As Liam Neeson told it, Bruce Willis has been on his mind. On April 29th, the actor will be seen in his newest action picture, “Memory,” which is due to release. He’s also in the upcoming film where he portrays a deadly assassin dealing with Alzheimer’s.
“As an actor, I can’t help but think about Willis,” said the 69-year-old, who has aphasia. He refers to his friend and former co-star Steve Carell, who revealed in 2014 that he had acquired aphasia.
“My heart goes out to him,” Neeson said on Monday. “I think of him every day. Isn’t it particularly sad? I wish him the best of luck.”
On March 30, it was revealed that Willis was retiring from acting due to aphasia, an illness that renders people unable to comprehend or express language.
The family of actor Willis, who has dementia, announced that his cognitive skills have been affected in a statement published on his Instagram account.
Bruce Willis has decided to retire from acting after a career that has meant so much to him as a result of this and with considerable thought. Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn all signed the statement.
“We are a strong family unit, and we wanted to bring his supporters into the fold because we understand how much he means to you, as you do him,” they added. “As Bruce frequently points out, ‘Live it up,’ and we intend to do just that.”
Upcoming film, “Memory” is the remake of the 2003 Belgian thriller “The Memory of a Killer,” Neeson’s character must confront his toughest adversary, a harsh truth that many people face as they grow older.
The action hero revealed that he has a phobia of Alzheimer’s, a progressive illness characterized by memory loss and other critical mental abilities.
“It has occurred to me a few times, particularly when I can’t recall the name of a star I worked with two or three years ago,” Neeson said. “That irritates me. But maybe we’re all plagued by it.”
“I watched some really terrible documentaries on the disease of Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as read a few books about it,” he revealed.
“And I have a good friend in Ireland who’s older than me, [who] has early stages of dementia, which is quite disturbing… It’s an awful disease. Seriously, it is.”
“I’m quite sure that there are several actors in London… who have lost the capacity to learn lines,” Neeson said. “They just can’t memorize the material. These are performers who have given outstanding performances on stage and on film and television, yet they can’t learn lines.”
Liam Neeson has experienced his own personal tragedy. His wife, Natasha Richardson, died in 2009 due to a brain injury incurred during a skiing accident when she was 45 years old. The widower said he does not see himself getting remarried.
The diagnosis of Willis’ condition has prompted discussions about aphasia, which has several potential causes.
It can be caused by a stroke or other trauma to the head, or it might develop slowly as a result of a slow-growing brain tumor or any sort of degenerative brain damage, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
It is mostly treated through speech therapy and the learning of non-verbal sign language.
The exact cause of his aphasia remains unknown, according to reports. The actor’s family and representatives did not respond to requests for comment.