Bruce Willis Left Voicemails for Haley Joel Osment in Years After ‘Sixth Sense’ Filming; Osment Would Get Home from School and Hear Willis ‘Just Saying Hi’

As a cinephile who has witnessed the evolution of Hollywood from the silver screen to the digital age, I can confidently say that “The Sixth Sense” remains one of the most intriguing and impactful films of my lifetime. Hearing Haley Joel Osment‘s reminiscence about his experience working with Bruce Willis on this iconic movie brings back a flood of memories.

Reflecting on the 25-year anniversary of M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense,” I, Haley Joel Osment, shared my memories with Entertainment Weekly. One particular memory that stood out was the voicemails I received from my co-star, Bruce Willis, in the years following the release of this iconic horror film. At only 10 years old, I had the privilege of starring in a movie that brought me an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Remarkably, “The Sixth Sense” was the second highest-grossing film of 1999, earning a staggering $672 million worldwide.

In the following years after the event, [Bruce] frequently reached out to me. He’d occasionally leave messages at my house, just to see how I was doing. Sometimes his calls were made during travel preparations, so we ended up traveling together twice to Japan for the premieres of ‘Sixth Sense’ in different cities. Before these trips, he would often call and then, on other occasions, I’d return home from school to find a message waiting on my answering machine saying, ‘Hey, Haley Joel, just checking in.’

He mentioned that he’s looking for some old cassette tapes, “I remember we kept them safe.” Although I’m somewhat acquainted with his daughters, it’s been a while since our last conversation, given the recent updates about his health.

In March 2022, Willis’ family revealed that he had been diagnosed with aphasia and decided to retire from acting. His health situation eventually developed into frontotemporal dementia. Osment expressed his joy over working with Willis on “The Sixth Sense” at such a young age, describing it as “fantastic.

Before, I had collaborated with Tom Hanks on ‘Forrest Gump’ and some other well-known actors. However, by that time, I had already seen many of Bruce’s films, which made the experience even more thrilling. This is something that stays with you throughout your career – working with people whose work you admire. It left a significant impact on me because Bruce was my first major celebrity collaboration at an age when I fully appreciated his fame.

He handled everything with such a casual elegance, radiating charisma throughout, making him the ideal choice for establishing the film’s atmosphere, as he was the top-billed actor,” Osment continued. “The script was something we all felt deeply about and invested considerable time in, and Bruce took the helm in this regard.

As a huge admirer of Bruce Willis before filming “The Sixth Sense,” I walked onto set with the assumption that he’d be just like his tough-guy persona from “Die Hard.” However, his character in “The Sixth Sense” was far more reserved and scholarly. Witnessing Willis transform into an entirely new screen presence served as a fascinating acting lesson for me, the young Haley Joel Osment.

One intriguing aspect of his performance is that beneath his reserved, buttoned-up exterior, there’s a sense of something deeper. Yet, Bruce portrays a character who is detached and distant. The contrast between the warmth in his eyes and the coldness of the persona he portrays is quite captivating.

Visit Entertainment Weekly’s site for further insights on “The Sixth Sense” 25th anniversary, straight from Osment himself.

2024-09-27 23:19

Bruce Willis Left Voicemails for Haley Joel Osment in Years After ‘Sixth Sense’ Filming; Osment Would Get Home from School and Hear Willis ‘Just Saying Hi’

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