Movie star Val Kilmer, now 61, publicly revealed in 2017 that he had spent the previous two years receiving treatment for throat cancer. He's been cancer-free for several years, but due to the tracheotomy that saved his life, the Batman Forever actor's voice has changed and he has to use a feeding tube because he can't ingest food orally. Regardless, he's continued to work, most recently piecing together a documentary about his life called Val, which just had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Although he himself didn't show up to the photo call, Val Kilmer's son and daughter went in his place. To see how Mercedes and Jack Kilmer are following in their dad's footsteps and how they were involved in the moving documentary, read on.
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Val's children co-produced his documentary with him.
Getty Images/Mike Marsland/WireImageVal's 29-year-old daughter Mercedes and 26-year-old son Jack were both at the July 7 Cannes premiere not only to support their dad, but also because they were involved in getting the film made. Their mom is Val's ex-wife Joanne Whalley.
Ahead of the big event, Val shared his excitement via Twitter. "It feels like yesterday, and yet it has been a lifetime," he wrote. "As I write this, my documentary is getting ready to premiere at Festival De Cannes. And as grateful as I am for being selected with this high honor, I look forward most to sharing my life's story with all of you."
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Mercedes recently appeared in a movie with her father.
Uncork'd EntertainmentMercedes has appeared in a handful of indie short films over the past seven years. In 2020, she shared the big screen with her dad in her first feature film, Paydirt. The movie also marked Val's first role post-tracheotomy. Mercedes told TooFab that she was "really genuinely proud to have been a part of this movie for my personal reasons of working with my dad" and also to "have been involved in a film that has a lead actor with a disability." She added, "And hopefully, it's like heralding a bigger shift in the entertainment industry." Because of his speaking issues, another actor dubbed Val's character in the film.
Jack is also an accomplished actor.
Tribeca Film FestivalJack began appearing in front of the camera in 2013 and has acted in a long list of both short and feature films. His debut role was in Palo Alto alongside stars like James Franco and Emma Roberts. He also starred in Ozzy Osbourne's music video for "Under the Graveyard" as a young Ozzy. His newest film Exo is in pre-production and will see him star opposite Bella Thorne.
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The documentary includes 40 years of home videos.
Amazon StudiosVal, which is getting rave reviews out of Cannes, tracks decades of the actor's life, including his experience with throat cancer and its aftermath. In the trailer, Val notes, "I'm still recovering, and it is difficult to talk and to be understood. But I want to tell my story more than ever." While the voiceover for the trailer is not Val speaking, at one point, he talks to the camera using his voice box. "I've tried to see the world as one piece of life," he says. The trailer also features behind-the-scenes footage from films he's made throughout his career with costars including Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn in their younger days.
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