The Los Angeles Times reports that actor Bruce Wills showed signs of decline on movie sets before his family announced his retirement due to aphasia.
According to the newspaper, the actor forgot his dialogue where he needed a feed through an earpiece, had a body double for gun scenes, and seemed unaware of his surroundings.
imdb.com
During the filming of “White Elephant,” two crew members recalled Willis saying: “I know why you’re here, and I know why you’re here, but why am I here?”
Bruce Wills made his name on TV’s “Moonlighting” and then through films such as “Pulp Fiction” and “The Sixth Sense,” appearing in dozens of films in the last few years.
Will’s family stated the actor’s status but did not reveal how aphasia might have occurred resulting from a stroke or head injury,
In an Instagram post, “Bruce’s family wishes to share that he has been experiencing health issues and aphasia, negatively affecting his cognitive abilities. As a result, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
closerweekly.com
Mike Burns, who directed Willis in “Out of Death” (2021), had no idea the severity of Willis’ impairment when he was asked to compress the star’s dialogue drastically.
Burns said, “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.”