person s ability to speak, write, and understand language. language. what can cause aphasia? it could be a stroke. it could be a virus. it could be a tumor. there are many causes to affect that part brain. i ve seen patients who are literally trapped in their own brain and can t communicate outwards. ask me about plan b. reporter: willis first gained national attention playing a wise-cracky detective on the 1980s series moonlighting. he moved to the big screen headlining action-adventure blockbusters. but he also demonstrated his acting depth in iconic films like pulp fiction and the sixth sense. dead people in graves and coffins. reporter: earlier this month, ex-wife demi moore helped celebrate his birthday. media critic eric deggans: he also developed this image as a witty guy, a smart guy, someone who could be funny and cheeky and sly. he s made a career out of surprising us. maybe he ll find a way to do
Bruce Willis has done movies in all sorts of genres and his mere presence in a scene gave the mood a lift that was unparalleled. In two movies particularly, The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, we see him as a vulnerable man, an image in total contrast with his brawny cop in Die Hard films.
There is hardly a role Bruce Willis hasn't taken in his career. Now the Hollywood star is stepping away from acting after developing a cognitive illness called aphasia.