The news of Bruce Willis’s retirement from acting has left many in the industry feeling like there has been a significant loss in Hollywood. Following the announcement that Willis would be stepping back from his movie roles due to being diagnosed with aphasia, his family shared various posts on social media. Now Haley Joel Osment, who starred with Willis in The Sixth Sense, M Night Shyamalan, who directed the movie, and other stars, including Kevin Smith and Sylvester Stallone, have all paid their tributes to the actor.
Osment starred in The Sixth Sense as a child who claimed to be able to see dead people, while Willis, in a break from his action roles, played a psychologist attempting to help the youngster make sense of what he was seeing. The film not only made a star of Osment but proved again how good an actor Willis was and how diverse he could be when given a chance. While it has been over two decades since the movie was released, it still stands as one of Willis’s standout performances.
In a post on Instagram, Osment tried to convey how the number of Willis’s forced retirement has made him feel. Shared alongside a picture of a younger Willis, the actor wrote:
“It’s been difficult to find the right words for someone I’ve always looked up to—first on the big screen, and then by some wild stroke of luck, in person. He’s a true legend who has enriched all of our lives with a singular career that spans nearly half a century. I am so grateful for what I got to witness firsthand, and for the enormous body of work he built for us to enjoy for years and years to come. I just wanted to express the respect and deep admiration I have for Bruce and his family as they move forward with the courage and high spirits that have always defined them.”
The News of Bruce Willis’s Retirement Has Brought Reactions From Many Stars
It did not take long for many celebrities to share their own thoughts on Willis’s retirement on social media. Whether it was those who have worked with the actor or have simply grown up with his movies, there has been a huge outpouring of love for the star, who still manages to be the source of the annual debate of, is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
The Sixth Sense director M Night Shyamalan wrote, “All my love and respect to my big brother Bruce Willis. I know his wonderful family is surrounding him with support and strength. He will always be that hero on that poster on my wall as kid.”
Friends star Matthew Perry, who appeared with Willis in The Whole 10 Yards suggested that they should get together and watch the movie. He wrote, “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.
Kevin Smith, who once complained about Willis for ten years after the movie Cop Out, apologized for his “petty” issues in a post that read, “Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan – so this is really heartbreaking to read. He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an asshole for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family.”
Sylvester Stallone also offered a short message on his Instagram account, along with a set of images showing the two of them together throughout the years. He commented, “We go back a long way , praying for the best for you and your wonderful family …”
In all, the retirement of Bruce Willis was not something anyone expected to be announced this week, and although there are still a number of direct-to-video movies by the star to be released, it is clear that he is going to be a big miss to the industry. With messages like these and more continuing to be shared, at least he will know just how much he is admired and looked up to by those he has worked with over the years.
