Sad news this afternoon. The family of actor Bruce Willis has announced that he will be retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological condition that affects one’s ability to speak, write or understand language.
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The official statement from the Willis family, including ex-wife Demi Moore, was posted on daughter Rumer Willis‘ Instagram account and is as follows:
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.
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
Willis made a splash in Hollywood thanks to his 1980s television series “Moonlighting” in which he co-starred alongside Cybill Shepherd, and then moved into action star status thanks to the 1988 landmark film “Die Hard.” He would continue playing John McClane in the “Die Hard” franchise in four subsequent sequels and the third film would see him paired with “Pulp Fiction” co-star Samuel L. Jackson.
Willis took on a lot of VOD work in recent years — sometimes actors need to pay bills, see the recent Nicolas Cage, GQ profile — but he has built a legacy of great performances, many of them done with top-shelf auteurs. The actor’s other standout film projects include “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Fifth Element,” “Death Becomes Her,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” “12 Monkeys,” The Last Boy Scout,” “Sin City,” “Armageddon,” “Glass,” “The Expendables 2,” and “Looper.”