Aging Playfully
- Legendary actor and throat cancer survivor Val Kilmer, 61, frequently shows fans on Instagram that he still has a silly side, and does not disappoint in his latest post: “From Chris Knight to Dark Knight. Knighty Knight, everyone,” he writes, as a nod to two of his films, Real Genius and Batman Forever.
- Know the causes of throat cancer: Alcohol and tobacco use; and it’s important to know about the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is usually associated with women but can also affect men, and it has been proven to cause throat cancer.
- Dr. Jessica Geiger of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center told SurvivorNet that “the average patient with HPV-related throat cancer tends to be males in their 40s or 50s, who were never a smoker, or just a very light tobacco user.”
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The text on top of the image reads, “It was all a dream, I used to read Starlog Magazine,” which is a combined reference to the two films. “It was all a dream” is from the Batman story, while Starlog Magazine was a science magazine, referencing the Real Genius science flick, a popular genre back in the 80s. And we can’t help but wonder if he’s also throwing in some triple meaning as he looks back on his beautiful career. Aging is just another part of life, and it’s nice to see Kilmer reflecting with grace and humor over a career he should always be proud of that is still continuing to thrive thanks to surviving cancer; a true testament to never give up, whether you have beat, or are still battling cancer.
A Charismatic Actor
Throughout Kilmer’s early career, the actor was quite easy on the eyes playing teen heartthrob roles like ‘Nick Rivers’ in 1984’s Top Secret!, fan favorite ‘Iceman’ in 1986 hit Top Gun, and perhaps his sexiest role of all time, playing Jim Morrison’s character in The Doors movie in 1991. The striking star further proved his acting chops in the western film Tombstone as ‘Doc Holliday.’ Girls wanted him and guys wanted to be him. Decades later, it’s good to know that the Los Angeles native still has that charming personality.
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Kilmer’s playful online personality is mixed with an in-on-the-joke shameless self-promotion of his art, which comes off cute rather than curt. His fan base is also super loyal and overall, highly encouraging.
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A Private Struggle
When Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, he felt the need to stay quiet about his illness for a few years. After wide speculation that he was very sick, the avid artist finally told the public in 2017 that he had throat cancer. His kids Mercedes, 29, and Jack, 25, had opposed how he was handling his illness, and convinced their dad to get proper care.
For treatment, he went through chemotherapy and radiation, and also had a tube placed in his throat, a procedure called a tracheostomy, which greatly affected his ability to speak clearly. Kilmer found solace in writing, and came out with a book called I Am Your Huckleberry, which was one of his famous lines from Tombstone. "The fact that my impeded speech could spell the end of my career only served to motivate me," Kilmer says in the book. He also said that he had to have the tracheostomy due to radiation and chemotherapy side effects. “It's not from cancer,” he said. “That ‘treatment’ caused my suffering.”
Causes of Throat Cancer
Although it is often difficult to pinpoint exactly how or why we get certain types of cancer, it is important to stay educated. Throat cancer can be caused by alcohol and tobacco use, and also by the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is usually associated with women and can be a cause of cervical cancer. However, men can also be affected by this sexually transmitted infection, and it has been proven to cause throat cancer,
Dr. Jessica Geiger of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center told SurvivorNet in a previous interview that both men and women can get cancer from HPV. “The strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer are the same strains of HPV that cause throat cancer. The average patient with HPV-related throat cancer tends to be males in their 40s or 50s, who were never a smoker, or just a very light tobacco user.”
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