Val Kilmer weeps as he struggles to talk with voice box in trailer for life story 'Val'

Actor Val Kilmer visits the United Nations headquarters in New York City, New York to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, July 20, 2019. (Photo by EuropaNewswire/Gado/Getty Images)
Val Kilmer shares his life story and home movies in new documentary Val. (Getty Images) (EuropaNewswire/Gado via Getty Images)

Val Kilmer is shown breaking down in the trailer for his new movie Val as he admits he struggles to talk and be understood since having a voice box fitted.

The 61-year-old actor - who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 - is sharing years of personal home movies to tell his life story in the new documentary film, which is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.

Kilmer shared the trailer on Twitter saying: "It feels like yesterday and yet it has been a lifetime. 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 honour, I look forward most to sharing my life's story with all of you.

"As a lifelong filmmaker it thrills me to say the film will be in theatres July 23. And as a person who also enjoys getting cosy, I'm possibly more happy that it will be on @PrimeVideo Aug 6. Here's to giving every day the opportunity to be the most beautiful of your life."

Read more: Val Kilmer says he 'feels a lot better than I sound' after cancer treatment

The trailer for Val shows behind-the-scenes footage the actor has shot himself over the years - including footage of Hollywood stars Sean Penn and a very young Kevin Bacon.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Val Kilmer (L) and Al Pacino attend the Simply Shakespeare's Live Read of
Val Kilmer with Al Pacino in 2019. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

The voiceover declares: "I've lived a magical life and I've captured quite a bit of it.

"I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. I'm still recovering.

"It is difficult to talk and be understood, but I want to tell my story more than ever."

A montage of footage shows Kilmer in tears and then later talking with a voice box, saying: "I've tried to see the world as one piece of life."

His rasping words are subtitled.

A voice box device is normally battery-operated and can implanted or held against the throat to help the user produce sound if they have had their larynx removed for medical reasons.

LOS ANGELES - MAY 16: The movie
Val Kilmer as Lt. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in 1986 movie Top Gun. (CBS via Getty Images) (CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images)

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. He went public with the diagnosis in 2017 after initially denying he was ill.

Read more: Val Kilmer reveals incident that led to him quitting as Batman

He began his movie career in 1984 and over the years has starred in hit movies including Top Gun, Willow, Batman Forever, Jim Morrison biopic The Doors and Heat, among numerous others.

Kilmer and Tom Cruise are this year set to appear in Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel to the 1986 action movie.

Watch: Val Kilmer on how Cher helped him get through cancer battle

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