The film industry as a whole reacted with shock and sadness when legendary actor Bruce Willis announced his retirement from acting come back in March. There was some confusion about the motivation, until it was revealed Willis was suffering from aphasia , which affects the individual’s ability to communicate. Fans and co-stars like John Travolta and Sylvester Stallone started doing it share messages of encouragement and faith , and those accolades are sure to keep coming as more news about Willis’ condition comes out. Especially from directors lucky enough to have worked with Willis over the years, including crochet director Rian Johnson.
Rian Johnson became known for his work on both Star Wars sagas: he created the division Star Wars: The Last Jedi – and his original series Knives Out. The following, glass onionis currently available to anyone who has Netflix subscription . And while he was doing press on behalf of the film, Johnson returned to Gossipify ReelBlend podcast which we talk about glass onion, breaking Badand, of course, Johnson’s time on set with Bruce. The director spoke about their working relationship, as well as his take on the actor’s legacy, when he told ReelBlend:
It was incredibly sad to hear the news. Bruce is obviously one of the biggest movie stars of our generation. He’s a fantastic actor who has delivered incredible performances that I think will only grow in esteem for years to come. Just for me personally, you know, it was so wonderful and charming and giving to work with him on Looper. He showed up and worked so hard on the role. And it was beautiful for me too. It was a few movies ago. He was still quite young. I had just done some films. In many ways I was quite green and he couldn’t have been more respectful and charming. … When Bruce was on set, everything fell into place and we went fast. He wouldn’t go back to his trailer between setups. He just stood there on set and walked out with the crew and waited. And so we moved really fast when he was there. And he cared, man. He cared so much. He really got into it. But most of all, he was just a lovely, wonderful human being to work with. So I have so much respect and love for this guy.
It’s a refrain we often hear when actors and directors talk about the Bruce Willis effect. Offscreen, Willis championed young filmmakers with compelling stories and strong voices who needed the help that came from their celebrity. Johnson joins a significant group of filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino (pulp Fiction) and M. Night Shyamalan (The sixth sense) who were able to create their masterpieces thanks to Willis who agreed to participate.
Rian Johnson pointed out this influence and went on to say:
His legacy, I have a feeling, will grow in esteem over the years. I feel that throughout his career, occasionally, he would throw props after an up-and-coming director that he believed in. Whether it was Quentin at the time (who) was from Reservoir Dogs and… Mr. Noche. You look at those performances, or you look at him in 12 Monkeys, it’s… when he committed to a role and threw himself in, there was nobody better.
The feeling was covered by Quentin Tarantino solidified by live free or die hard co-star Justin Long and that will likely continue to grow as more people appreciate Bruce Willis for the force he was and always will be in Hollywood.
Source: Cinemablend
