‘Top Gun’ Star Val Kilmer’s Health and Throat Cancer Battle Through the Years

Jennifer Connelly may star in “Top Gun: Maverick”, but she’s only just got over her fear of flying not so long ago.

cancer several years ago, actor Val Kilmer wowed fans when he made a surprise appearance in the new Top Gun: Maverick.It turns out Kilmer was able to reprise his role as Tom Cruise's nemesis 'Iceman' from the original Top Gun flick thanks to artificial intelligence.A powerful AI was used to generate more than 40 different versions of the actor's speaking voice, enabling him to say a brief line of dialogue in the Top Gun sequel.By bringing together hours of archive footage of Kilmer talking, AI company Sonantic was able to create a computer-generated version of his voice in 2021 and then develop this further for use in Top Gun: Maverick.Last year, Kilmer said: "I'm grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I've never imagined possible."As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the side effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. "The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”John Flynn, Sonantic cofounder, added: "In the end, we generated more than 40 different voice models and selected the best, highest-quality, most expressive one."Those new algorithms are now embedded into our voice engine, so future clients can automatically take advantage of them as well." Val Kilmer lost his voice after undergoing treatment for throat cancer in 2017, leaving him needed a voice box to communicate.

Zack Sharf SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you have watched “Top Gun: Maverick,” in theaters now. “Top Gun” fans knew ahead of time that Val Kilmer would be reprising his role of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the sequel, but the specifics of the actor’s return were a question mark considering Kilmer lost the ability to speak after undergoing throat cancer treatment in 2014.

Disney+ series Willow, according to reports.Following the Star Wars Celebration panel last Thursday (May 26), reports circulated that the actor would reprise his role from the 1988 fantasy film in the upcoming series. According to Entertainment Weekly however, the reports were inaccurate and Kilmer will not be starring in the show.The actor, who recently featured in Top Gun: Maverick in a small role, has struggled with his speech following a two-year battle with throat cancer.Kilmer’s character Madmartigan will be featured in the series in some capacity.

Cruise reprise his role as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell alongside Jennifer Connelly and Jon Hamm, as he coaches a cohort of young fighter pilots before they carry out a dangerous mission. Arriving almost 40 years after Tony Scott’s 1986 smash hit original, Top Gun: Maverick is obviously loaded with nostalgia and direct references to the previous film. One such reference is the brief but crucial appearance of Val Kilmer’s Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, Mav’s rival turned wingman from the original movie.

"Top Gun: Maverick" beat the third installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" in record Memorial Day weekend opening box office numbers. Tom Cruise's "Top Gun" sequel brought in $160.5 million over the four days, while "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" brought in $153 million in 2007, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Top Gun: Maverick" marks a career best opening for Cruise who, up until this point, had not had an opening exceed $100 million.

Jerry Bruckheimer has plenty to celebrate over Memorial Day weekend, literally watching the long-awaited sequel to 1986’s Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, beat his previous domestic box office opening record for the holiday previously set by 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. 

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorThe original “Top Gun” is a study in Hollywood moviemaking of a certain era — an era captured in the pages of Variety as the movie was birthed starting in mid-1983 until its triumphant release by Paramount Pictures three years later.The movie came together during the period when Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were at the peak of their powers as red-hot producers of culture-shaking films such as 1983’s “Flashdance” and 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop.” The film that the pair crafted with numerous screenwriters (more on that in the clips), director Tony Scott and veteran producer Bill Badalato launched Tom Cruise to a new level of stardom and created a legacy sturdy enough for Cruise, Bruckheimer and Paramount to leap back to the top of the box office nearly 40 years later with the long-delayed, made-for-movie-screens sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.”As demonstrated by the steady pace of news about “Top Gun,” Simpson and Bruckheimer had a ton of clout with Paramount and the industry at the time. They even were able to control the rights to the soundtrack for the film — something they learned from the success of “Flashdance” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” Simpson-Bruckheimer Prods.

Val Kilmer reprises his role as Iceman in the new movie Top Gun: Maverick and his voice in the film was created using A.I. technology.

Val Kilmer was thrilled for the opportunity to reprise his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick.The 62-year-old actor - who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 - is famous for playing the calm, cool rival to Tom Cruise's Maverick in the original 1986 film.However, when the actor admitted in a 2013 interview will Larry King that he had not been approached about appearing in a proposed Top Gun sequel, Tom Cruise, 59, reportedly rallied the troops to ensure his buddy was included. Reunion: Val Kilmer, 62, was thrilled to be part of the cast in Top Gun: Maverick as Admiral Tom KazinskyIn an interview with People, producer Jerry Bruckheimer declared, 'Tom said he wasn't going to make the movie without him.' As such, once the final script was approved, it made allowances for Ice who had been promoted to Admiral to take part in the fun.'So the fact that he was able to do it and he worked with us on the script,' explained the producer, 'to have him there and be a part of it was a really emotional day when we filmed him.

Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell has come out in full support of the men who are sharing their experiences crying at the cinema as they watch the blockbuster for the first time.The actor retweeted a post from a viewer on opening day who wrote: ‘Top Gun: Maverick; shout out to the guy next to me who’s [sic] girlfriend made fun of him for crying at the end.’The 33-year-old, who plays Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in the film, which is receiving rave reviews, gave his own thoughts on the tweet, and added: ‘Top Gun: Maverick should be a safe place for man-tears.’Well, quite!His response then inspired a thread of wholesome tweets as fans shared what had made them misty eyed – or indeed, induced full-on sobbing.‘Yeah, I cried,’ admitted Deadpool writer and producer Rhett Reese while another fan gushed: ‘Oh by the end I was literally bawling my eyes out! There were a lot of man-tears all through out, lots of laughs and goosebumps too!âTop Gun: Maverickâ should be a safe place for man-tears.

Frail John Wayne wore wet suit under his tuxedo at last public appearanceLinkChristopher Lee did not want to play Lord of The Rings Saruman 'Awkward class with director Peter Jackson'LinkKilmer had collapsed during the night, vomiting blood, and an ambulance was called. Cher said: "Once when the paramedics showed up after he was so sick and coughing up blood, he looked at me and I looked at him and we both knew what we were thinking. .

"Top Gun" star Tom Skerritt is sharing his thoughts on the movie's sequel and reflecting on the original 1986 film.  Skerritt, who starred as Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in the original, opened up about what made "Top Gun" iconic during a recent interview with Fox News Digital. "The music had a lot to do with it by the way," he said. "But the screenplay itself, which I've always honored as being the whole reason for a good show, and you just write the work … and do the job you have good material for the rest of us to work with.

Val Kilmer's Madmartigan will be back in the upcoming Disney+ show Willow, which is a TV series sequel to the 1988 fantasy movie of the same name.In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, executive producer Jonathan Kasdan and returning star Warwick Davis confirmed that the 62-year-old actor, who played the heroic warrior in the original film, will be featured in the upcoming series.'Val's a huge part of this, and the first conversation I had, when Warwick and I got the greenlight to do this, was with Val,' Jonathan told Yahoo. 'Madmartigan lives on':Val Kilmer's Madmartigan will be back in the upcoming Disney+ show Willow, which is a TV series sequel to the 1988 fantasy movie of the same name.

Val Kilmer is set to have a big part in the upcoming Willow series on Disney+.

Feeling the need for speed! Ever since its debut almost four decades prior, Top Gun has been considered an American classic — and it’s finally getting a sequel.

Glen Powell nearly didn't make the cut for "Top Gun: Maverick." Powell, 33, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that, in July 2018, he got a phone call informing him he didn’t get the role in the film for which he had spent weeks auditioning.  "This one I just took very personally and was just plain sad," he told the outlet. Powell, best known for his role in "Scream Queens," originally auditioned for the role of Rooster, the on-screen son of Goose who was Lt.

Val Kilmer's ex-wife Joanna Whalley made a rare appearance this week.The brunette beauty - who came to fame in the 1980s with hit movies such as Scandal and Shattered - looked sensation in all black as she attended the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California.The 60-year-old actress was there to plug the Willow, the new Disney+ series based on the 1988 movie directed about Ron Howard which she starred in with her ex Val as well as Warwick Davis. Back in the spotlight:Val Kilmer's ex-wife Joanna Whalley made a rare appearance this week.

The film has a star-studded cast, including the likes Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis, to mention a few.Cruise and Kilmer both feature in the release of the new film, but plenty of the old faces won't be around.In the new film, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) reunited with the son of his old friend Goose while "pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him".So where are the Top Gun cast now?Tom Cruise, 59, is one of Hollywood's biggest stars and the face of some of the big Los Angeles blockbusters like the Mission: Impossible film series.He gained even more worldwide attention n for roles in Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men, Rain Man and even an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July in 1989.In his personal life, Tom has been married to three different actresses, first to Mimi Rogers, before 11 years with Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001 and six years with Katie Holmes from 2006.In more controversial terms, Cruise has been a keen champion of the Church of Scientology, which believes a number of things including that humans have secret abilities that can be unlocked."Iceman" Val Kilmer has also had a very successful career, but tragedy has struck him more recently in the form of a tough cancer battle.Val is perhaps best known for his role as Bruce Wayne in 1995 film Batman Forever, or the much-loved Jim Morrison in The Doors and even more revered music star Elvis Presley in True Romance.Central to his impressive career was his voice, but a tragic turn of events means that Kilmer is now suffering the effects of throat cancer.

Cruise is known for doing most of his own stunts. For this film he does them all zipping through the clouds and pulling up to eight Gs — a measure of gravitational force experienced through acceleration — which is comparable to 600 pounds pressing against your body. “So just to put it in perspective, it’s a level of power that most people never get to experience,” LaRosa said.The “Top Gun” star owns his own P-51 Mustang (a World War II fighter jet) which LaRosa said the actor flies “like it’s an extension of himself.” Cruise came onto the set with a love for and understanding of aviation, LaRosa said, and really wanted to inspire that passion in his new co-stars, including Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro and Glen Powell.

original “Top Gun” movie debuted in 1986, the blockbuster led to a major bump in Navy recruiting — reportedly a whopping 500%.“I don’t know if that figure is accurate but I will tell you that it definitely had an effect on recruiting if only one guy, which is me,” Captain Brian Ferguson, 53, told The Post. “I saw the movie, thought it looked like the most exciting job in the world.