Following a string of critical and commercial misses like The Saint and most infamously The Island of Dr. Moreau, his career cooled down, though a memorably brilliant appearance in Shane Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in the early aughts garnered critical and fan praise, as well as a Saturn Award Nomination. In recent times, the talented and respected actor’s health struggles have overshadowed his career. Learn about Val Kilmer’s voice and how Val Kilmer’s AI voice works.
Does Val Kilmer have a speech problem?
Tragically, Kilmer lost his voice to throat cancer in 2015. After two tracheotomies, the performer (also known for commanding voice work in The Prince of Egypt and more) suffered severe speech impairment. In his 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry, Kilmer joked that he has less of a frog in his throat and more of a “buffalo.” He said, “Speaking, once my joy and lifeblood, has become an hourly struggle.” Kilmer has teamed up with Sonantic, a U.K.-based software firm that uses artificial intelligence to copy voices for actors and production studios, to replicate his speech, using old recordings of his voice and existing footage.
How does Val Kilmer talk? How does Val Kilmer’s AI voice work?
Kilmer elaborates on the process of finding his voice again through AI in the video below, posted to YouTube in August 2021. In his new AI-enhanced voice, which does indeed emulate the speech audiences are familiar with, Kilmer says: “People around me struggle to understand me when I’m talking, but despite all that, I still feel I’m the exact same person, still the same creative soul. A soul that dreams ideas and stories constantly. But now I can express myself again, I can bring these dreams to you, and show you this part of myself once more. A part that was never truly gone, just hiding away.” Top Gun: Maverick opens exclusively in theaters May 27. Next, check out our roundup of 2022’s biggest summer movies.
