Bruce Willis praised by Arnold Schwarzenegger amid dementia diagnosis: ‘Action heroes, they reload’
From one action star to another, Arnold Schwarzenegger is recognizing the resiliency of Bruce Willis.
Reflecting upon his own career, Schwarzenegger addressed the trajectory of Willis', who announced his pause from acting last year.
"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," the former governor of California told CinemaBlend.
"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," he explained.
In March 2022, it was announced that Willis would be "stepping away" from his acting career due to an aphasia diagnosis.
"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," a statement from the Willis family read at the time.
In February of this year, his family revealed his condition had developed into frontotemporal dementia.
The relationship between Willis and Schwarzenegger runs deep. Both men were involved with the Planet Hollywood venture in 1991, a chain-restaurant endorsed and launched by Willis' former wife, Demi Moore. Sylvester Stallone was also involved.
Willis also collaborated with Schwarzenegger and Stallone for the first two installments of "The Expendables" franchise.
Prior to making his dementia diagnosis public, Stallone gave an update on Willis, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Bruce is going through some really, really difficult times." When asked if he had in touch with then 67-year-old, he said Willis has "been sort of incommunicado. That kills me. It’s so sad."
After news broke that Willis was moving away from acting due to his physical circumstances, Stallone shared a series of photos of his friend on Instagram, writing, "We go back a long way, praying for the best for you and your wonderful family."
Willis has had a momentous few months, becoming a grandfather for the first time in April. Willis' eldest daughter, Rumer, welcomed a daughter with her boyfriend.
In March, Willis and his family celebrated the movie stars 68th birthday with a rousing family gathering and a pie.