Bruce Willis, the actor renowned for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard film series, has announced his retirement from acting owing to a medical condition called aphasia.
The Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actor’s decision to step away from his 40-year-long career comes after he was diagnosed with the disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate.
Willis’ family members, including current wife Emma Heming-Willis, former wife and actor Demi Moore, and daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn, shared the news on social media.
“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,” read the statement on Moore’s Instagram.
“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,” their joint statement added.
Willis started his career as an extra, during the 1980s, and made his television debut with the show Moonlighting, which ran from 1985 to 1989, and earned Willis an Emmy as well as a Golden Globe for actor in a leading role.
Parallel to this, Willis entered cinema and made his feature film debut in a lead role with Blake Edwards’ Blind Date (1987).
A year later, the first Die Hard film catapulted him to overnight stardom and spawned the popular franchise. Based on Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever, Die Hard followed the story of New York city police detective McClane (Willis), who is caught up in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife. The film made Willis one of the most sought-after action heroes of all time, and he went on to star in several other films in that genre.
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The film’s popularity also propelled multiple sequels through the years, including Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
Willis has collaborated with several acclaimed directors during his long career, including Quentin Tarantino on Pulp Fiction and M Night Shyamalan on The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Glass.
In recent years, Willis had continued his acting career and has already had three releases this year, American Siege, Gasoline Alley, and A Day to Die, with multiple other films completed and lined up to hit screens in 2022 and 2023.