The industry was shocked and saddened by the news that action icon Bruce Willis would be stepping away from the acting business after being diagnosed with aphasia, which led to an outpouring of support and thanks from his friends, family, colleagues, peers, contemporaries, and fans.
During the peak of his powers, Willis was indisputably one of the biggest box office draws and most popular stars on the planet, and few blockbusters showcased his gruff charisma and everyman appeal better than Michael Bay’s Armageddon. In fact, it remains the second highest-grossing film of his career 24 years after releasing in the summer of 1998, and it remains one of his most beloved.
Speaking to Jake’s Takes ahead of Ambulance speeding into theaters this coming Friday, Bay looked back on the time he spent with Willis shooting the apocalyptic adventure, before sharing his sadness at the unfortunate news.
“Bruce was a real star. A real movie star. He was a little combative in the beginning because he didn’t trust me. I’m still young. And Jerry Bruckheimer my producer said “Show him some footage.” I showed him some footage and…he loved it. And I loved working with him. He’s very funny. He’s great at improv and he really commands the screen. It’s just sad news and I heard it yesterday.”
Willis might be retiring from his onscreen duties, but the 67 year-old left behind an impressive legacy of critical and commercial smash hits, while his exhaustive stint showing up in a succession of VOD thrillers has now been painted in an entirely different light once it was made public that he’d been running out of time to do what he loved for a while.
Published: Apr 4, 2022 11:39 am