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Since a dementia diagnosis brought an end to his decorated career as an actor, Bruce Willis has kept a low profile and has been seen only sparingly in public. But recent events in Los Angeles have convinced the "Die Hard" star to do something unexpected amid devastating wildfires that have torched the land all around one of the largest cities in the United States.
Willis has hardly been seen in a public setting since his shocking retirement from acting in 2022. The retirement came amidst Willis' escalating battle with frontotemporal dementia, as well as the language disorder aphasia. But as the fires continue to elude total containment, the 69-year-old icon of the screen felt a tug toward the spotlight again.
Willis greets LA first responders in moving video
An Instagram reel published Thursday by Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis shows Bruce shaking hands with a Los Angeles police officer and posing for a photograph in an emotional moment that proves the wildfires will not break the human spirit.
"Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed a chance to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a 'thank you for your service.' Yesterday was no different," Heming Willis wrote as the video's caption.
The video makes clear Willis' committment to service in spite of illness and time away from the screen. Willis thrilled audiences for decades while portraying NYPD officer John McClane in the "Die Hard" films, and he worked with directors as varied as M. Night Shyamalan, Quentin Tarantino, and Wes Anderson in a lengthy career that saw him accrue in excess of 160 film credits.