Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Touching Response When Asked About Bruce Willis' Retirement
Last year, Hollywood icon Bruce Willis retired from acting, putting an end to a career starring in many memorable films that helped make the Die Hard star one of cinema history's most beloved actors. The announcement followed Willis getting diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological condition that affects memory and communication, making it much more difficult for the actor to work. Willis' daughter, Rumer Willis, announced in February that her father's condition had since progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
Fans have been offering a lot of support to the Willis family and have supported his retirement, though his presence on the big screen is now missed by many. Other Hollywood stars, especially those who also shined in the best action movies of the 80s and 90s, have also offered some support. Arnold Schwarzenegger formerly competed with Willis as two actors trying to be the best in the action genre, though they later became good friends. Speaking with CinemaBlend, Schwarzenegger shared his response when asked for his thoughts on the situation involving Willis and his retirement. Here's what he said:
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"I think that he's fantastic. He was, always for years and years, is a huge, huge star. And I think that he will always be remembered as a great, great star. And a kind man. I understand that under his circumstances, health-wise, that he had to retire. But in general, you know, we never really retire. Action heroes, they reload."
Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Open to Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Sylvester Stallone Has Offered Support
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Sylvester Stallone is another action star who was on the rise at the same time as Schwarzenegger and Willis. While all three were once competitors, they united to appear together in the film The Expendables and The Expendables 2. After Willis' diagnosis was made public, Stallone took to Instagram to offer some support for the actor, stating that he was "praying" for him and his family.
Also speaking about the situation in a THR interview, Stallone also said, "Bruce is going through some really, really difficult times... So he's been sort of incommunicado. That kills me. It's so sad."
Meanwhile, Willis is making the best of his retirement with the support of his entire family. On his 68th birthday in April, ex-wife Demi Moore joined Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis along with other family members in celebrating the occasion. Footage and images were shared by Moore on Instagram of the celebration, showing that Willis is all smiles and getting a lot of love from the people closest to him despite the difficulties he's dealing with at this stage of his life. Willis can even be seen singing along to the birthday song before blowing hout his candles.
Willis had been working frequently prior to his diagnosis, and many films would be released after he'd retired. That concluded with the March 2023 release of Assassin, which turned out to be his final film credit. Directed by Jesse Atlas, that film also stars Nomzamo Mbatha and Dominic Purcell.
Source: MovieWeb
