John Goodman Says Bruce Willis ‘Took Care Of Me’ When They Were Struggling Actors In New York

John Goodman has not forgotten who looked out for him when he was a struggling actor in New York. Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of his new film ‘Digger’ on Monday, the 74-year-old shared a warm memory of Bruce Willis. “He took care of me,” Goodman said in an exclusive interview with People. “I love him so much.”

The two met long before either was famous. People reports that Willis tended bar in New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Goodman was one of the young actors who gathered there to talk about the craft. Goodman still remembers the night his friend learned he had won the lead in ‘Moonlighting,’ the series that ran from 1985 to 1989. “We were at the bar where he used to work at, and we all hung out at, and he jumped over a railing,” he recalled. “I think he broke my shoulder, but he was so happy.” The pair later shared the screen in the 2017 comedy ‘Once Upon A Time In Venice.’

Bruce Willis Remains Surrounded By Family

Willis, 71, stepped away from acting in March 2022 after an aphasia diagnosis. His family announced in February 2023 that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia. Goodman told People that he has not seen his old friend lately because he does not live in Los Angeles. The family continues to share tender glimpses of him. On Monday his daughter Tallulah posted a photo of herself kissing her father’s forehead, People reports, weeks after he attended her wedding. DYR readers may remember the photo of him beaming beside her that day.