Australian director pushing for Bruce Willis to receive an Oscar after his dementia diagnosis

An Australian director is pushing for Hollywood actor Bruce Willis to receive an honorary Oscar after continuing to act in blockbuster movies with a neurological condition.

Edward Drake, who made nine movies with Willis, including the Detective Knight series and American Siege, wants Willis recognized because he has never won an Academy Award before.

Last month, the star’s family announced that his acting career was sadly coming to an end after he announced he had frontotemporal dementia.

Prior to this, the 67-year-old was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that can affect a person’s ability to understand and express speech, but he kept performing and giving it his all.

Drake, who has worked on nine films with the A-list actor, said giving Willis an honorary Oscar is “the least we can do.”

Edward Drake (right), who made nine movies with Willis, including the Detective Knight series and American Siege, wants the star recognized as he never won an Academy Award.

“We have so many great memories of his movies and I really think that should be honored,” he said.

speaking to the heralding sunDrake said he was aware of Willis’s worsening condition as he was structuring his filming schedule.

“Everyone was definitely aware of what was going on, and we wanted to honor the man and his wishes and create this incredibly safe and supportive environment together with his team,” he said.

“That meant adjusting some of the roles that he played,” he added.

The 32-year-old director said Willis was a pleasure to work with and despite his condition, his mantra was always to ‘live up to it’.

Last month, the star’s family announced that his acting career was sadly coming to an end after he came out with frontotemporal dementia.

The 32-year-old director said Willis was a joy to work with, and despite his condition, his mantra was always to “live it.”

Detective Knight: Independence, which was released in January of this year, was the last film they worked on together.

The first was Anti-Life, which was released in 2020, and the Melbourne director said he instantly hit it off with the star, appreciating her “Aussie sass.”

Meanwhile, the wife of Die Hard star Emma Heming Willis is using her voice to ‘raise awareness’ about frontotemporal dementia following her husband’s diagnosis with the disorder.

In a video posted to his Instagram last week, Willis, 44, spoke of channeling his grief into “something good” and using his platform to spread awareness about the ailment.

‘I just saw something about me getting my five minutes, which is great. Which means you’re listening. So I’m going to take my five minutes and turn it into 10 because I’m always going to stand up for my husband,” she began.

‘And while I’m at it, I’m going to raise awareness for FTD and for caregivers, who are unsung heroes out there. And then, and then, I’m going to turn my hurt and my anger and my sadness and make something good around something that feels less. So, take care of this space, because I didn’t come to play.’

It’s been a year since Willis’s family announced the 67-year-old actor would be leaving his career after being diagnosed with aphasia. Last month, his family said the disease had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.

The post was captioned: “Right here turning my 5 minutes into 10. I have sat in silence for far too long and am so ready to be embraced by this strong and loving community that my family and I find ourselves in as we try to lift them up in return. Come on #ftdawareness #dementiaawareness #caregiversupport’.

Detective Knight: Independence, which was released in January of this year, was the last film they worked on together.