What Now for Bruce Willis after Actor’s Recent Dementia Diagnosis?

Bruce Willis in a light blue shirt and navy jacketagainst a white background — Bruce Willis’ family has announced the Die Hard actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. At the moment, there’s no cure, but BU neurologist Andrew Budson says medication and speech therapy can help some patients early on. Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File

Less than a year after Bruce Willis’ family shared that the famed actor had the neurological disorder aphasia, they’ve announced that his condition has progressed and that he has a new diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia. A group of disorders characterized by a progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the frontal lobe or the brain regions underneath the ears, frontotemporal dementia (FTD)—previously known as Pick’s disease—is currently incurable.

In a statement shared by the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Willis’ family called FTD a “cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone.” After his aphasia diagnosis, some had wondered if the star of Die Hard, Sixth Sense, and Armageddon would ever grace the silver screen again; this latest update almost certainly means the forthcoming action flick, Assassin—filmed in 2021—will be his last. But, in their statement, his family said they hope Willis’ star power can continue to make a difference in people’s lives, helping shine attention on the disorder he’s now facing.

“Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,” they wrote. “We know in our hearts that—if he could today—he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”

Andrew Budson, a BU professor of neurology, says much of his work on frontotemporal dementia is focused on helping families adjust to their loved ones’ condition. Photo by Cydney Scott

Disease Research Center, cognitive and behavioral neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist Andrew Budson studies dementia, including FTD, exploring the causes and looking to improve diagnosis, as well as to lay the foundation for possible treatments. An expert on memory in people with Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders, his recent clinical and research work has focused on helping patients use music, pictures, and other strategies to enhance their memory—and reduce false memories. Budson, a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine professor of neurology and chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, is also the author of popular books on memory, including this year’s Why We Forget and How To Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory (Oxford University Press).

The Brink spoke with Budson to learn more about FTD—its causes, symptoms, progression, and what having the condition might mean for Willis—and how close researchers are to finding a cure.