Arnold Schwarzenegger shared some heartfelt words about his longtime friend Bruce Willis following the actor’s recent retirement from acting.
The 68-year-old “Die Hard” and “The Sixth Sense” star’s family last year said he was “stepping away” from his decades-long moviemaking career after being diagnosed with aphasia.
Aphasia is a condition that can affect a person’s ability to speak, write and understand language, with treatment including speech and language therapies, according to Mayo Clinic.
His family announced in February 2023 that his condition had worsened, and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Speaking to CinemaBlend about his new Netflix series “FUBAR,” Schwarzenegger called Willis a “kind man.”
“I think that he’s fantastic,” the 75-year-old told the outlet. “He was, always for years and years, is a huge, huge star. And I think that he will always be remembered as a great, great star.”
“And a kind man. I understand that under his circumstances, health-wise, that he had to retire. But in general, you know, we never really retire. Action heroes, they reload,” the “Terminator” star added.
The two silver screen legends met years ago and became involved in Planet Hollywood in 1991.
In 2010, the pair starred alongside each other in the hit film “The Expendables.”
Willis’ family penned a touching note to fans in Feb. 2022, announcing that the actor’s condition had “impacted his cognitive abilities” — forcing him to quit acting.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” his family wrote.
“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” said the statement signed by his wife, Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore and his other four children.
“We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”