Actress and stuntwoman Kelly Greyson reflected on her time spent with actor Bruce Willis following the announcement of his retirement from acting due to a recent diagnosis.
During an interview with Fox News, Greyson said she had been “privileged to work with him numerous times in the last couple years.”
Greyson more recently worked with Willis on the film “Fortress: Sniper’s Eye.”
She added, “It was a gift to be able to get to know him as a person and see how authentically kind he is in real-life. The narrative about him right now should be about the amazing career he’s had.”
When she thinks back, Greyson explained Willis “was more down to earth and engaging and kind-hearted than I would have anticipated.”
She continued, “A lot of times stardom gets to people’s heads. He definitely is super suave on-camera but just in real life he did embody those things. That’s a huge compliment to someone of that international notoriety for them to also just be a good human.”
Greyson told the outlet Willis was always a “trooper” when working with him.
“As far as being on set and interacting with people, yes, he would hang out and watch on the screen. He’d watch some of the actors doing their roles. He’d sit and talk with the director. I think he interacted well just on a personal level with people,” she said.
Additionally, Greyson explained she heard “people just kind of wondering some things” about Willis’ cognitive issues.
“The takeaway for me from watching him is to just be authentically you in the moment. Whenever you live those moments authentically, that’s what portrays on camera,” Greyson said.
Last month, Willis’ family announced his diagnosis with aphasia, a condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate. His family announced the actor would be stepping away from the industry to battle his diagnosis.
“I never heard of [his] diagnosis previously. But my memory of working with Bruce is how friendly he was and really, really talented at his role. He’s definitely a professional. He’s going out as a legend with a beautiful career behind him,” Greyson said.