LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis are two of the most iconic action stars of Hollywood, who have each delivered a string of superhit films. Not just that, the duo also worked together in ‘The Expendables’ movie series, which saw Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren giving their best.
Willis was seen as CIA Operative, Mr. Church, in the first two parts of the film series. However, he did not return for its third installment. As per reports, ‘The Sixth Sense’ star was presented with $3 million for four days of shooting but he wanted $4 million instead. The money clash was ultimately not resolved and Willis declined to work in ‘The Expendables 3’.
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‘A sure formula for career failure'
After the 68-year-old Willis' rejection, Harrison Ford was soon roped in for the movie. However, the ‘Creed’ actor did not miss calling out Willis at the time as he tweeted, “WILLIS OUT... HARRISON FORD IN !!!! GREAT NEWS !!!!! Been waiting years for this!!!!” In another tweet, the 76-year-old added, “GREEDY AND LAZY ...... A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE.”
Though Willis did not directly hit back at Stallone at the time, he seemingly dissed action movies that relied too much on explosions and visual effects and reportedly said, “Explosions are one of the most boring parts of my job. When you have seen a few fireballs, it's not exciting anymore. I know part of my audience enjoys the explosions, but to be honest, I'm a bit bored of it now.”
He also added, “I’ve worked in all sorts of films, but the action movies are the ones that generate the most revenue. I like to earn lots of money but I do all types: small productions, mega-projects, medium-sized, even science fiction.” But according to reports, the two actors eventually did patch up.
‘He’s been sort of incommunicado’
Willis’ aphasia diagnosis, however, has apparently brought a new distance in their friendship again. He told The Hollywood Reporter in November last year, “Bruce is going through some really, really difficult times. So he’s been sort of incommunicado. That kills me. It’s so sad.”
Also, in March 2022, Stallone showed his support for the ‘Die Hard’ actor as he posted on Instagram, “We go back a long way, praying for the best for you and your wonderful family …” sharing a throwback pictures of him with Willis when they were both younger and at the height of their respective careers.
‘This is a really challenging time for our family’
Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis had announced last year, “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. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
She continued, “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support. 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,” before adding, “As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn.”
