Action star Bruce Willis is stepping away from his acting career at age 67 after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family have said in a statement.
"Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," Willis's family wrote in an Instagram post early on Wednesday morning local time.
The Die Hard star's family uploaded the statement on their respective Instagram accounts, which was signed by his current wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore, and his other children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn, along with an image of the actor.
"This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support," the statement read.
"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."
Aphasia can cause a person difficulty with their language or speech, and can also hamper one's reading, listening, typing or writing ability.
Speaking problems are most common and can involve putting words together incorrectly.
The illness can occur after strokes or head injuries but can also arise over time due to brain tumours or degenerative diseases, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Willis's acting career began in the early 1980s but he did not become a household name until later in that decade — first after starring opposite Cybill Shepherd in the comedy-drama series Moonlighting — and then in his 1988 performance as John McClane in the first Die Hard film.
The role was an iconic one that he would reprise four times over the following 25 years.
He appeared in about 100 films during his four-decade career, winning acclaim for roles in Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, Twelve Monkeys and The Sixth Sense.
He also made three albums as a singer — his cover of Under the Boardwalk got to No 2 in the UK singles chart – and starred in multiple stage productions, making his Broadway debut in 2015 with a revival of Misery.
Willis has won one Golden Globe Award and two Emmys.
He had been especially active in recent years.
He appeared in eight movies released in 2021 alone, however none of them were praised by critics.
Three films starring Willis have already been released this year and a further eight completed films are currently set for release in 2022 and 2023.
'Grace and guts!'
In the days before the announcement his family shared birthday and anniversary tributes on social media.
Willis was married to actress Demi Moore until they divorced in 2000, but they remained close.
He is currently married to model and actress Emma Heming and has five children.
Fans and celebrities have shown their support for the A-lister.
"My heart goes out to Bruce, and all of the family. So thankful you shared this with us. Keeping you all in our prayers," wrote actor and singer Rita Wilson.
A fan with a Twitter handle Cody Leach, wrote: "My heart goes out to #BruceWillis and his family. His work has meant more to me than I could ever put into words … If this is in fact the end of your acting career, all I can say is thank you. We love you Bruce."
Another fan, RiffTrax, wrote on Twitter: "Respect to a good actor and legendary recording artist, been a hell of a career. #BruceWillis."
ABC/wires
