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