Hollywood star Bruce Willis once opened up about a transformative experience triggered by Rian Johnson’s 2012 sci-fi action film Looper. The actor, who has been esteemed as one of the greatest action stars the film industry has ever seen, retired from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia and later dementia.
Throughout his illustrious and exceptional career, he has given many hits, including the 2012 sci-fi action film, which he later shared turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster that he didn’t expect it to be.
Bruce Willis Reflected on the Emptional Impact of Looper
Starring Bruce Willis alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt, and directed by Rian Johnson, Looper revolves around a hitman, Joe, who faces a moral dilemma when his future self is sent back in time for assassination.
The actor shared his admiration for the film’s complexity and depth, along with the time travel aspect. He also found the narrative of delving into the idea of confronting one’s past mistakes and inner conflict of trying to change the course of one’s life very compelling.
However, he didn’t anticipate the depth of emotional impact the film would have on him and how it would challenge his initial perception of his character’s actions. “When I was shooting the film I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong as a character,” he said before adding, “I didn’t judge him.”
He told Daily Star, via Contact Music, that he was “emotionally moved” by his character’s actions when he eventually saw the film. “I was emotionally moved by how horribly wrong the things I was doing were. It is an emotional film,” he said, noting that it was not something he expected from the sci-fi action film.
In addition to the emotional depth of the story, the actor also highlighted the challenges of acting alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who portrayed a younger version of his character in the movie.
Bruce Willis Found it Challenging to Act Alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Looper featured Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the younger version of Joe, the character who was also embodied by Bruce Willis. The makers also utilized prosthetics to achieve a closer resemblance to Willis’ younger self.
And the Die Hard star found it so effective that he felt strange acting alongside the Inception actor. “I was sitting across from Joseph at a table. I was supposed to act and get my lines right but I just found myself looking at him and thinking how weird it was,” he recalled his experience.
“It’s really a strange thing to see someone who looks like a young version of yourself,” he further noted. The 43-year-old actor also did his share of work to play the younger Willis in the film. He shared that not only did he study his movies, but he also worked with the action star himself to prepare for his role.
“Bruce recorded himself doing some of my monologs and sent me the tape so I could listen to that,” he told Canton Rep in an interview. And despite his initial uncomfort, Willis eventually got around the performing alongside the Don Jon actor. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $176 million at the box office.
Looper is available to stream on Netflix.
