Editing Bruce Willis (section)

=== 2020s: Critical decline, health problems and retirement ===

In the final years of his career, Willis starred in many low-budget [[Independent film|independent]] thrillers and science fiction films.<ref name=":2" /> He worked primarily with the production companies [[Emmett/Furla Oasis]] (which produced 20 films starring Willis) and 308 Entertainment Inc.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=James |first=Meg |last2=Kaufman |first2=Amy |date=2022-03-31 |title=Concerns about Bruce Willis's declining cognitive state swirled around sets in recent years |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-30/bruce-willis-aphasia-memory-loss-cognitive-disorder |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331040738/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-30/bruce-willis-aphasia-memory-loss-cognitive-disorder |archive-date=2022-03-31 |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Most of the films were released [[direct-to-video]] and were widely panned.<ref name=":2" /> The [[Golden Raspberry Awards]], an annual award for the year's worst films and performances, created a dedicated category, the [[42nd Golden Raspberry Awards|Worst Bruce Willis Performance in a 2021 Movie]], for Willis's roles in eight films released that year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fuster |first1=Jeremy |last2=Rossi |first2=Rosemary |date=February 7, 2022 |title=Razzie Awards: Bruce Willis Bags His Own Category for 8 Bad Performances in One Year |url=https://www.thewrap.com/razzie-nominations-diana-the-musical/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207055330/https://www.thewrap.com/razzie-nominations-diana-the-musical/ |archive-date=February 7, 2022 |access-date=February 7, 2022 |website=[[The Wrap]]}}</ref> [[Chris Nashawaty]] of ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' described the direct-to-video films as "a profitable safe harbor" for older actors, similar to ''[[The Expendables (franchise)|The Expendables]]''.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a33660149/bruce-willis-movies-career-hard-kill-analysis-review/|title=Why Does Bruce Willis Keep Making Films He Clearly Hates?|last=Nashawaty|first=Nashawaty|work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|date=August 21, 2020|accessdate=July 24, 2021|archive-date=August 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821152418/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a33660149/bruce-willis-movies-career-hard-kill-analysis-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> Willis would often earn US$2 million for two days' work, with an average of 15 minutes' screentime per film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/movies/bruce-willis-movies-on-demand.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230153152/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/movies/bruce-willis-movies-on-demand.html |archive-date=December 30, 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The Bruce Willis Journey From In Demand to On Demand|last=Vincentelli|first=Elisabeth|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 30, 2020|accessdate=July 24, 2021}}</ref> He nonetheless featured heavily in the films' promotional materials, earning them the derogatory nickname "[[geezer teaser]]s".<ref name="coll">{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2021 |title=What Happened to Bruce Willis? |url=https://collider.com/what-happened-to-bruce-willis-career-bad-movies/ |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |archive-date=July 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729145157/https://collider.com/what-happened-to-bruce-willis-career-bad-movies/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cbr-willis">{{cite web |last=Donohoo |first=Timothy |date=May 5, 2022 |title=What Are 'Geezer Teasers' - and Why Does Bruce Willis Have So Many? |url=https://www.cbr.com/bruce-willis-geezer-teasers-explained/ |access-date=October 19, 2022 |work=[[CBR.com]] |archive-date=May 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505205711/https://www.cbr.com/bruce-willis-geezer-teasers-explained/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

Those working on the films later said Willis appeared confused, did not understand why he was there and had to be fed lines through an [[In-ear monitor|earpiece]].<ref name=":1" /> Days before Willis was scheduled to arrive on set for ''[[Out of Death]]'' (2021), the screenwriter, Bill Lawrence, was instructed to reduce his role and abbreviate his dialogue. The director, [[Mike Burns (producer)|Mike Burns]], was told to complete all of Willis's scenes in a single day of filming.<ref name=":1" /> 

On March 30, 2022, Willis's family announced that he was retiring because he had been diagnosed with [[aphasia]], a disorder typically caused by damage to the area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2022-03-30 |title=Bruce Willis Stepping Away From Acting Following Aphasia Diagnosis |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/bruce-willis-retiring-acting-apashia-1235219017/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=March 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330204704/https://variety.com/2022/film/news/bruce-willis-retiring-acting-apashia-1235219017/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Golden Raspberry Awards retracted its Willis category, deeming it inappropriate to give a Razzie to someone whose performance was affected by a medical condition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haring |first=Bruce |date=March 31, 2022 |title=Razzie Awards Retract Bruce Willis Worst Performance Category After His Aphasia Reveal |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/razzie-awards-bruce-willis-category-retracted-after-aphasia-reveal-1234992109/ |access-date=April 1, 2022 |website=Deadline |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331224617/https://deadline.com/2022/03/razzie-awards-bruce-willis-category-retracted-after-aphasia-reveal-1234992109/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At the time of his retirement, Willis had completed 11 films awaiting release.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Shoard |first=Catherine |date=March 30, 2022 |title=Bruce Willis to retire from acting due to aphasia diagnosis |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/30/bruce-willis-to-retire-from-acting-following-aphasia-diagnosis |access-date=March 30, 2022 |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401100841/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/30/bruce-willis-to-retire-from-acting-following-aphasia-diagnosis |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kusiak |first1=Lindsay |title=YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan |url=https://screenrant.com/bruce-willis-paradise-city-last-movie-john-travolta-perfect/ |access-date=September 14, 2022 |publisher=ScreenRant |date=May 22, 2022 |archive-date=September 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914210056/https://screenrant.com/bruce-willis-paradise-city-last-movie-john-travolta-perfect/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kois |first1=Dan |title=How We Should Remember Bruce Willis |url=https://slate.com/culture/2022/09/bruce-willis-wire-room-aphasia-final-movie-remembered.html |access-date=September 14, 2022 |work=[[Slate.com|Slate]] |date=September 7, 2022 |archive-date=September 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913183903/https://slate.com/culture/2022/09/bruce-willis-wire-room-aphasia-final-movie-remembered.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 16, 2023, Willis's family announced that he had been diagnosed with [[frontotemporal dementia]].<ref name="CNN">{{Cite web |last=Rosenbloom |first=Alli |date=February 16, 2023 |title=Bruce Willis' family shares an update on his health and new diagnosis |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/entertainment/bruce-willis-dementia/index.html |access-date=February 16, 2023 |website=[[CNN]] |archive-date=February 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216195757/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/entertainment/bruce-willis-dementia/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Gregg Day, a neurologist at the [[Mayo Clinic]]'s [[Mayo Clinic Florida|Florida campus]], the symptoms include difficulties with language and comprehension, and misinterpretation of instructions.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2023-02-18 |title=Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia. These are the disease's symptoms. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bruce-willis-frontotemporal-dementia-symptoms-rcna71243 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=NBC News|first=Mirna|last=Alsharif|archive-date=June 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613005800/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bruce-willis-frontotemporal-dementia-symptoms-rcna71243 |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement, the family said that Willis's condition had progressed and that "challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Sandee |last2=LaMotte |first2=Kristen |date=February 17, 2023 |title=Bruce Willis has a progressive brain condition you may not have heard of |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/health/frontotemporal-dementia-definition-symptoms-wellness/index.html |access-date=February 17, 2023 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217030103/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/health/frontotemporal-dementia-definition-symptoms-wellness/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They expressed hope that media attention on Willis would raise awareness about the disease.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 20, 2023 |title=Bruce Willis's wife Emma shares tearful message to fans on actor's birthday |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bruce-willis-birthday-wife-emma-message-b2304115.html |access-date=March 22, 2023 |newspaper=The Independent|first=Peony|last=Hirwani|archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321224838/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bruce-willis-birthday-wife-emma-message-b2304115.html |url-status=live }}</ref>