Bruce Willis’ last acting gig before his dementia diagnosis makes it even more heartbreaking now

Bruce Willis got his first shot at fame when he starred in the ABC comedy series Moonlight. However, landing the role of John McClane in the action film series Die Hard launched him to stardom and he became a fan favorite. Willis had a highly successful acting career spanning four decades before his aphasia diagnosis and retirement in 2022.

Although Willis began showing symptoms of dementia towards the end of his career when he had difficulty reading and remembering scripts, by the time of his retirement he had appeared in nearly a dozen films awaiting release, his last being assassin, which was released in 2023.

Bruce Willis’ last role before the dementia diagnosis

The Willis family announced that his aphasia diagnosis had developed Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in February 2023, about a month to the release of his last film. According to his last act in American science fiction, his fans did not consider it a worthy bow-out film for the action star, and some critics claimed that his last film lacked “his trademark sparkle.”

Before Willis’ final diagnosis of a neurological disease, he had to tell signs of his symptoms that affected his actions during his last days before his final retirement. The actor lost touch with his John McClane tough crew and could barely perform his stunts, though he gave a good fight performing on the sets despite having issues, but it was not enough for his fans as he was not in able to hide his deteriorating health for a long time.

How is Bruce Willis coping with his FTD now?

Following his retirement from acting in 2022, Willis has been in the care of his blended family– his first wife, Demi Moore, and his three adult daughters, who have joined his current wife, Emma Heming – who give him all the care and shower him with the love he needs at this time.

Willis’ family seems to understand the task of caring for their loved ones, and even though they know it will only take a “miracle” to reverse the condition. But they are determined to make his last days memorable and give him all the comfort he needs. Willis has been spending quality time with his family and he recently became a grandfather when his daughter, Rumer, welcomed her daughter, Louetta, in April 2023.