Bruce Willis' legendary career is coming to an end.
In the most recent chapter of his decades-long career, Bruce Willis has become well known for
his prolific output, churning out more films in a year than some movie stars do in an entire decade.
2021 saw the release of eight Willis features,
while 2020 saw four movies make their way to audiences — technically five,
if you count his "DieHard is Back" commercial for DieHard batteries.
"Is there another way out?"
"Umm…" "C’mon, you kidding me?"
That productivity might make it seem like retirement would be the last thing on Willis'
agenda, but, sadly, it seems his incredible career in the movie business is now coming to an end.
The news comes directly from the actor's family, with his wife, Emma Heming Willis,
taking to social media to announce the reason for the A-lister's unexpected retirement.
The announcement — a collective statement from Heming Willis and Willis' first wife,
Demi Moore, and all of his children — reads, in part:
"[O]ur 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."
Aphasia is defined by the Mayo Clinic as "a condition that affects your
ability to communicate," whether it be verbal or written. As you can imagine,
this diagnosis might have an impact on an actor's ability to memorize and deliver lines.
With that in mind, it's understandable that Willis, with the support of his family,
would choose to retire and place his focus elsewhere.
Heming Willis' post doesn't go into any additional details about Willis' health status.
Instead, the Willis family's letter to the actor's fans asks for their continued support,
with a pledge on their part to "live it up" as a family during the actor's retirement.
It's bittersweet to see Bruce Willis' career end on this note,
especially for longtime fans of the actor. Many of those same fans will have been holding out hope
that he could still one day return to the kinds of high-profile productions he used to anchor in
the past — classic movies such as Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, and The Sixth Sense, to name just a few.
Nevertheless, Willis leaves behind a truly impressive body of work for audiences to enjoy.
His big break in show business came in 1985 when Moonlighting became a pop culture phenomenon. He
eventually parlayed his TV stardom into a career as a leading man in feature films,
with his big-screen leading debut in 1987's Blind Date.
Then, in 1988, Willis appeared in what would become his signature role:
John McClane, the hard-luck protagonist of Die Hard and its subsequent four sequels.
"Welcome to the party, pal!"
Audiences clearly took a liking to his Die Hard persona, as well as the movie, because it opened
the door for a new chapter in his career as both an action star and a major marquee name.
The '90s and 2000s saw Willis forge important collaborations with some of Hollywood's most
respected filmmakers; of particular note is his string of films with M. Night Shyamalan, including
the supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense and the realistic superhero drama Unbreakable.
In the more recent years of his career, his direct-to-video work has been broken
up by exciting returns to big-screen blockbusters. Willis re-teamed with
Shyamalan for two follow-ups to the Unbreakable narrative universe: Split and Glass. He also
worked with director Wes Anderson on the 2012 charmer Moonrise Kingdom and, that same year,
appeared opposite Joseph Gordon Levitt and Emily Blunt in the time travel thriller Looper.
The fact that Willis has remained a box office draw, even after all this time,
is testament to his enduring star power — making it all the sadder
that he's now closing the book on his one-of-a-kind filmography.
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