Bruce Willis‘ family recently rejoiced at the news that the actor’s 80s hit series Moonlighting would be streaming for the first time ever – but as the star continues to battle with his dementia diagnosis, what happened to the rest of his co-stars?
Earlier this week, Willis’ wife Emma Hemming, 45, made reference to the fact that the show would soon be available on Hulu as she shared a promotional snap to Instagram alongside a caption that read: ‘What happy news this is.
‘You bet our family will be watching tomorrow. David Addison and Maddie Hayes forever.’
And his 32-year-old daughter Scout was also thrilled as she gushed that it was ‘insanely good news.’
Bruce Willis’ family recently rejoiced at the news that the actor’s 80s hit series Moonlighting would be streaming for the first time ever – but as the star continues to battle with his dementia diagnosis what happened to the rest of his co-stars?
And the actor’s 32-year-old daughter Scout was also thrilled as she gushed that it was ‘insanely good news’
The popular comedy-drama, which became known for its innovations in storytelling, ran for a total of five seasons until its final run of episodes premiered in 1989.
The cast and crew of the program were nominated for numerous awards during Moonlighting’s run, and they collectively won a total of six Primetime Emmy awards.
But, despite their onscreen success, it seems that its stars were plagued with personal battles of their own.
From Charles Rocket’s tragic suicide to Allyce Beasley’s string of failed marriages, FEMAIL has laid bare the heart-wrenching struggles of the actors that brought so much joy.
Bruce Willis became one of the biggest names in Hollywood before stepping away from acting following his devastating dementia diagnosis
In the popular 80s show, Bruce Willis assumed the role of David Addison Jr – a wise-cracking investigator running a detective agency.
He had been a relative newcomer to the industry at the time but starred in all 66 episodes in a series that undoubtedly catapulted his career.
Willis has since become one of the biggest names in Hollywood after dominating screens for more than three decades and spanning across the genres.
Some of his starring performances have been in blockbusters like family comedy Look Who’s Talking (1989), crime drama Pulp Fiction (1994) and spine-chilling mystery The Sixth Sense (1999) – as well as the Die Hard franchise.
In the popular 80s show, Bruce Willis assumed the role of David Addison Jr – a wise-cracking investigator running the City of Angels Detective Agency
Not one to shy away from any opportunity, during the 1990s in particular, Willis also appeared in several independent and low-budget productions, which won him new fans and praise from critics.
For his efforts, he has received 22 award wins and a further 53 nominations to date. He is also said to have a net worth of $250 million as of 2023, according to reports.
However, his personal life has been a little less straightforward.
Willis met Demi Moore in August 1987, as Moonlighting was still in full swing – a whirlwind romance quickly followed with a marriage and pregnancy within four months.
But despite staying married for 13 years from 1987 to 2000 and sharing three children – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah – Moore has claimed that they had a rocky relationship.
In her memoir Inside Out, published in 2019, she claimed that Willis ‘wanted to do whatever the f*** he wanted to do’ and insisted she stayed home with the kids instead of having a career of her own.
Willis has since become one of the biggest names in Hollywood with some of his starring performances after Moonlighting including the 1999 spine-chilling mystery The Sixth Sense (pictured)
Despite staying married for 13 years from 1987 to 2000 and sharing three children – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah – Moore has claimed that she and Willis had a rocky relationship
Unsurprisingly, their high-profile marriage broke down, but the pair remained close.
Willis opened up to Rolling Stone at the time about the changing nature of their relationship.
He said: ‘I still love Demi. We’re very close. We have three children whom we will continue to raise together, and we’re probably as close now as we ever were.
‘We realize we have a lifelong commitment to our kids. Our friendship continues. The institution has been set aside.’
The actor also went on to find love again with current wife Emma Heming.
The couple tied the knot in 2009 at his home in Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos, before welcoming daughters Mabel Ray in 2012 and Evelyn Penn in 2014.
But both Moore and Heming have recently come together to support Willis after he was diagnosed with aphasia. Pictured left to right: Emma Heming, Moore, Willis, and daughters Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, Evelyn and Rumer
Willis, now 68, has since stepped away from acting and has instead been spending time with his blended family
But both Moore and Heming have recently come together to support Willis after he was diagnosed with aphasia – a brain condition that affects his ability to understand language – which has progressed to dementia.
He had reportedly been struggling with cognitive issues on the sets of his films for years and even needed an earpiece to feed him lines.
Willis, now 68, has since stepped away from acting and has instead been spending time with his blended family.
Charles Rocket was found dead aged 56 in a field with his throat slit
Comedian Charles Rocket, whose real name was Charles Claverie, had already made quite the name for himself before appearing in Moonlighting.
He had been embroiled in scandal from the early 1980s after using an unscripted profanity during a skit on Saturday Night Live which cost him his network television job.
However, that did not stop him from landing the recurring role of Bruce Willis’ onscreen brother Richard Addison just a few years later.
Comedian Charles Rocket, whose real name was Charles Claverie, landed the recurring role of Bruce Willis’ on screen brother Richard Addison just a few years later
And Rocket’s career only went from strength-to-strength.
He secured a slew of other roles with his movie credits including Earth Girls are Easy (1988), Dances With Wolves (1990) and Dumb and Dumber (1994).
The father-of-one also provided voices for a whole host of cartoon series that delighted kids across America.
But things took a tragic turn in 2005 when Rocket was found dead in a field near his home in Canterbury with his throat slit.
The state medical examiner ruled that the 56-year-old had died by suicide.
But things took a tragic turn in 2005 when Rocket was found dead in a field near his home in Canterbury with his throat slit
He was survived by Beth – his wife of 33 years who had been his high school sweetheart – and son Zane.
Rudy Cheeks, a friend of Rocket’s for over 30 years, told the New York Post at the time: ‘He was an absolutely upbeat kind of guy. If he was dealing with something that was tough, he would come right back at it.
‘He didn’t stay down for any length of time. He wasn’t one to be morose or depressed.’
Cybill Shepherd released a biography detailing a string of sordid trysts – before getting engulfed in scandal with former CBS boss Leslie Moonves
Beloved actress Cybill Shepherd, now 73, assumed the role of Maddie Hayes – a wealthy former model who discovers her business manager has stolen all the money she had in the bank – in the Moonlighting series.
She initially rose to fame a decade earlier and had a string of legendary lovers which she later divulged in her explosive 2000 autobiography, titled Cybill Disobedience, in startling detail.
The actress caused quite the stir when she openly declared: ‘I did exactly what I pleased, and what pleased me was sex.’
And her wild streak reportedly began in the early 70s when Elvis Presley invited her to Graceland.
Beloved actress Cybill Shepherd assumed the role of Maddie Hayes – a wealthy former model who discovers her business manager has stolen all the money she had in the bank – in the Moonlighting series
Speaking of the encounter, she revealed: ‘I had no doubt about how it would end — there was soft kissing on my neck and arms, pulling off layers of clothing to reveal naked new places.
‘I had fun in Elvis’ bed — his kisses were so slow and deliberate, his skin so smooth … He’d become a little passé. But he was, after all, the King,’
Going into yet further detail about their brief fling with the singer, who she described as the ‘most beautiful man I’d ever seen,’ Shepherd said he had been reluctant to perform oral sex.
She added: ‘I had to teach him how to do it. There are worse things to teach a man to do!’
The pair reportedly called it quits on their romance due to the singer’s prescription drug habit.
But Elvis wasn’t the only A-lister to catch Shepherd’s eye as she also documented her passionate encounter with Don Johnson.
Shepherd’s wild streak reportedly began in the early 70s when Elvis Presley invited her to Graceland
But Elvis wasn’t the only A-lister to catch Shepherd’s eye as she also documented her passionate encounter with Don Johnson which started with flirting on the set of The Long Hot Summer (pictured)
Discussing the tryst, which began with flirting on the set of The Long Hot Summer in 1985, she said: ‘It was like wolfing down a candy bar when you’re starving — fast, furious, intense — and it was all over in five minutes.’
‘Somehow we never got around to another five minutes.’
The Once Upon a Crime star admitted she was attracted to her Moonlighting co-star Bruce back in the day – and apparently that attraction was mutual.
She said that Willis had once stopped at her home with a bottle of wine ‘and it wasn’t long before we were passionately sucking face’ but conceded ‘we never did finish what we started.’
And, as if that wasn’t enough, she also dished about how she embarked on a threesome with her TV-stuntman boyfriend and a fellow stuntman who promised discretion.
Shepherd wrote: ‘Having all of the pleasure points being attended to simultaneously rather than sequentially made me feel adored, emancipated and more relaxed about sex.’
But she has since been engulfed in yet further scandal after claiming that her eponymous sitcom was cancelled by Les Moonves after she rejected his sexual advances.
She has since been engulfed in yet further scandal after claiming that her eponymous sitcom was cancelled by Les Moonves after she rejected his sexual advances
Shepherd with co-stars (clockwise from bottom left: Christine Baranski, Dedee Pfeiffer, Tom Wopat, Alicia Witt and Shepherd)
In a 2018 interview on SiriusXM‘s The Michelle Collins Show, Shepherd told the host that her show would have run for five more seasons until she upset her boss.
‘Well, his assistant and my assistant made a dinner date and we went to it and he was… well, he was telling me his wife didn’t turn him on, some mistress didn’t turn him on,’ said Shepherd.
‘And I’m watching him drink alcohol and he says, well, you know, why don’t you let me take you home? I said, no, I’ve got a ride and I had my car outside with a good friend of mine who is an off duty LAPD officer.’
Shepherd said after that night the show suddenly began getting notes about what her character could and could not do – and shortly after the show was cancelled by the network.
Moonves was married to his first wife Nancy at the time.
Allyce Beasley struggled to find love after embarking on three marriages – and also underwent a partially mastectomy
Allyce Beasley also starred in all 66 episodes of the show as the love-struck receptionist Agnes DiPesto manning the desk at the agency.
After filming came to an end, she briefly took a detour away from on-screen acting, previously revealing: ‘I was a single mom when Moonlighting wrapped, and I wanted to be the one to raise my son.
‘Doing voice-overs was a good choice for that.’
Allyce Beasley (left, then and right, now) also starred in all 66 episodes of the show as the love-struck receptionist Agnes DiPesto at the detective agency
But there was still plenty of opportunity for the actress when she reemerged onto the scene – with roles in titles such as Stuart Little (1999) and Legally Blonde (2001) on her resume.
Her personal life, however, has been less straightforward over the years as she seemingly struggled to find love.
She first tied the knot in 1970 with Christopher Sansocie but the pair went their separate ways just two years later.
It would be more than a decade before she exchanged vows once again – this time with Vincent Schiavelli, with whom she shares son Andrea.
It would be more than a decade before she exchanged vows once again – this time with Vincent Schiavelli, with whom she shares son Andrea
Yet, once again, their union was not a long one – only lasting for three years from 1985 to 1988.
Beasley left another lengthy gap before finally settling down with writer Jim Bosche whom she wed in 1999 – with the pair still together to this day.
And, alongside her turbulent love life, like some of her co-stars, the now 69-year-old has also been troubled with health woes since Moonlighting came to an end.
In 1998, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to undergo a partial mastectomy.
Jack Blessing died of pancreatic cancer at age just 66
Jack Blessing joined the cast of Moonlighting for the show’s third season as MacGillicuddy – an employee at the detective agency run by David Addison (Willis) and Maddie Hayes (Shepherd).
And, in comparison to some of his series co-stars, he enjoyed a relatively smooth path in the decades that followed.
He proved to be such a hit with viewers that he landed a whole host of other recurring roles on the likes of The Naked Truth and George Lopez.
Jack Blessing joined the cast of Moonlighting for the show’s third season as MacGillicuddy (right) – an employee at the Blue Moon Detective Agency run by Maddie Hayes and David Addison
Tragically Blessing (pictured in historical thriller Thirteen Days) died of pancreatic cancer in 2017 aged just 66
He also secured a series of voice acting opportunities – from Antz in 1998 to Planes in 2013 – in a career that spanned decades.
But tragically Blessing died of pancreatic cancer in 2017 aged just 66.
He left behind two sons Christopher and Ian as well as and his wife of 32 years – fellow thespian Lora Staley Blessing of Risky Business fame.
The couple, who first met while working as understudies on a comedy at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, had actually appeared in a 1989 episode of Moonlighting together.
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