List of celebrities who have had dementia and Alzheimer's - including Bruce Willis and Robin Williams

Dementia and Alzheimer's can tragically strike people from all walks of life.

Regardless of a person's background or lifestyle, the disease is devestating for both the people diagnosed and their families.

But when a celebrity like Bruce Willis is diagnosed, an opportunity arises to discuss dementia in more detail with the people we love, and how we could prepare ourselves for a similar situation.

68-year-old Willis, who starred in the Die Hard movie franchise, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and has since stepped away from acting.

Here is a list of other celebrities diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's, and what happened to them.

Ronald Reagan

The 40th president of the United States of America was also a Hollywood actor for a short time. After serving as president from 1981-1989, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's just a few years after leaving the White House. H died on 5 June, 2004, from pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer's. At the time, wife Nancy said: "My family and I would like the world to know that President Ronald Reagan has died after 10 years of Alzheimer’s disease at 93 years of age. We appreciate everyone’s prayers.”

Rosa Parks

The well-known American activist revolutionised minority rights in the Montgomery bus boycott, becoming the "mother" of the Freedom Movement. After writing her autobiography, she lived a peaceful life until being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She died in 2005.

Margaret Thatcher

As early as the year 2000, former prime minister Margaret Thatcher began struggling with her memory, before cancelling all public speaking engagements in 2003. Slowly but surely, signs of dementia continued to creep in for the Iron Lady, with daughter Carol recalling that she continually forgot that her husband had already passed away. However, she did pre-record a eulogy for the funeral of Ronald Reagan. Thatcher died in April 2013 after suffering a stroke.

Robin Williams

Legendary actor and comedian Robin Williams was lauded by Hollywood and moviegoers alike, with iconic roles in films such as Mrs Doubtfire and Aladdin. Audiences relished in his improvisation skills and was hailed as one of the funniest comedians of all time. However, Williams began to suffer from Lewy body dementia, which the National Institute on Aging says "can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood". It was considered to be a "critical factor" in him taking his own life in 2014.

James Doohan

The Canadian actor, comedian and army veteran was best known for playing Scotty in Star Trek. A fan favourite among Trekkies, Doohan was sadly diagnosed with both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and died in 2005.