17 February 2023 , 14:04
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Bruce Willis’ worsening condition forced directors to reduce his role on movie sets years before his dementia diagnosis, according to reports.
His tragic struggle with aphasia - which was previously announced to his fans in March last year - and now his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis at the age of just 67 meant that those in the movie industry had to make adjustments on-set so that he could continue working prior to his retirement.
In the years leading up to his diagnosis, the Hollywood legend featured in 22 “Geezer-Teaser” films, but those who worked with the star began to recognise that he struggled with certain elements of filming including lengthy shoots and memorising his lines.
The Die Hard star allegedly misfired guns during shooting and required someone to read his lines to him through an earpiece as the symptoms of his cognitive disorders tragically progressed.
Bruce Willis’ worsening condition forced directors to reduce his role on movie sets years before his dementia diagnosis (AFP via Getty Images)The actor, who has appeared in over 70 films since his career launched in the 1970s, stepped away from the big screen last year as he was unable to overcome the symptoms of aphasia, which causes speech and language problems to arise.
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In the past few years of his career, his team would ensure that his time on set would only last for a maximum of two days, of which he would only work for around four hours a day, due to his conditions.
In one of the last films to star Bruce Willis, White Elephant, one crew member stated that the ‘arrangements’ which saw others allegedly having to feed the actor his lines, made the team come to the conclusion that they wouldn’t film another.
The Die Hard actor stepped away from the big screen last year after being diagnosed with aphasia (Getty Images)One crew member said to the : “It was less of an annoyance and more like: 'How do we not make Bruce look bad?’
“Someone would give him a line and he didn't understand what it meant. He was just being puppeted.”
The film’s director, Jesse V. Johnson, even added “After our experience on ‘White Elephant,’ it was decided as a team that we would not do another.
“We are all Bruce Willis fans, and the arrangement felt wrong and ultimately a rather sad end to an incredible career, one that none of us felt comfortable with.”
The Mirror has gone to a representative of Bruce Willis for a comment on the matter.