Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is an internationally renowned American actor, made famous by his role of John McClane in the original Die Hard. He has since reprised the role in all of its sequels, something no other actor has accomplished in the series; Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard. He had previously confirmed there would be a sixth and final installment, titled Die Hardest. However, in 2022 he retired from acting amid health concerns.
Career
Willis has appeared in the number of successful movies, including The Last Boy Scout, Striking Distance, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, Mercury Rising, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Sin City, The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards, Tears of the Sun, Hostage, 16 Blocks, The Expendables and it's sequel The Expendables 2, RED and its sequel RED 2, Looper, Moonrise Kingdom and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. He also had a lead voice acting role in Over the Hedge.
In 2022, Willis has retired from acting amid health concerns after being diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a person’s ability to communicate. As of 2023, he is no longer verbal.
As John McClane
Willis was finally hired to interpret John McClane in the first Die Hard movie, in 1988, after director John McTiernan offered the script of the movie and thew the role to a variety of action stars, including Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and Don Johnson, all of whom turned it down.
Demographic data from CinemaScore helped persuade the studio and director John McTiernan to cast Willis. He was paid $5 million to star in the film, a figure virtually unheard of at the time for an actor who had starred in only one moderately successful film, and normally paid to the major stars of the time, such as Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty.
McClane's character role catapulted Willis to movie star and action hero status. After the success of the first Die Had film, Willis would reprise his role as John McClane in the four sequels, which also were box office successes.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | The Driller Killer | Whitey | |
1979 | Goldengirl | Sheen | |
1979 | The In-Laws | Woody | |
1980 | Cruising | Larry | |
1980 | Template:Sortname | Man Entering Diner (uncredited) | |
1981 | Prince of the City | Extra | |
1982 | Template:Sortname | Courtroom Observer | |
1983 | Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer | Man Entering Diner | UncreditedTemplate:Citation needed |
1984 | The Natural | Moff | |
1987 | Blind Date | Walter Davis | |
1988 | Sunset | Tom Mix | Also co-executive producer |
Die Hard | John McClane | ||
1989 | In Country | Emmett Smith | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture |
Look Who's Talking | Mikey (voice) | ||
That's Adequate | Himself | Mockumentary | |
1990 | Die Hard 2 | John McClane | |
Look Who's Talking Too | Mikey (voice) | ||
Template:Sortname | Peter Fallow | ||
1991 | Mortal Thoughts | James Urbanski | |
Hudson Hawk | Eddie "Hudson Hawk" Hawkins | Also writer Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor | |
Billy Bathgate | Bo Weinberg | ||
Template:Sortname | Joseph Cornelius "Joe" Hallenbeck | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Damon Wayans) | |
1992 | Template:Sortname | Himself | Cameo |
Death Becomes Her | Dr. Ernest Menville | Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor | |
1993 | Loaded Weapon 1 | John McClane | Uncredited cameoTemplate:Citation needed |
Striking Distance | Tom "Tommy" Hardy | ||
1994 | Color of Night | Dr. Bill Capa | Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Actor Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor |
North | Narrator | ||
Pulp Fiction | Butch Coolidge | Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
Nobody's Fool | Carl Roebuck | ||
1995 | Die Hard with a Vengeance | John McClane | |
Four Rooms | Leo | Uncredited Segment: "The Man from Hollywood" | |
12 Monkeys | James Cole | Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor | |
1996 | Last Man Standing | John Smith | |
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America | Muddy Grimes (voice) | ||
1997 | Template:Sortname | Korben Dallas | Nominated – Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Actor |
Template:Sortname | The Jackal | Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Suspense | |
1998 | Mercury Rising | Art Jeffries | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor |
Armageddon | Harry S. Stamper | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Sci-Fi Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor | |
The Siege | Major General William Devereaux | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Suspense Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor | |
1999 | Breakfast of Champions | Dwayne Hoover | |
Franky Goes to Hollywood | Himself | Short film | |
Template:Sortname | Dr. Malcolm Crowe | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Suspense People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Drama Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Haley Joel Osment) Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor | |
Template:Sortname | Ben Jordan | ||
2000 | Template:Sortname | James Stefan "Jimmy the Tulip" Tudeski | |
Disney's The Kid | Russell Morley "Russ" Duritz | ||
Unbreakable | David Dunn | Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Suspense | |
2001 | Bandits | Joe Blake | |
2002 | Hart's War | Col. William A. McNamara | |
True West | Lee | Filmed stage play | |
Template:Sortname | Producer | ||
Grand Champion | Mr. Blandford | ||
2003 | Tears of the Sun | Lieutenant A.K. Waters | |
Rugrats Go Wild | Spike (voice) | Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Voice from an Animated Movie[1] | |
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | William Rose Bailey | Uncredited[2] | |
2004 | Template:Sortname | James Stefan "Jimmy the Tulip" Tudeski | |
Ocean's Twelve | Himself | Cameo | |
2005 | Hostage | Jeff Talley | Also producer |
Sin City | John Hartigan | Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated – Gold Derby Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast | |
2006 | Alpha Dog | Sonny Truelove | |
16 Blocks | Jack Mosley | Also producer | |
Fast Food Nation | Harry Rydell | ||
Lucky Number Slevin | Mr. Goodkat | ||
Template:Sortname | Himself | Documentary Also executive producer | |
Over the Hedge | RJ (voice) | Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Voice from an Animated Movie[3] | |
Hammy's Boomerang Adventure | RJ (voice) | Short film | |
2007 | Template:Sortname | Colonel Doug Masterson | Uncredited[4] |
Perfect Stranger | Harrison Hill | ||
Grindhouse: Planet Terror | Lt. Muldoon | ||
Nancy Drew | Himself | Uncredited cameo[5] | |
Live Free or Die Hard | John McClane | Nominated – National Movie Award for Best Performance by a Male Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Action Star Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star | |
2008 | What Just Happened | Himself | |
Assassination of a High School President | Principal Kirkpatrick | ||
2009 | Surrogates | Agent Tom Greer | |
2010 | Cop Out | Jimmy Monroe | |
Template:Sortname | Mr. Church | UncreditedTemplate:Citation needed | |
Red | Francis "Frank" Moses | ||
2011 | Set Up | Jack Biggs | Direct-to-video |
Catch .44 | Mel | Direct-to-video | |
The Black Mamba | Mr. Suave | Short film | |
2012 | Moonrise Kingdom | Captain Duffy Sharp | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting Nominated – Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Cast (2nd place) Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated – Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Performance Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Nominated – Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble(2nd place) Nominated – St. Louis Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor |
Lay the Favorite | Dink Heimowitz | ||
Template:Sortname | Mr. Church | ||
Template:Sortname | Martin | ||
Looper | Older Joe | ||
Fire with Fire | Mike Cella | Direct-to-video | |
2013 | A Good Day to Die Hard | John McClane | Also executive producer |
G.I. Joe: Retaliation | General Joseph Colton / G.I. Joe | ||
Red 2 | Francis "Frank" Moses | ||
2014 | Sin City: A Dame to Kill For | John Hartigan | |
Template:Sortname | Omar | Direct-to-video | |
2015 | Vice | Julian Michaels | Direct-to-video |
Rock the Kasbah | Bombay Brian | [6] | |
Extraction | Leonard Turner | Direct-to-video | |
2016 | Precious Cargo | Eddie Pilosa | Direct-to-video |
Marauders | Jeffrey Hubert | Direct-to-video | |
Split | David Dunn | Uncredited | |
2017 | Once Upon a Time in Venice | Steve | Direct-to-video |
First Kill | Police Chief Marvin Howell | Direct-to-video | |
2018 | The Bombing | Jack | Post-production[7] |
Death Wish | Paul Kersey | ||
Acts of Violence | Detective James Avery | Direct-to-video | |
Reprisal | James | Direct-to-video | |
2019 | Glass | David Dunn | Post-production[8] |
TBA | Over the Hedge 2 | RJ |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Template:Sortname | Extra | UncreditedTemplate:Citation needed Television film |
1984 | Miami Vice | Tony Amato | Episode: "No Exit" |
1985 | Template:Sortname | Peter Novins | Episode: "Shatterday" |
Moonlighting | David Addison Jr. | 65 episodes (1985-1989) Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1987) People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Program(1986) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1987) Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1986, 1988) Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer (1986, 1987) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1986) | |
1987 | Template:Sortname | Bruno Radolini | Television film Nominated – CableACE Award for Writing a Music Special or Series |
1989 | Roseanne | Himself | Episode: "Dear Mom and Dad" |
Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Bruce Willis/Neil Young" | |
1996–1997 | Bruno the Kid | Bruno the Kid (voice) | 36 episodes Also executive producer |
1997 | Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "The Birth Part 2" |
1999 | Ally McBeal | Dr. Nickle | UncreditedTemplate:Citation needed Episode: "Love Unlimited" |
2000 | Friends | Paul Stevens | 3 episodes Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series |
2005 | That '70s Show | Vic | Episode: "Misfire" |
2013 | Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Bruce Willis/Katy Perry" |
Music videos
Year | Artist | Title | Role |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Gorillaz | "Stylo" | Driver |
Video games
Year | Video Game | Voice role |
---|---|---|
1998 | Apocalypse | Trey Kincaid |
Stage
Year | Title | Role | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
2015–2016 | Misery | Paul Sheldon | Broadhurst Theater |
External Links
- Bruce Willis at the Internet Movie Database
- Bruce Willis on Wikipedia
- ↑ "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Press site — Kids' Choice Awards 2004". Nickelodeon. Retrieved on November 10, 2015.
- ↑ "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Template:Resize". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on November 10, 2015. "Watch out for several cameos from the likes of Bruce Willis,…"
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ "The Movie: The Astronaut Farmer". visimag.com. Retrieved on August 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Nancy Drew". CinemaBlend. Retrieved on August 25, 2015.
- ↑ "All Time Box Office — Worst Wide Openings Template:Resize". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on November 14, 2015.
- ↑ James Rainey (June 3, 2015). "Bruce Willis to Star in Chinese-Language Epic ‘The Bombing’". variety.com. Retrieved on June 8, 2015.
- ↑ Template:Cite news