For decades, Bruce Willis charmed audiences playing tough, heroic cops — from John McClane in Die Hard to John Hartigan in Sin City. But on January 15, as wildfires continued to burn in Los Angeles County following days of devastation,

Willis was diagnosed first with aphasia -- a condition where the brain's ability to understand or express language is impaired, according to the National Institutes of Health -- in 2022 before receiving an additional diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia in 2023, according to his family.

The iconic actor, in the midst of a dementia diagnosis, took time to visit first responders battling the Los Angeles wildfires in a rare new video.

Bruce Willis is showing his gratitude for the first responders in Los Angeles as several wildfires ripped through the city over the past week.

Last month, Bruce's ex-wife, Demi Moore, gave an update on his well-being amid his battle with dementia. In an interview with CNN, the 62-year-old actress explained that the actor is "in a very stable place," but it hasn't been easy watching him struggle.

Courtesy of Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for goop Emma Heming Willis shared a rare video of her husband, actor Bruce Willis thanking emergency responders amid the Los Angeles wildfires. The brief black and white video,

Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma, shared video of the iconic actor thanking first responders as they work to protect the public from deadly Los Angeles area wildfires.

The actor — who is battling dementia — was seen shaking hands and chatting with police officers in an Instagram video posted Thursday by his wife, Emma Heming.

Bruce Willis recently made his first public appearance since 2022 after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. In an Instagram post, his wife, Emma Heming Willis, shows the 69-year-old actor, who grew up in Salem County, shaking hands and greeting first responders battling the ongoing California wildfires.

Bruce Willis' family announced he would step away from acting in 2022; the actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023

"This makes my heart so freaking full," Tallulah Wilis, Bruce's youngest daughter with ex-wife Demi Moore, wrote in a comment on Emma's post. Emma Heming Willis/Instagram The new Instagram video ...

Actor Bruce Willis, 69, has been photographed on an outing in Studio City, Los Angeles in a rare public appearance following his dementia diagnosis