Helen Mirren reveals she “will always be grateful” having worked alongside Bruce Willis

Following the heartbreaking announcement of Bruce Willis’ retirement from acting due to health concerns, stars from across the entertainment industry have voiced their love for the actor.

One such star is Oscar award-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren, who starred alongside him on the big screen in Red and its sequel, Red 2. Upon hearing her former co-star’s health update, Mirren had nothing but kind words to say about Willis.

In her interview with the Daily News, the 76-year-old actress admitted she “absolutely loved” working with Willis back in 2010 for their action-comedy Red, claiming that he had taught her “a lot about acting.”

“When I came into Red, I’d never really done that kind of movie before, and I was quite nervous. Bruce was incredibly welcoming and he immediately made me feel comfortable, and I will always be grateful to him for that. And then I would watch him, and Bruce was a brilliant actor. Brilliant,” she said.

Mirren went on to praise the 67-year-old Die Hard icon for his “sense of timing” as a performer.

When asked about her thoughts on Willis’ bombshell retirement announcement from acting, Mirren says: “I can understand, we don’t want Bruce to leave our screens because he’s such a wonderful presence on screen, but also he’s given us an absolute, enormous, lifetime of work, and we should be grateful for that.”

News of Willis’ shock retirement was announced on Wednesday, March 30, when the actor’s family took to social media to post a joint statement announcing the actor would be “stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him” after being diagnosed with aphasia.

 

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The support for the Hollywood legend over the last week has been nothing short of heartwarming.

Tributes have come from his ex-wife, Demi Moore, and Unbreakable director M. Night Shyamalan, who have highlighted not only the Armageddon star’s acting abilities but his character as well.

As the Willis family “move through this” during a time in their lives that they have described as “challenging”, it’s likely the actor will continue to receive love from fans and stars alike.