Bruce Willis: Was the Hollywood star pushed into filming despite illness?

Bruce Willis (2006): »Unbreakable«, »Die Hard«, »Armageddon«

Photo: VINCENT KESSLER/ REUTERS

»Unbreakable«, »Die Hard«, »Armageddon«: Hollywood star Bruce Willis liked to play the hero.

The men he embodied never gave up.

And that can probably also be applied to Willis himself.

Despite being diagnosed with aphasia, which damages brain regions, he continued to work on films, delaying the end of his career.

But was he pushed to do it, as a newspaper report suggests?

Willis' lawyer denied that.

The "Los Angeles Times" had reported that there had been fears on Hollywood film sets in recent years that Willis was no longer able to work in films because of his illness.

On Thursday, the newspaper published a text that is supposed to describe such scenes.

During the shooting of the film "Midnight in the Switchgrass", Willis did not understand that he was supposed to kick down a door.

Producer doesn't want to know about Willis' illness

Film producer Randall Emmett called his fiancé that evening and said, "It's just so sad.

Bruce can't remember any of his sentences.

He doesn't know where he is.” Emmett denied that, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He didn't know anything about Willis' deteriorating health.

The stunt coordinator said Willis was having problems, said Alicia Haverland, a props manager on "Midnight in the Switchgrass," according to the paper.

"You'd have to be blind not to see him struggling," she said.

Still, Willis continued to make films after Midnight in the Switchgrass, some with producer Emmett.

The two had worked together many times before, and Willis' reputation is said to have helped Emmett's production company thrive.

The LA Times reports that when the company ran out of money, Emmett talked about shooting another Bruce Willis film.

Emmett denies that.

During one of the last shoots together, Willis is said to have been in such a bad condition that he could only move when accompanied.

The text is said to have been spoken to him via a button in his ear.

A few months later he announced the end of his career.

The newspaper report now raises the question of whether Willis was persuaded to shoot the film.

Willis' attorney denied.

"My client continued to work after his medical diagnosis because he wanted to work and was able to, as do many others who have been diagnosed with aphasia and are able to continue working," the Los Angeles Times quotes Martin Singer as saying .

End of career due to aphasia

Willis announced his retirement last March.

He was recently diagnosed with aphasia, which is affecting his cognitive abilities, it said at the time.

In aphasia, certain brain regions are damaged in such a way that the articulation possibilities, but also the understanding of language can be severely impaired.

Born in 1955 in Idar-Oberstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, Willis was the son of a US soldier and his German wife.

He was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame for his achievements in the industry.

ptz