After consistently appearing in dozens of films over the past few decades, veteran actorBruce Williswill be stepping away from his acting career. The news comes from Willis' daughter, Rumer Willis, with a post left onInstagram. It includes a photo of her father, along with the announcement that the actor is no longer able to perform due to his diagnosis.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” the statement reads.
The Instagram post continues, “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn.”
Aphasia is a neurological language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It can develop from various causes, including a stroke, head injury, or disease, and inhibits the ability to express and understand language, both spoken and written. Speech therapy can be used to treat the condition once the root cause is determined, but its effectiveness depends upon the aphasia’s severity. It’s unclear what might have led to Willis' diagnosis.
Willis, 67, can be recognized for many well-known films he’s appeared in throughout his career. He is particularly celebrated for his role as John McClane in theDie Hardfranchise, beginning with the acclaimed original film released in 1988. The actor has also starred in fan-favorite flicks likePulp Fiction,12 Monkeys,The Fifth Element,Armageddon,The Sixth Sense, and many more.
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Bruce Willis Has Several Upcoming Films for Fans to Anticipate
Bruce Willis has been appearing in films frequently. Last year, heco-starred with Megan Fox inMidnight in the Switchgrassand also appeared in various action flicks likeOut of Death,Survive the Game,Deadlock, andFortress.He also appeared in the sci-fi thrillersCosmic SinandApex.
Willis will also be featured in a handful of upcoming films that were shot prior to his aphasia diagnosis. He will be part of the ensemble cast of Jesse V. Johnson’s upcoming action movieWhite Elephantalongside Michael Rooker, Olga Kurylenko, and John Malkovich. The actor will also reunite withPulp FictionandLook Who’s Talkingco-star John Travolta for Chuck Russell’s action flickParadise City.
As recently as last year, there had also been rumors of Willis reprising the role of John McClane one last time for aDie Hard 6. There have always been rumors of anotherDie Hardfilm, but bringing back Willis would be vital to the film happening if it were to ever be made, as explained by producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.
“I don’t know how you doDie Hardwithout Bruce,” the producersaid of the rumors. “The idea that he’s not very significant in this movie is not accurate at all. We are gonna explore John McClane in his twenties. But just as prominent is the 60-year-old version.”
Best wishes to Bruce Willis and the actor’s entire family at this time.
