(WJW) – Actor Val Kilmer speaks with a voice box in a trailer released for a documentary film about the actor’s life on Tuesday. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015.

Kilmer’s cancer treatments permanently damaged his voice. In his 2021 documentary, he opened up about having to use a voice box to speak and a feeding tube to eat.

A practicing Christian Scientist, Kilmer’s voice — one of his most valuable assets as an actor — took a hit after he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.

When a sequel to “Top Gun” was finally made in 2022, Kilmer had a part, with his voice digitally created through AI trained on old clips. Kilmer’s art was also a dominating factor in his life.