Bruce Willis showed signs of aphasia on set, directors say

Bruce Willis' struggle with aphasia was apparent when he was shooting some of his more recent films, say directors who worked with him and who have now discussed his condition after Willis' family made his diagnosis public this week.

Willis' family released a statement Wednesday announcing that the Sixth Sense and Die Hard star would be "stepping away" from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, "which is impacting his cognitive abilities."

Aphasia is a condition caused by damage in a specific part of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. It often leaves individuals with the inability to communicate effectively with others.

Director Mike Burns, who worked with Willis on the 2021 film Out of Death, told the Los Angeles Times that he had to condense all of the actor's material down to one day of filming.

"After the first day of working with Bruce, I could see it firsthand and I realized that there was a bigger issue at stake here and why I had been asked to shorten his lines," Burns said.

Burns collaborated with Willis again on the film The Wrong Place, which is scheduled for release this year, but he had concerns about his mental faculties. When filming began, Burns thought Willis' condition "was worse" and decided not to work with him again. "I am relieved that he is taking time off," he said.

Jesse V. Johnson, who more recently directed Willis on White Elephant (which does not yet have a release date), said "it was clear that he was not the Bruce I remembered," having worked with Willis decades before as a stuntman. Johnson, too, decided not to make another movie with Willis after that experience.

"We are all Bruce Willis fans, and the arrangement felt wrong and ultimately a rather sad end to an incredible career, one that none of us felt comfortable with," Johnson said.

Reality star Lala Kent of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules also shared an incident with the Times, discussing the period during which she worked with Willis on the 2020 film Hard Kill. Kent alleges Willis repeatedly fired a prop gun prematurely on the wrong cue. "Because my back was to him, I wasn't aware of what was happening behind me. But the first time, it was like, 'No big deal, let's reset,'" she said.

However, there are dueling accounts of this incident. Randall Emmett, Kent's ex and a producer on the film, denied it happened, as did the film's armorer.

"Bruce and I have worked on over 20 films together," Emmett wrote in a statement he shared on Instagram. "He is a terrific actor and legendary action star, an incredible father, and a close friend. I fully support Bruce and his family during this challenging time and admire him for his courage in battling this incredibly difficult medical condition. Bruce will always be a part of my family."

Read the Los Angeles Times' full report here.

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