Hollywood action star Bruce Willis is retiring from acting after being diagnosed with Aphasia. The actor's family shared to news on Instagram, confirming Willis had recently been diagnosed with the medical condition.
"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," the post reads. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."
The Mayo Clinic describes Aphasia as a "condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. It can affect your ability to speak, write, and understand language, both verbal and written." The site notes that Aphasia usually occurs suddenly after a stroke or a head injury, but it can also "come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative)."
The family did not disclose his underlying disease, but wanted to share the news with fans "because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him."
The 67-year-old Willis has had a prolific acting career with over 140 acting credits, but truly rose to stardom in the late '80s with the action film Die Hard. Willis played John McClane, a New York police detective caught up in a terrorist takeover of Nakatomi Plaza while visiting his wife in estranged wife in Los Angeles. Willis would go and star in four more sequels to Die Hard with the most recent, A Good Day to Die Hard, releasing in 2013. Altogether, the franchise has grossed $1.4 billion worldwide.
Willis would play other iconic roles throughout the '90s blockbuster era, including Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense. Willis has also starred in Sin City, RED, The Expendables 2, Looper, and Glass. The award-winning actor has stayed busy in recent years, although mostly taking on roles in direct-to-video films. He currently has multiple projects in post-production, including Paradise City, White Elephant, Wire Room, Vendetta, and Fortress: Sniper's Eye.