Tuesday 17 May 2022 09:16 AM Val Kilmer reveals he begged Top Gun: Maverick bosses to return through AI ... trends now
Val Kilmer will reprise his role as Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, despite losing his voice from a tracheotomy in 2014 following a throat cancer diagnosis.
The actor, 62, rose to fame in the original 1986 blockbuster before finding himself blacklisted by Hollywood for being difficult to work with.
He has now admitted he begged producers to be included in the sequel, which radical new artificial voice technology has allowed for.
Opening up: Val Kilmer will reprise his role as Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, despite losing his voice from a tracheotomy in 2014 following a throat cancer diagnosis
He argued: 'Tom was Maverick, but Maverick's nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.
'It didn't matter that the producers didn't contact me. As The Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, "Ain't too proud to beg."'
One morning in 2015, he awoke in his own pool of blood, which he had coughed up after a lump had grown, causing difficulty swallowing.
Writing in his autobiography, I’m Your Huckleberry, that he 'presumed this was the day of my death', he soon received an emergency tracheotomy.
Throwback: The actor, 62, rose to fame in the original 1986 blockbuster before finding himself blacklisted by Hollywood for being difficult to work with
The procedure included an incision through the front of his neck as well as his windpipe, the scars of which Val covers with scarves.
Having dates the likes of Cher, Cindy Crawford, and Angelina Jolie in his 1980s heyday, his medical bills were footed by the iconic singer due to his financial woes.
She even arranged for him to be treated at the renowned David Geffen School of Medicine, where he underwent chemotherapy and radiation for two months.
Afterwards, he lived at the Believe songstress' lavish guest house in Malibu, writing in his book, 'Once Cher works her way inside your head and heart, she never leaves.'
Val said: 'I was struck by throat cancer. After being treated, my voice as I knew it was taken away from me. People around me struggle to understand me when I'm talking.
'But despite all that I still feel I'm the exact same person.'
Now, a British artificial intelligence (AI) company has recreated the actor's voice – with amazingly realistic results.
London-based firm Sonantic used his voice recordings from throughout his career, which were fed to their AI to create the lifelike yet artificial mock-up.
Film producers could potentially use the tool – described as 'Photoshop for voice' – for voiceovers if they have a role in mind that would be suited to Val's tones.
Val, whose career has spanned nearly four decades, has starred in blockbusters such as Willow, The Doors, Tombstone and Batman Forever.
But after undergoing a tracheotomy in 2014 as part of his treatment for throat cancer, Kilmer's voice is now barely recognisable.
Luckily, Kilmer himself is also able to use the AI tool in his personal life, to help him communicate, rather than relying on a voice box to speak.
Val, pictured here in 2019, underwent a tracheotomy in 2014 as part of his treatment for throat cancer and now speaks with a voice box
The artificial voice, which speaks in the first person as Kilmer in Sonantic's video, could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
Praising the results, the real Val Kilmer said: 'I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic
