Hollywood star Val Kilmer has said that prayer helped beat his cancer.

The actor, 57, confirmed last month that he had suffered from the illness, after previous denials.

In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), Kilmer said that he was "grateful for all the prayers and good thoughts from around the world".

He said: "Many, many people have been healed by prayer throughout recorded history. And many, many people have died by whatever was modern medicine."

The Top Gun and Batman Forever actor added: "I have seen people turn down love. I have turned it down myself when I was younger.... I hope I never turn down love again."

Many, many people have been healed by prayer throughout recorded history. And many, many people have died by whatever was modern medicine.

Kilmer added: "It was an unspeakable sense of universal support while I was briefly in the hospital. Even two of my doctors mentioned praying with me, for me.

"Sometimes people are surprisingly mean about this sort of talk. Maybe they mix it up in their minds with extremists, people screaming with signs in front of Planned Parenthood or something.

"That's not my sense of Christianity. Or most people's, regardless of their religion. Any more than a Muslim identified themselves with the madness of a suicide bomber spreading fear in the name of Allah."