Bruce Willis
Born: 1955-03-19 in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany [now Germany]
Known For: Acting
Biography
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. His career began on the off-Broadway stage in the 1970s, and he then achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series “Moonlighting” (1985–1989). He went on to appear in over 70 films, gaining widespread recognition as an action hero after his portrayal of John McClane in the “Die Hard” franchise (1988–2013) and other subsequent roles. Willis's other credits include “The Last Boy Scout” (1991), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “12 Monkeys” (1995), “Last Man Standing” (1996), “The Fifth Element” (1997), “Armageddon” (1998), “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “Hart's War” (2002), “Tears of the Sun” (2003), “Hostage” (2005), “Lucky Number Slevin” (2006), “Surrogates” (2009), “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), “Rock the Kasbah” (2015), and “Motherless Brooklyn” (2019). As a singer, Willis released his debut album The Return of Bruno in 1987, followed by two more successful albums in 1989 and 2001. He made his Broadway debut in the stage adaptation of Misery in 2015. Willis has received numerous accolades during his career, including a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two People's Choice Awards. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. In March 2022, Willis announced that he was retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, which affects his ability to communicate. In February 2023, Willis' family announced that they had received a more accurate diagnosis and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Filmography
2025
- Bruce Willis : les secrets d'une icône as Self (archive footage)
- Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special as Self (archive footage)
2023
- Sly as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Detective Knight: Independence as Det. James Knight
- Assassin as Valmora
- The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump as Self (archive footage)
2022
- Vendetta as Donnie Fetter
- Paradise City as Ian Swan
- Gasoline Alley as Detective Freeman
- White Elephant as Arnold Soloman
- American Siege as Ben Watts
- A Day to Die as Alston
- Wrong Place as Frank
- Detective Knight: Rogue as Det. James Knight
- Wire Room as Shane Mueller
- Fortress: Sniper's Eye as Robert
- Detective Knight: Redemption as Det. James Knight
- Corrective Measures as Julius 'The Lobe' Loeb
2021
- Apex as Thomas Malone
- Midnight in the Switchgrass as Karl Helter
- Fortress as Robert
- Cosmic Sin as James Ford
- Out of Death as Jack Harris
- Survive the Game as David
- Deadlock as Ron Whitlock
- Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend as Self (archive footage)
2020
- Survive the Night as Frank
- Breach as Clay Young
- Hard Kill as Chalmers
- Bruce Willis, l'indestructible
2019
- The Movies That Made Us as Det. John McClane (archive footage)
- Glass as David Dunn / The Overseer
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part as Bruce Willis (voice)
- Motherless Brooklyn as Frank Minna
- 10 Minutes Gone as Rex
- Trauma Center as Lt. Det. Wakes
- Between Two Ferns: The Movie as Bruce Willis (archive footage)
2018
- Death Wish as Paul Kersey
- James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction as Self
- Acts of Violence as Detective James Avery
- Air Strike as Jack
- Reprisal as James
- Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis as Self
2017
- The Orville as Groogen (voice)
- Split as David Dunn (uncredited)
- First Kill as Howell
- Once Upon a Time in Venice as Steve
- John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- The Rolling Stones: From the Vault - Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda Theatre 2015 as Self - Audience Member
2016
- WIRED's Autocomplete Interviews as Self - Guest
- Marauders as Hubert
- Precious Cargo as Eddie
- Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 as Self
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self - Guest
- Vice as Julian
- Rock the Kasbah as Bombay Brian
- Extraction as Leonard Turner
- Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' as Self / Cap Sharp
2014
- Sin City: A Dame to Kill For as Hartigan
- The Prince as Omar
- Altman as Self
2013
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation as Joe Colton
- RED 2 as Frank Moses
- A Good Day to Die Hard as John McClane
- Bruce Willis: Why the Legend Never Dies as Narrator (voice) / Self
2012
- The Expendables 2 as Church
- Looper as Old Joe
- Moonrise Kingdom as Captain Sharp
- Fire with Fire as Mike Cella
- The Cold Light of Day as Martin
- Lay the Favorite as Dink Heimowitz
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
- Close Up as Self (archive footage)
- B.B. King: The Life of Riley as Self
2011
- Catch.44 as Mel
- Setup as Biggs
- His Way as Self
- Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts as Self
- Gorillaz - Single Collection 2001-2011
2010
- Conan as Self - Guest
- The Expendables as Mr. Church (uncredited)
- RED as Frank Moses
- Cop Out as Jimmy Monroe
- I'm Still Here as Self - Guest
- Inferno: The Making of 'The Expendables' as Self
2009
- Surrogates as Tom Greer
2008
- Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis as Self
- What Just Happened as Bruce Willis
- Assassination of a High School President as Principal Jared T. Kirkpatrick
- Shine a Light as Self - Concert Audience (uncredited)
2007
- Live Free or Die Hard as John McClane
- Planet Terror as Lieutenant Muldoon
- Perfect Stranger as Harrison Hill
- Grindhouse as Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror")
- The Astronaut Farmer as Doug Masterson (uncredited)
- Nancy Drew as Bruce (uncredited)
2006
- Over the Hedge as RJ (voice)
- America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions as Narrator (voice)
- Lucky Number Slevin as Mr. Goodkat
- 16 Blocks as Jack Mosley
- Alpha Dog as Sonny Truelove
- Fast Food Nation as Harry Rydell
- Tony Bennett: An American Classic as Self - Speaker
- Hammy's Boomerang Adventure as RJ (voice)
- The Hip Hop Project as Self
2005
- The Reichen Show as Self - Guest
- Sin City as Hartigan
- Hostage as Jeff Talley
- My Date with Drew as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2004
- Ocean's Twelve as Bruce Willis
- The Whole Ten Yards as Jimmy Tudeski
- Touching Evil ... (Executive Producer)
- Grand Champion as Mr. Blandford
- Genius. A Night for Ray Charles as Self
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self - Guest
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- Tears of the Sun as Lieutenant A.K. Waters
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle as William Rose Bailey (uncredited)
- Rugrats Go Wild as Spike (voice)
- Journey to Safety: Making 'Tears of the Sun' as Self
2002
- Top Gear as Self
- Hart's War as Col. William A. McNamara
- The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course ... (Executive Producer)
- The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies as Self - Interviewee (uncredited)
- Pulp Fiction: The Facts as Self (archive footage)
- Pulp Fiction: Behind The Scenes Montages
- True West as Lee
2001
- Bandits as Joseph Blake
2000
- Unbreakable as David Dunn
- The Whole Nine Yards as Jimmy 'Tulipán' Tudeski
- The Kid as Russ Duritz
1999
- The Sixth Sense as Malcolm Crowe
- Where Are They Now? as Self
- The Story of Us as Ben Jordan
- The Early Show as Self - Guest
- Breakfast of Champions as Dwayne Hoover
1998
- That '70s Show as Vic
- Armageddon as Harry S. Stamper
- Mercury Rising as Art Jeffries
- The Siege as Major-General William Devereaux
- The Entertainment Biz as Self
- Jackie Chan: My Story ... (Thanks)
- Armageddon: Target Earth as Self
1997
- The View as Self
- The Fifth Element as Korben Dallas
- Taff as self
- Ally McBeal as Dr. Nickle (uncredited)
- The Jackal as The Jackal
- Bruno the Kid: The Animated Movie as Bruno the Kid (voice) (archive footage)
1996
- The Daily Show as Self - Guest
- Last Man Standing as John Smith
- Bruno the Kid as Bruno the Kid (voice)
- Beavis and Butt-Head Do America as Muddy (voice)
- E! True Hollywood Story as Self
- The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 'Twelve Monkeys' as Self
1995
- Die Hard: With a Vengeance as John McClane
- Twelve Monkeys as James Cole
- Four Rooms as Leo (uncredited)
- A Night to Die For as Self
1994
- Friends as Paul Stevens
- Pulp Fiction as Butch Coolidge
- Color of Night as Dr. Bill Capa
- Nobody's Fool as Carl Roebuck
- North as Narrator (voice)
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
1993
- Late Show with David Letterman as Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- Striking Distance as Tom Hardy
- National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as John McClane (uncredited)
- Annie Leibovitz 1993 Phaidon Documentary as Self
1992
- Mad About You as Bruce Willis
- Death Becomes Her as Dr. Ernest Menville
- HBO First Look
- The Player as Bruce Willis
1991
- The Last Boy Scout as Joe Hallenbeck
- Hudson Hawk as Eddie 'Hudson Hawk' Hawkins
- Mortal Thoughts as James Urbanski
- Billy Bathgate as Bo Weinberg
1990
- Die Hard 2 as John McClane
- Look Who's Talking Too as Mikey (voice)
- The Bonfire of the Vanities as Peter Fallow
- Seriously... Phil Collins as Self
1989
- Look Who's Talking as Mikey (voice)
- Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary as Self
- That's Adequate as Self
- In Country as Emmett Smith
1987
- Dolly as Self
- Blind Date as Walter Davis
- The Return of Bruno as Bruno Radolini
- The Pointer Sisters: Up All Nite as Self
1986
- Barbra Streisand: One Voice as Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
1985
- Moonlighting as David Addison
- The Twilight Zone as Peter Novins (segment "Shatterday")
1984
- Miami Vice as Tony Amato
- Goldene Kamera as Self
1982
- Late Night with David Letterman as Self - Guest
- The Verdict as Courtroom Observer (uncredited)
1981
- Prince of the City as Extra (uncredited)
1980
- The First Deadly Sin as Man Entering Diner as Delaney Leaves (uncredited)
- A Guru Comes as Extra (uncredited)
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1971
- Film '72 as Self
1949
- The Emmy Awards as Self
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self