An Australian director and screenwriter is calling for Bruce Willis to receive an honorary Academy Award following his dementia diagnosis.
Willis’ family released a statement recently confirming that the star of Die Hard and Sin City had been diagnosed with dementia, forcing him to end his acting career.
Before that, he had already been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that can affect the ability to understand speech and speak.
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After that diagnosis, he has now been forced to retire, but he had continued to work with the condition until the announcement came.
According to Edward Drake, the 67-year-old should be given an honorary Oscar because he’s never been awarded one before, but also for his extraordinary contribution to cinema over his career.
Drake has seen that contribution first-hand, too.
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He worked with Willis on nine films, and believes that a nod from the Academy would be ‘the least we can do’.
“We have so many great memories about his movies and I really believe that should be honoured,” he said.
Speaking with the Herald Sun, Drake explained how he was aware of Willis’ condition getting worse while he was filming.
“Everyone was definitely aware of what was going on, and we wanted to honour the man and his wishes and create this incredibly safe and supportive environment along with his team,” he continued.
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“That meant adjusting some of the roles that he played.”
Still, he said that Willis was great to work with and be around, saying that he lives by the motto ‘live it up’.
The pair last worked together on Detective Knight: Independence which came out this January, before Willis’ diagnosis was announced.
His family are now trying to do ‘something good’ by raising awareness of frontotemporal dementia.
Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis said she wants to use what platform she has to try to raise awareness.
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She said: “I just saw something about me getting my five minutes, which is great.
“Which means that you're listening.
“So, I'm going to take my five minutes and I'm going to turn it into 10 because I'm always going to advocate for my husband,
“And, while I'm at it, I'm going to raise awareness around FTD and for caregivers, who are unsung heroes out there.
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“And then, I am going to turn my grief and my anger and my sadness and do something good around something that feels less than.
“So, watch this space, because I didn't come to play."
Featured Image Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock/20th Century StudiosTopics: Bruce Willis, Celebrity, TV and Film, Health, Oscars, Academy Awards