Actors John Travolta and Bruce Willis
(Picture: Instagram)John Travolta has paid tribute to his friend Bruce Willis after he was diagnosed with neurological condition aphasia.
Willis, 67, recently announced he is “stepping away” from acting after he was diagnosed with the condition, which affects speech and ability to write.
Travolta, who starred alongside the Hollywood superstar in cult classic Pulp Fiction, has praised the “generous soul” in an Instagram post.
“Bruce and I became good friends when we shared 2 of our biggest hits together, Pulp Fiction and Look Who’s Talking,” Travolta said.
“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 heartfelt post included two photos of the actors together.
Travolta and Willis reunited in Maui last May for a film shoot of their upcoming movie Paradise City.
Willis has starred in hit films including the Die Hard series, Armageddon, Moonrise Kingdom and Looper.
Rumer Willis, who is the film star’s daughter, said the diagnosis came after Willis had been “experiencing some health issues,” with her post noting the disorder has been “impacting his cognitive abilities”.
In a statement on Instagram, his family said it had been a “really challenging time” for them and thanked fans for their “continued love, compassion and support”.
Actor Matthew Perry paid tribute by saying Willis will “remain in my prayers for a long time” following the announcement.
Writing on Twitter, Perry said Willis was “still the coolest man I’ve met in my entire life”.
“It’s been difficult to find the right words for someone I’ve always looked up to—first on the big screen, and then by some wild stroke of luck, in person,” the actor wrote on Instagram.
“Dear Bruce Willis, I’m so sorry to hear what you are going through, but you’re still the coolest man I’ve met in my entire life.
“You will remain in my prayers for a long long time. Maybe we should get together and watch the whole 10 yards and get a couple of hours of sleep,” Perry said, in reference to the pair’s critically panned 2004 sequel to The Whole Nine Yards.
Director M Night Shyamalan, who worked alongside the actor in superhero thriller Glass, paid tribute to Willis as the “hero on that poster on my wall as a kid”.
“All my love and respect to my big brother Bruce Willis,” he said.
“I know his wonderful family is surrounding him with support and strength.
“He will always be that hero on that poster on my wall as a kid.”
Willis married actress Demi Moore in 1987 and had his three eldest children, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.
The pair separated in 2000 but remain on amicable terms. Willis married actress Emma Heming in 2009.
Willis and Hemming share two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
