Walter Bruce Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, on March 19, 1955. His mother, Marlene, was German, from Kassel. His father, David Willis, was an American soldier.
Willis has a younger sister, Florence, and two younger brothers, Robert (deceased) and David. After being discharged from the military in 1957, his father relocated the family to his hometown of Carneys Point, New Jersey.
Willis has described his background as a âlong line of blue-collar peopleâ. His mother worked in a bank and his father was a welder, master mechanic, and factory worker.
Willis, who spoke with a stutter, attended Penns Grove High School, where his schoolmates nicknamed him âBuck-Buckâ. He joined the drama club, found that acting on stage reduced his stutter, and was eventually elected student council president.
Glenn Gordon Caron, a close friend of Bruce Willis and the creator of the 80s TV show âMoonlightingâ in which Willis starred alongside Cybill Shepherd, has revealed that Willisâs health is deteriorating rapidly.
The resurgence of the show âMoonlighting,â also known as âMaddie & David,â on a streaming platform has sparked renewed interest among fans.
The series creator shared that he had spoken with Bruce Willis some time ago about this comeback, and Willis, who is now 68 years old, was ecstatic about it.
However, Glenn disclosed that he tries to see his good friend on a monthly basis and that his condition has significantly worsened.
âThe process of bringing âMoonlightingâ to the streaming platform took quite a while, and Bruceâs illness is progressive. I was able to talk to him before the disease rendered him as incommunicative as he is now. I try to speak with him and his wife, Emma, and I have a great relationship with his three older children.
Iâve tried my best to stay in his life. He is an extraordinary person. The cruel thing about his illness is that if youâve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, no one had more joy for life than him. He loved living and waking up every morning, ready to live life to the fullest.
Heâs truly remarkable. I think in the first three minutes when he sees me, he recognizes me. Heâs not completely verbal anymore; he used to be an avid reader and now he no longer reads.
All of these linguistic abilities have vanished for him, yet heâs still Bruce,â Glenn Gordon Caron explained to the New York Post.
Bruce Willisâs Wife Says She Canât Be Certain if He is Aware of His Illness
Emma Heming Willis, Bruceâs wife, recently shared that she canât definitively say if he is aware of his illness. The woman, who has two daughters with Willis, appeared on the Today show and discussed what it means to receive a dementia diagnosis, both for the patient and for their loved ones. She is the one who takes care of Bruce the most.
âWhat Iâve learned is that dementia is tough. Itâs tough on the person being diagnosed, and itâs tough on the family. And this is no different for Bruce, for me, or for our girls. And when I say itâs a family disease, it really is. I think itâs been a blessing and a curse. The fact that I know whatâs going on with Bruce makes everything a little bit easier,â Bruceâs wife said, explaining that itâs good to have a comprehensive understanding of the disease, even though itâs painful.