Bruce Willis wasn’t gloating about his remarkable acting career before he developed dementia, according to his wife Emma Heming Willis.
"I don't know that he ever has [reflected on his legacy]," Emma, 49, told People.
"I don't think that he's ever harped or thought long and hard about who he is, what he's done," the author continued. "I think he's just always enjoyed being an actor, entertaining people."
"He really loved it. It was a passion of his," she said of his career. "That's why I love him. He's just always so humble. You would never know."
Bruce’s celebrated career began with his lead role in the television series Moonlighting. The role won him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
He went on to star in celebrated films such as Armageddon, Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense and the Die Hard movies.
The beloved star retired in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia. He was later diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which manifests as aphasia and other symptoms.
After his diagnosis, Emma became his caregiver and later wrote the book The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path to help other caregivers navigate similar situations.
"Life goes on. It just goes on," she said of her approach. "Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it. I think it's important that we don't paint such a negative picture around dementia. We are still laughing. There is still joy. It just looks different."
Bruce Willis married Emma Heming in 2009, and the two welcomed daughters Mabel Ray, born in 2012, and Evelyn Penn, born in 2014.