Legendary action star Arnold Schwarzenegger recently stated ords of encouragement for his old buddy and Die Hard star, Bruce Willis. The latter announced his retirement from acting after he was reportedly diagnosed with aphasia. The star is reportedly undergoing treatment and would not be able to work in the movie industry.
Schwarzenegger brought his signature positivity to Willis when he was asked about his The Expendables co-star’s retirement from the movies. The Commando star expressed his respect and admiration for Bruce Willis and mentioned that as an action hero, he had not truly retired yet.
Why Did Bruce Willis Retire From Hollywood?
Actor Bruce Willis became known for his action hero persona after starring in the breakout action hit Die Hard. The iconic film established Willis as an A-lister and gave him an image makeover after he starred in the sitcom Moonlighting, for which he won a Golden Globe Award. Willis went on to star in multiple sequels in the Die Hard franchise with varied success.
Willis also tried his hand at other genres such as horror and drama with films such as The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Pulp Fiction, and more. But he always had his action films to fall back on. He starred in films such as Red, Armageddon, Tears of the Sun, and Sin City. The actor also did stage work and even pursued a singing career, releasing three blues albums.
In 2022, Bruce Willis’ family announced that he would be retiring from the movie industry after being diagnosed with aphasia. A statement from Willis’s family, which included his ex-wife Demi Moore, present wife Emma Femming, and his five daughters, posted on Instagram read,
“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…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.”
Bruce Willis was later reportedly diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. His final theatrical role was in the Edward Norton directorial Motherless Brooklyn. The actor was also seen in the superhero horror film Glass and then went on to star in multiple direct-to-video releases before taking retirement.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Had Words of Encouragement for Bruce Willis
Many fans of Bruce Wills around the world were sad about the Die Hard star’s retirement from the movies. He was the bonafide action star of the ‘90s and early 2000s and was known for turning the everyman character into an action hero. Many filmmakers too were disappointed with the actor’s departure, with frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino rumored to have envisioned him in a role in his final film, The Movie Critic.
However, Bruce Willis’ The Expendables co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger had only positive things to say to his old friend. In an interview with Cinema Blend, Schwarzenegger spoke about his former co-star and expressed his love and respect for his body of work. He also hyped up the actor by referring to a quality that is reserved for action heroes. He said,
“I think that he’s fantastic. He was, always for years and years, is a huge, huge star. And I think that he will always be remembered as a great, great star. And a kind man. I understand that under his circumstances, health-wise, that he had to retire. But in general, you know, we never really retire. Action heroes, they reload.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis were also partners in the restaurant Planet Hollywood in its early stages. The Terminator star has had his own battles with health and had taken a break at the peak of his career for surgery. While his career did not gain back the epic stardom he had, Arnold Schwarzenegger has since bounced back.
