In March 2022, Bruce Willis’ family announced on social media that he is stepping away from a long career as an actor following a diagnosis of aphasia. Willis’ family, in the past, had made comments on the actor’s memory challenges. The Los Angeles Times reported that in recent years, accommodations were made on film sets because of these struggles.
Willis began his career in theatre and then became known on television in the hilarious series Moonlighting, with Cybil Shepherd. He advanced his acting career from television to the big screen and appeared in approximately 150 movies, including Die Hard and Pulp Fiction.
Aphasia impacts a person’s ability to understand language. The individual could have trouble reading, writing, speaking, and understanding what others are saying to them.
Aphasia is most associated with strokes and head injuries, but it can also be caused from a slow-growing brain tumour or progressive disease. Willis’ family has not released the cause of the actor’s aphasia.
For more information on aphasia, educational videos, and available supports, click on the links below:
Surrey Aphasia Group: https://www.brainstreams.ca/videos/video-type/suddenly-speechless-surrey-aphasia-group/
Part of the Brain Educational Videos: https://www.brainstreams.ca/videos/video-type/parts-of-the-brain/
Aphasia Institute: https://www.aphasia.ca/
March of Dimes Aphasia Fact Sheet: https://www.marchofdimes.ca/en-ca/programs/acs/aphasiainfo
