Action hero Bruce Willis to retire because of illness

Bruce Willis is one of the most bankable stars of Hollywood, having starred in mega-hit 'Die Hard' and its sequels

Action hero Bruce Willis, star of the "Die Hard" franchise, is to retire from acting after developing a cognitive illness, his family announced Wednesday.

But it was as hard-bitten hero John McClane in "Die Hard" that he became a bankable major star of the cinema, sparking a career that has generated billions of dollars of box office receipts.