Bruce Willis' Co-Star Rob Gough Calls Actor 'GOAT' After Aphasia Diagnosis Revelation

Rob Gough is opening up about working with Bruce Willis on one of the award-winning actor's final films.

Gough said in a new interview that he is "honored and blessed" to have had the opportunity to work with Willis on the film "American Siege" in November last year, months before news broke that the 67-year-old star is stepping away from acting following his aphasia diagnosis – a condition that affects one's cognitive abilities.

"The guy is a legend and just so iconic," Gough told People. "Even without this information [about his diagnosis], just to be on set with the guy was so memorable and so amazing for me. And then, learning about his condition, and that that was going to be one of his last films, I'm so honored and blessed that I got to work with the guy and learn from him."

He continued, "Even though he was going through this when he was on camera – it's second nature to him, he just turned on, and you had no idea that anything was going on."

Gough shared that Willis was "helpful to myself and helpful to others" and would often offer advice "on a whim" that "to him was nothing but to others it was so profound."

Gough said that while they were filming together, he never saw any sign that Willis was having cognitive problems because the legendary actor immediately "comes alive" and "delivers" when he's in front of the camera.

"I've always thought of him as iconic, the GOAT, just the man. Knowing that he's able to perform under what he's going through, it just adds to that iconicness," he continued.

Gough went on to say that he believes Willis continued to work until he no longer could not only because of his passion for acting and his love of movies but also because he "didn't want to let down his fans by calling it earlier than what he needed to."

"To know that he rode it out as long as he could, to try to give the fans more and more entertainment speaks a lot for who he is as a person," he added.

However, an unnamed source told Page Six that Willis was already showing signs of cognitive decline when he was filming in 2020. At the time, he was involved in numerous movies, including "American Siege," "Survive the Game," "Cosmic Sin" and "Hard Kill."

The insider claimed that Willis needed to use "earpieces, hearing things, for them to feed him the lines" and that one production was using a body double at times to maximize the star's screen time.

Willis' family announced his aphasia diagnosis and his decision to retire from acting as a result of his condition via a statement on Instagram Wednesday.

"Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," the statement read. "As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."