What is Aphasia and is it fatal? Bruce Willis failed to recall lines, used body doubles on sets
Bruce Willis decided to retire from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological ailment that hinders his ability to speak and has caused issues on set. After dealing with the illness for the last couple of years, the 67-year-old star decided to step away from his decades-long acting career. His daughter Rumer Willis took to Instagram to announce the news. "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, which is signed by his wife, Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore, and his other four children, added, “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.”
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According to Page Six, the 67-year-old star experienced 'cognitive issues' when filming recent movies, couldn't recall his lines, and had to wear an earpiece. A source told Page Six, “he was having cognitive problems, they all knew Bruce was having problems. Everybody knew, the cast and crew. His family has stepped in, they moved in to take care of him. It became very apparent that he was having problems. So they’d use body doubles, not just for action [sequences], but for maximizing his screen time." Willis' family has not revealed what triggered the actor's mental illness. However, in 2002, the actor was hit in the head on the set of the action film 'Tears of the Sun,' and later sued Revolution Studios for the damage, according to the Guardian.
What is Aphasia?
Aphasia, the cognitive disorder that Bruce is suffering from, is a medical disease — which generally comes after a stroke or a brain injury. It can affect a person's ability to talk, write, and interpret spoken and written communications, according to the Mayo Clinic. Aphasia can make it difficult to find the correct words or cause people to talk in short, disorganized phrases. Speech and language therapy can help to a certain extent.
Willis has starred in blockbuster films such as ‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘12 Monkeys,’ and ‘The Fifth Element’ over his 40-year career. ‘Vendetta,’ ‘Fortress: Sniper's Eye,’ and ‘White Elephant’ are among the films he is now working on and they are currently in the post-production stage. Recently, in the action film ‘Paradise City,’ which he co-wrote with John Travolta and shot in Maui, Hawaii last year, Willis played Ryan Swan, a guy seeking vengeance on the kingpin who murdered his father. The retirement news comes after Willis was awarded his own unique category for the Razzies — "parody awards for the year's worst movies" for starring in eight critically derided films last year.