It’s heartwarming to see genuine camaraderie among actors likeLooperstars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis behind the scenes. Sure, at the end of the day, they’re a bunch of rich people who have each other’s backs as rich people tend to do. But cynicism aside, there’s something to be said about seeing these larger-than-life figures exhibiting ideals that the rest of the world endlessly strives for. That feeling is compounded when the situation involves someone of unfortunately ailing health.
Many are still reeling from the recent news thatfilm legend Willis has stepped away from actingdue to his aphasia diagnosis. Even if some saw the writing on the wall based on his more recent roles in less-than-prestigious projects, the news still hit pretty hard. This is a screen icon that countless people grew up watching, with classics likeDie Hardeasily holding up to this day. Well, it turns out one of his previous co-stars holds similar respect for the action movie superstar, and he shared a precious moment of connection as tribute.
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Many of Willis' previous collaborators,such as Haley Joel Osment, have come forward in support after his diagnosis, and now one more has joined the fray. In a recent video for Vanity Fair, Gordon-Levitt spoke about a number of his past performances along with his favorite moments from those projects. Eventually, the subject shifted to Rian Johnson’s often-underappreciated time travel gem known asLooper, which featured Gordon-Levitt playing a younger version of Willis' character (or perhaps Willis played an older Levitt, depending on one’s point of view). Those who saw the movie will remember how remarkably similar the two actors looked, thanks to the efforts of makeup designer Kazuhiro Tsuji. But while audiences may have been the main target for the effect of that transformation, it turns out Willis experienced a bit of shock himself.
“I had a moment of validation, it wasn’t in this scene,” Levitt said after discussing the notable diner scene fromLooper. “There was a scene later in the movie where we were yelling at each other, and I don’t know if Bruce did this on purpose, or he did it unintentionally, but it was kind of the highest compliment he could pay me. It was right after they said cut, he was turning away and walking back to his mark, he didn’t even say it to me, he just kind of said it to himself, ‘Sounds like me.’ And I just turned to myself and was like, ‘F***ing yes!’ I think, knowing him, that was really his ultra generous way of paying me a compliment, but it was very kind to do it in that way.” It’s no wonderLevitt listsLooperas his favorite role he’s ever played.
Looperis one of those films that thoroughly exhibits the talent of every single person involved. From Johnson’s endlessly clever style of filmmaking (which Gordon-Levitt brings up earlier) to Willis getting his time to shine as a deeper version of the action hero he’s always excelled at, and finally to Levitt himself, who is somehow able to stand out with his own flair while basically tasked with imitating Willis. It was a heck of an achievement for the whole cast and crew, and it’s a fantastic entry in Willis' resume for anyone who wants to see a bit of a twist on his typical role.
The entertainment world will definitely miss Willis, from the audiences who love his action classics to his costars like Levitt whose respect for the industry veteran clearly comes from someplace real.Willis has plenty of underappreciated rolesout there, so now would be a great time to travel through the history of Willis and remember the good times while, perhaps, discovering something new. Best wishes to him and his family going forward.
Looperis now available on Netflix.
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