Friends star Matthew Perry expressed his condolences to co-star Bruce Willis' family when it was revealed that the actor is suffering from aphasia, which has impacted his cognitive abilities and forced him to retire from performing.
“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” Rumer Willis, the actor's daughter, said in an Instagram post that was also signed by her siblings, his wife, Emma, and his former wife, Demi Moore.
During his time in the industry, Bruce Willis made a reputation for himself as John McClane in Die Hard. Following that, the experienced actor appeared in a number of famous parts, including Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense.
He made a guest appearance on the renowned comedy Friends, which was largely recognized as the best guest performance in the show's history.
However, the incident that led to his appearance in the sitcom is quite surprising.
Dear Bruce Willis, I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through, but you're still the coolest man I've met in my entire life. You will remain in my prayers for a long long time. Maybe we should get together and watch the whole 10 yards and get a couple of hours of sleep. — matthew perry (@MatthewPerry) March 31, 2022
The Bet That led to Bruce Willis' Friends appearance
Willis played Paul Stevens, Elizabeth's father, in only three episodes of Friends. While Elizabeth was dating Ross, Paul Stevens tortured the paleontologist to a great extent for dating his young daughter.
In 2000, Willis was nominated for an Emmy for 'Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.' He apparently gave away all of his earnings from the TV show to charity.
Bruce Willis joined the show as a guest due to a bet he lost to Matthew Perry, who was also his co-star in The Whole Nine Yards. During the film's production, Perry wagered Willis that the picture would be a box office hit when it was released, while Bruce bet that it wouldn't. Following this, he stated that if he lost, he would appear on Friends.
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Bruce eventually lost the bet and ended up on the show. Following their time together, Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis have kept in contact. In a recent tweet, the former characterized Willis as the coolest man he had ever met.
Bruce Willis’ Health Decline
Those who have worked with Bruce Willis on his latest films say he has been showing indications of decline in recent years. Nearly two dozen people on set with Willis voiced concern about his well-being in interviews with The New York Times earlier this month.
Filmmakers revealed heartbreaking situations in which the beloved Pulp Fiction star struggled with mental acuity loss and an inability to remember his lines.
According to multiple sources, an actor who went with Willis would pass the star his lines using an earpiece known in the industry as an "earwig." The majority of the action scenes, especially those involving choreographed gunshots, were recorded with a body double in place of Willis.
Two years ago, Willis accidentally shot a gun loaded with a blank on the wrong cue on a Cincinnati set of the movie Hard Kill, according to two people acquainted with the event who were not authorized to talk.
There were no injuries. The occurrence was denied by the film's producer, but the reported discharge left performers and staff members terrified.
Willis' portrayals remained in high demand, even as his health deteriorated.
Even if it was only for a few minutes, his presence in films aided low-budget independent filmmakers in selling their pictures overseas. The presence of Willis' face on a movie poster or a list of streaming service thumbnails aided in attracting attention to his films.
Willis is most known for playing detective John McClane in the Die Hard trilogy, despite having acted in over 70 films since his acting career began in the 1970s.
The character, which he performed in five films, cemented his reputation as one of Hollywood's top action stars, garnering his roles in films like Pulp Fiction and The Fifth Element.
