Bruce Willis’ stunt double noticed ‘changes’ in the actor before his aphasia diagnosis and recalled him often going for medical tests.
Stuntman Stuart F Wilson, who has worked with Bruce for 17 years, opened up on his relationship with the renowned actor and how he initially didn’t realise there was something seriously wrong.
His interview comes as Bruce’s family announced the devastating news that he has been diagnosed with aphasia, a degenerative brain disorder that affects communication.
Speaking to The Sun, Stuart admitted he and the wider film crew had ‘seen some changes’ but initially assumed it was because Bruce, as a hugely popular actor, had ‘a million different things going on.’
He explained that Bruce, 67, seemed ‘sidetracked’, and eventually Stuart and others began to ‘wonder if there are other things going on.’
‘Being with somebody that much yeah, you see the changes,’ he said.
Filmmakers and other colleagues have also recalled how Bruce would be fed his lines with an earpiece, and at times would become confused about why he was on set.
‘Obviously we knew there was other stuff going on at a certain point in time,’ Stuart said.
‘We realised because he’s getting tested for different things, but at the time we didn’t know exactly what it was.’
By the end, Stuart says he knew an announcement about Bruce’s career would be coming, but he didn’t know when, nor did he know the devastating disease his colleague had been diagnosed with.
The pair last worked together in December, and Stuart admitted that after that project, a lot of people on the team assumed Bruce would take a break, partly due to the medical testing he was undergoing.
Bruce had also begun losing some weight, Stuart said, but insisted he ‘never was a big eater anyway’ and while he’s ‘a little leaner than normal’ he isn’t ’emaciated’.
With Bruce now retired from acting following his aphasia diagnosis, Stuart is falling back on his work in his production company, though is seeking to return to stunt acting in the future.
What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a condition that impacts a person’s language skills.
This means it can cause trouble with:
- reading
- writing
- listening
- speaking
According to the NHS, it usually starts due to damage to the left side of the brain after something like, for example, a serious head injury or a stroke.
Perhaps most noticeably, people who have aphasia might have problems speaking, such as by possibly mistakenly using certain words, using the wrong sounds, or using words in the wrong order.
It does not impact a person’s intelligence, but it can emerge both by itself or alongside other health issues like mobility problems and issues with memory.
The Sixth Sense star’s glittering career came to an end on Wednesday as his daughter, Rumer Willis, announced via a statement on social media that her father was ill.
She wrote: ‘To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.’
‘As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.’
She added that it had been ‘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, the 33-year-old continued.
‘As Bruce always says, “Live it up” and together we plan to do just that.’
The post was signed ‘Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn’, referencing his wife, model Emma Heming; ex-wife Demi Moore; children with Demi, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah; and his daughters Mabel, nine, and seven-year-old Evelyn with Emma.
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