Tom Cavanagh has hailed working with Bruce Willis on one of his final films as "a privilege".
Tom Cavanagh enjoyed working with Bruce Willis
The 'Expendables' actor's family recently announced he is giving up acting after being diagnosed with aphasia - a degenerative condition affecting the ability to communicate - and one of his last pieces of work was on 'Corrective Measures'.
His Canadian co-star has always been in awe of Bruce's work so relished the opportunity to work with him.
He told Fox News Digital: “This is a privilege. Growing up as a younger actor, I remember being hyperinfluenced by his command of the screen. It’s not as easy as people think to do small stuff and have that project large. Not every actor can do that. Not many actors do.
“Even when Bruce was doing ‘Moonlighting,’ he had the ability to say nothing and yet command the screen.
“And then, of course, he went on to huge movie franchises, like ‘Die Hard.’ "
Tom believes a large part of Bruce's appeal were his roles as an "ordinary" man in "extraordinary circumstances".
He added: "But one of the things that Bruce would do that I was always impressed by was the way he played an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. While he was saving the day, he was afraid and vulnerable, which I think is part of the appeal.
“People can relate to somebody like that, as opposed to a superhero.
"Oftentimes, the mistake people make when they do these superhero stories is to project strength, knowing they’re going to succeed, and then add an element of fear. [But] fear and vulnerability make it identifiable, and you can relate to it. It’s very hard to relate to somebody who’s never afraid, who knows they’re going to succeed [before] the end of the movie. Bruce Willis’ portrayals are such that he doesn’t know the end of the movie.
“I don’t even know if Bruce has an awareness of the influence that he’s wrought, but those of us who get to team up with him consider it a privilege.”
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