John Travolta pays tribute to 'generous' dear friend Bruce Willis following his retirement
1 April 2022, 12:18
It was a shock when Bruce Willis recently revealed he was retiring from acting.
At the age of 67, the Die Hard icon still has plenty of years left to continue his star in Hollywood burning bright.
But his decision to step back from his career of over four decades was due to being diagnosed with language disorder aphasia.
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Bruce Willis's family made the announcement on his behalf, saying that the disorder had begun to affect his cognitive abilities and his speech. Sadly, both of which are paramount to his craft.
The tributes have been rolling in - and rightly so - and his long-time pal John Travolta has also offered his support to Bruce in light of his diagnosis and retirement.
John and Bruce starred together in two of the actor's biggest films, Pulp Fiction, Look Who's Talking, as well as the sequel Look Who's Talking Too, and he shared a picture of them embracing back in the day.
In the caption John said: ""Bruce and I became good friends when we shared 2 of our biggest hits together, Pulp Fiction and Look Who’s Talking."
"Years later he said to me, 'John, I just want you to know that when something good happens to you I feel like it’s happening to me.' That’s how generous a soul he is. I love you Bruce."
The actors and friends reunited upcoming action movie Paradise City, which was shot in Maui, Hawaii in May last year.
At the time of shooting, the film's director Chuck Russell spoke to Los Angeles Times and said: "He was excited to work with John Travolta, and you could see the old Bruce Willis charm was still there."
"He really brought his A-game, and we made sure that he and John had a great experience filming together."
Only days ago Bruce's family shared the news of his diagnosis and decision to step back from acting, saying in a statement:
"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."
"This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support," the statement continued.
"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."
"Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel & Evelyn."
Bruce has a unique bond with his ex-wife Demi Moore and his family, so will no doubt have the loving support network needed to navigate the difficult news.
Hollywood has come together in sending messages of support for Bruce, with Sylvester Stallone, M. Night Shyamalan, and Sarah Paulson, director Len Wiseman, and Jenna Dewan all reaching out since his diagnosis was revealed.
