Los Angeles [US], September 30 : Veteran actor John Goodman reflected on his decades-long friendship with Bruce Willis, recalling their early days as struggling actors in New York and praising the Hollywood star for supporting him at the beginning of his career, according to People. 
Speaking to People at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Digger’, Goodman, 74, recalled meeting Willis around the time he landed his breakthrough role in the 1980s television series ‘Moonlighting’.
“I remember when he got the Moonlighting job, and we were at the bar where he used to work at, and we all hung out at, and he jumped over a railing. I think he broke my shoulder, but he was so happy,” Goodman said.
The actor said their conversations often revolved around acting and their shared passion for the craft.
“That’s all we did was talk about acting when we were at work, when we were out goofing around. I could tell how serious he was. I started working out here [in LA] about a year or two later after he did,” he added.
Recalling Willis’ support during his early years, Goodman said, “He took care of me…I love him so much.”
Goodman, who previously guest-starred in an episode of ‘Moonlighting’, said he has not met Willis in some time, mainly because he no longer lives in Los Angeles.
Willis’ family announced in March 2022 that he was stepping away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that later progressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Goodman has often spoken about his friendship with Willis over the years. The two actors also shared screen space in the 2017 action-comedy film ‘Once Upon a Time in Venice’.
Speaking in an interview in 2012, Goodman recalled their time as young actors chasing opportunities in New York during the 1980s.
“Bruce Willis was a bartender at a place I used to go,” Goodman had said, according to People. 
He further praised Willis’ skills behind the bar, saying, “He was a great bartender; it was a performance every night. He just had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Ah, Bruce, he was great. He got me the drinks and I drank ‘em down.”
Goodman had also previously told the New York Post that he first met Willis in 1979, when Willis worked as a bartender at Chelsea Central on the Upper West Side, a venue that has since closed.
“Bruce was the best bartender in New York … He kept an entire joint entertained all night. He just kept the show going. He was amazing,” Goodman said in 2017.
Bruce Willis rose to global fame with projects including ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Moonlighting’, while Goodman has been recognised for his performances in ‘Roseanne’ and several acclaimed films, according to People.