer has sadly become so common that most people know someone whose life has been touched by the disease. While that obviously is a terrible thing, the good news is that people’s chances of surviving cancer have improved over the years, especially if the disease is caught early.
As a result of the fact that cancer has become so common, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some celebrities have been diagnosed with the disease. Fortunately, however, several of those stars have survived cancer. For example, it is known that Val Kilmer fought throat cancer and prevailed. Even though it is known that Kilmer’s cancer battle did some serious damage to his body, it turns out that Val’s recovery is very inspiring.
What Is The Deal With Val Kilmer?
At the height of Val Kilmer’s career, he was one of the most in-demand actors in the world. In fact, at that time, it seemed like Kilmer was in the running for every major role that popped up in Hollywood for someone in his age range. However, even though the movie studios were dying to work with him, some of his co-stars were a lot less excited at the prospect due to Kilmer’s difficult reputation.
In between 1991 and 1995, Val Kilmer starred in several classic films including Batman Forever, The Doors, Tombstone, and Heat. Even though he should have been riding high at the time, in 1996 Entertainment Weekly published an article titled “Val Kilmer makes enemies in Hollywood”. At one point in the article, it reads “many in Hollywood are loath to work with him, no matter how big the box office payback”. Based on some of the quotes contained in the article, it is clear that some of Kilmer’s past co-workers really didn’t like him.
When speaking about Val Kilmer, The Island of Dr. Moreau director John Frankenheimer didn’t mince words. “I don’t like Val Kilmer, I don’t like his work ethic, and I don’t want to be associated with him ever again.” Similarly, Batman Forever’s director Joel Schumacher called Kilmer “childish and impossible”. Given the fact that the EW article reports that Kilmer once burned a cameraman who worked on The Island of Dr. Moreau with a cigarette, it is easy to see why his reputation was so rotten.
How Is Val Kilmer Doing Today?
Even though everyone’s experience in life is different, there are certain nuggets of truth that hold true for most people. For example, in most cases, the adage “when people show you who they are, believe them the first time” is extremely good advice. However, that doesn’t mean that it is impossible for people to change, especially after going through a life-changing event.
Given the reputation that Val Kilmer built over most of his career, some people may have assumed that he would never become easy to work with or be around. As it turns out, it seems like battling and beating cancer changed Kilmer’s attitude about life and priorities in a big way. During the documentary Val which chronicles his life, Kilmer says he is “blessed and looking forward to whatever his future holds”. Additionally, when Kilmer spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, he was open about the fact that earlier in life Val needed to change his attitude and priorities. “I was too serious. I’d get upset when things like Oscars and recognition failed to come my way.”
Of course, given the fact that Val Kilmer’s reputation in the past has been significantly less than stellar, it is worth keeping in mind that the people around him now speak about him in a very positive light. For example, one of the co-directors of the aforementioned documentary Val, Ting Poo, sang Kilmer’s praises when talking about working with him.
“He doesn’t have the vanity that you would expect from someone of his fame and celebrity. There was never any of that kind of artifice or protection that people who are really famous have to put up around themselves. It’s humbling to be around that.” Considering the ways that some of Val Kilmer’s past co-workers have spoken about him, it seems clear that he is in a lot better place emotionally.
Val Kilmer’s Throat Cancer Battle Is Inspiring
During Val Kilmer’s lengthy career, he made a long list of extremely popular movies. As a result, Kilmer developed a devoted base of fans who were excited to see his next movie. Just like Kilmer, many of his fans have been forced to battle cancer and even more of them will in the future. Sadly, some of those fans will lose their battle and others will have their lives changed forever by the effects defeating cancer had on their bodies.
Since human beings are social creatures, it is hard to overstate how meaningful feeling connected to someone else can be for someone going through trauma. For proof of that fact, all you need to do is look at all of the people who go to support groups at times of trouble. Fortunately for any of Val Kilmer’s fans whose lives are changed by cancer, they can now look at him for inspiration since he seems more determined to continue leading a good life than ever. On top of that, any of Kilmer’s fans who are going through difficulties unrelated to cancer can also look to Kilmer’s impressive attitude to know they can make the most out of whatever is thrown at them.