Bruce Willis’s stunt double has reflected on the actor’s “changes” in recent years following his diagnosis of aphasia.
On Wednesday (30 March), it was announced by the Die Hard actor’s family that he was “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed with the brain condition.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Willis’s family wrote on Instagram that he had been “experiencing some health issues” that were “impacting his cognitive abilities”.
Stuntman Stuart F Wilson, who has worked with the 67-year-old action star for 17 years, told The Sun that he had initially attributed the actor’s “changes” in behaviour to be caused by having “a million different things going on”.
“Sometimes when you were talking to him, he just seemed sidetracked, and we would think it would mean nothing, but you would wonder if there are other things going on,” he said.
Wilson added: “Being with somebody that much, yeah, you see the changes. Obviously we knew there was other stuff going on at a certain point in time. We realised because he’s getting tested for different things, but at the time we didn’t know exactly what it was.”
Wilson has run his own company, Fall Guy Productions, since 2013 and said he would be setting his focus on that following Willis’s announcement.
Aphasia is a form of brain damage which impairs language expression and comprehension. It leaves sufferers unable to communicate effectively and is often the result of a stroke.
Willis’s family’s statement read: “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. 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.”
The statement was signed by Willis’s wife Emma, his ex-wife Demi Moore and all of his children.
