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Willis, 67, rose to fame in the 1980s
comedy-drama TV series "Moonlighting," and has appeared in about
100 films across his four-decade career, garnering acclaim for
his roles in "Pulp Fiction" and "The Sixth Sense," and winning a
Golden Globe Award and two Emmys.
But Willis is perhaps best known for playing the tough-as-nails
New York cop who pursued bad guys in the five "Die Hard" movies,
released from 1988 to 2013.
"This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so
appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,"
his family said in a statement.
Willis and actress Demi Moore were one of Hollywood's most
high-profile celebrity couples in the 1990s until their divorce
in 2000, but they remained close after the break-up. He is
currently married to model and actress Emma Heming and is father
to a total of five children with both women.
"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," said the statement, which was signed by the
actor's family and shared on Instagram by Demi Moore and their
daughter Rumer.
Aphasia is a disorder most commonly caused by a stroke that can
also stem from head trauma or, in rare cases, from neurological
disease, said Brenda Rapp, a professor of cognitive science at
Johns Hopkins University. Symptoms vary widely and can affect
speech, comprehension and reading ability, Rapp said in a
telephone interview. In some instances, aphasia can be treated
with speech therapy.
Willis had been especially active in recent years. He appeared
in eight movies released in 2021 alone, none of which were
critically acclaimed.
The satirical Razzie film awards gave Willis his own special
category this year, nominating him eight times for "Worst
Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie." The one called
"Cosmic Sin" was awarded the Razzie on Saturday.
Larry Gordon, producer of the first "Die Hard" movie and its
1990 sequel, said he was saddened by the news of Willis'
condition, telling the Hollywood Reporter that the actor was
"the consummate pro and a gutsy guy."
"Grace and guts! Love to you all!," actor Jamie Lee Curtis wrote
on Demi Moore's Instagram account beneath a picture of Willis
and the family statement.
On social media, his fans shared their feelings of sadness and
shock after news of his diagnosis broke, and many of them paid
tribute to Willis.
"His work has meant more to me than I could ever put into
words," wrote a fan with the Twitter handle Cody Leach. "If this
is in fact the end of your acting career, all I can say is thank
you."
Over the course of his career, the Hollywood veteran has
appeared in films grossing more than $2.5 billion, according to
online database IMDB. In 2006, he received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Los Angeles landmark honoring legends
of film, television and music.
Born on a U.S. military base in Germany in 1955, Willis was
raised in New Jersey. After moving to New York to pursue an
acting career, he appeared in off-Broadway productions and
landed a few minor roles before getting his big break playing
the wise-cracking private detective David Addison in
"Moonlighting."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine, Rich McKay, Maria Caspani and
Daniel Trotta; Editing by Diane Craft and Rosalba O'Brien)
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