After an acting career that’s spanned decades and media of all types, action/comedy legend Bruce Willis has decided to retire. Through a statement from his family, it was revealed that the decision was made based on the fact that Bruce has had health issues connected to a diagnosis of aphasia. In the wake of that news, Demi Moore, M. Night Shyamalan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more have spoken out with support and fond memories of spending time with the man himself.
One of the most heartwarming posts came from Instagram, where ex-wife/co-parent Demi Moore shared the same statement the Willis/Moore family used to break the news yesterday. The full text of that message, accompanied by a photo of Bruce Willis pulling a mischievous smile behind the scenes, reads 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.
Naturally, this has led to no shortage of reactions from Hollywood notables who have either worked with the Die Hard star or knew him personally. Commenting in Demi Moore’s social media post, actor Jamie Lee Curtis provided her support with the following words:
Grace and Guts! Love to you all!
Thanks to a key role in writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, Willis found himself scoring a performance that still stands out as one of his most memorable. The pair would continue to work together through the trilogy of films that started with 2000’s Unbreakable and concluded with 2019’s Glass, telling a story of superpowered heroism and vulnerability. In his own message of tribute, Shyamalan acknowledged Bruce Willis not so much as a director, but as more of a reverent fan:
All my love and respect to my big brother Bruce Willis. I know his wonderful family is surrounding him with support and strength. He will always be that hero on that poster on my wall as kid.
Fellow fan and celebrity Josh Gad also tweeted his respects to the recently retired Bruce Willis. In a short, but very heartfelt message, the Frozen star sent his best with this warm message:
My heart goes out to Bruce Willis and his family. This cannot be easy. Sending nothing but love your way.
Actor Treat Williams, who’s been making trouble on Blue Bloods as well as in a regular gig on The Hallmark Channel’s Chesapeake Shores, chimed in with his own happy memory of Bruce Willis. Though as Williams shows in his own message, that memory isn’t tied to a remembrance of work, but rather one of play:
I am thinking about Bruce Willis. Acting yes. But we had one of the most fun paintball games ever. Get well. Be well. A great great body of work to be proud of my friend.
Our last two reactions come from people who’ve worked with Bruce Willis in very different contexts. Yet despite that key separation, both men have expressed admiration and respect for the man. Starting with the actor behind Die Hard 2: Die Harder’s villain, William Sadler, shared the following fond wishes:
Take a bow Bruce. Thanks for all the amazing moments and good luck with the road ahead. #BruceWillis
Perhaps one of the most infamous debacles in Willis’s career has to be the movie that was Warner Bros. 2010 action/comedy Cop Out. A production that director Kevin Smith says made him experience “true darkness,” there’s been plenty already said about that story and the circumstances surrounding it. However, upon hearing this news, Smith buried his own hatchet in the matter, honoring the retirement of Bruce Willis thusly:
Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan – so this is really heartbreaking to read. He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an asshole for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family.
We can all argue over the ranking of the Die Hard franchise, or whether or not Armageddon really belongs in the Criterion Collection, because that’s just what movie fans do. At the same time, when a body of work like that of Bruce Willis’ is on display, you have to admire the work and range that the man has put into his career. As seen in the reactions above, and all of the others floating around the digital world at this very moment, many others couldn’t agree more.
Though he may be retired, there’s still some upcoming Bruce Willis movies in the can to look forward to in the months ahead. Willis can next be seen in Fortress: Sniper’s Eye, the second installment of the Fortress trilogy, which will be released on April 29. That’s only part of 2022’s film landscape, which you can get a better handle on through visiting our full rundown of upcoming movies on the calendar.