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Dementia sufferer Bruce Willis celebrates his 70th birthday

An action hero who has retired due to illness: Bruce Willis celebrates his 70th birthday on Wednesday.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Angela Weiss)

Bruce Willis has long been Hollywood's most sought-after action hero - from 'Die Hard' (1988) to 'Armageddon' (1998) and 'Death Wish' (2018). His appearances in cult classics such as "Pulp Fiction", "12 Monkeys", "The Fifth Element" and "The Sixth Sense" also earned the star fans worldwide. In the meantime, the star has largely retired due to illness. Willis celebrates his 70th birthday today, Wednesday. 

Bruce Willis rarely appears in public anymore. In mid-January, when the severe wildfires raged in the Los Angeles area, the former action star made an exception. Alongside his wife Emma Heming Willis (46), he thanked some police officers on the street for their efforts.

His wife posted short videos and a photo of the encounter on Instagram. Bruce would never miss the chance to show his gratitude to a first responder with a handshake and a "thank you for your service", she wrote.

It was not until 2022 that the news of Willis' retirement from the film business came as a shock. His family announced at the time that the star would be ending his acting career at the age of 67 due to illness. He suffers from aphasia, which impairs his cognitive abilities, it was initially reported.

Willis suffers from incurable disease
In February 2023, the more precise diagnosis was made - it is frontotemporal dementia, in which nerve cells in the frontal and temporal areas of the brain initially break down, a rare, rapidly progressing and incurable disease.

The family of the father of five continue to provide an insight into his life with photos and anecdotes on social media. Last December, for example, Emma Heming Willis posted a loving tribute in memory of the beginning of their relationship 17 years ago. She would shake off feelings of anger and sadness about the illness and instead feel "unconditional love".

"A true gentleman"
In March 2024 - her husband's 69th birthday - the British native wrote: "He is a true gentleman. With so much love to give and share. I get to see his real inner self. And let me tell you, it's so pure and good." She also posted a photo of Willis holding his grandchild Louetta, daughter Rumer Willis' first offspring.

The couple, who have two younger daughters, Mabel and Evelyn, married in 2009. His first marriage to actress Demi Moore (62) produced their adult daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. The two families are closely connected. They often post photos of celebrations and visits together.

Families announced the illness together
They also announced the star's illness together at the time. It is a "cruel" disease that many people are unaware of, but which can affect anyone. It is the most common form of dementia in people under the age of 60 and there is currently no treatment.

Bruce Willis is in his second marriage to Emma Heming. The star's diagnosis has brought the family even closer together.

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Theo Wargo)

"Bruce has always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and draw attention to important issues. He would do the same today if he could, the family is convinced. There needs to be more information about this disease and its consequences for those affected and their families.

Roots in Idar-Oberstein
In 1955, little Walter Bruce was born in Idar-Oberstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, the son of a US soldier and his German wife. The boy lived in Germany for two years before the family moved to America. He was shy as a child and stuttered, Willis later recounted in interviews.

Bruce Willis got his start in Hollywood in the 1980s with his role as a private detective in "The Model and the Sleuth".

(Bild: ©ABC / Everett Collection / picturedesk.com)

But from the 70s onwards, he appeared on stage and in front of the camera as an actor. At first, he mainly got roles in the theater and in TV series. As a private detective in the series "The Model and the Sleuth", together with Cybill Shepherd, he got his start in 1985. He won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role as David Addison.

Willis made film history as an action hero
Then came the contract for the action film "Die Hard" (1988). He played New York police officer John McClane in the "Die Hard" multi-part film.

Bruce Willis as Jon McClane in "Die Hard"

(Bild: Everett Collection / picturedesk.com)

Probably no one has shaped the image of the American action hero as much as Willis, when he put terrorists to flight with his German dubbing voice of "Tatort" actor Manfred Lehmann. His bloodstained undershirt is also a piece of cultural heritage in the USA and belongs to the Museum of American History.

Non-stop in front of the camera
In addition to action and science fiction films such as "Pulp Fiction", "12 Monkeys", "The Fifth Element" and "Armageddon", Willis has also appeared in dramas such as "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" and in comedies such as "Death Suits Her" and "R.E.D. - Older. Harder. Better" with.

Bruce Willis with Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense"

(Bild: Everett Collection / picturedesk.com)

The spy movie parody "R.E.D." (2010) was staged by German director Robert Schwentke. In it, Willis plays the lead role of an ageing CIA agent and takes a self-deprecating look at his image as a symbol of masculinity. Three years later, he also set the tone in the sequel "R.E.D. 2 - Noch Älter, Härter, Besser" (R.E.D. 2 - Even Older, Harder, Better) as the leader of the gang of gun-toting pensioners.

Until his departure from Hollywood in 2022, Willis worked non-stop in front of the camera, including in low-budget productions such as "Cosmic Sin", "American Siege", "Deadlock" and "Paradise City", which were panned by many critics. At this point, the disease was probably already making itself felt during filming. Frontotemporal dementia leads to changes in personality and impaired memory. Speech disorders are also common.

Fans show sympathy
Colleagues and fans expressed their sympathy in Instagram messages when the diagnosis was announced, including Melanie Griffith, Paris Hilton, Rita Wilson and Selma Blair, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. "Breaking Bad" actor Aaron Paul also expressed his sympathy. "Your father is such a fucking legend", he paid tribute to the action icon on Rumer Willis' Instagram account.