Bruce Willis is recognized as one of the best action heroes from the generation of legendary action stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
But unlike his contemporaries who played large-than-life roles, Bruce played common men and police officers who often found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. He is most acknowledged and acclaimed for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard movie series.
The appeal to Bruce Willis lies in his persona as a regular joe. People see him as a blue collar, hard-assed, uncompromising and unrelenting person. He does not have the rippling biceps of Stallone or the wide chest of Schwarzenegger, but a synergy with everyday common man.
After a period of time, Willis started playing non-action roles as well and attained even greater heights in the acting realm. Bruce is known for his hard-hitting dialogues as much as he is known for his punches.
But he wasn’t always a good orator as he suffered from a severe stuttering problem as a child. He put that problem aside by building up his confidence and acting in school plays. And he hasn’t stopped acting since.
Bruce Willis’s Relationships
Just like any successful A-list actor, Bruce Willis never had any shortage of women swooning over him. His first relationship with American actress Demi Moore was the longest and the most popular amongst fans.
The couple started dating in 1987 and the romance flourished into a serious relationship after Demi Moore decided to leave her then husband Emilio Estevez. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore tied the knot in November 1987 and they were blessed with a daughter Rumer in 1988.
In the subsequent years, the couple were blessed with two more daughters Scout and Tallulah Willis (also known as Belle Willis). They lived happily as a family for the next 10 years, but then to the surprise of everybody, the couple divorced in 1998.
His next rumored relationship was with the popular ‘Sex and the City’ actress Kim Cattrall, but the romance was never confirmed.
Bruce Willis and Brooke Burns, the host of ‘Dog Eat Dog’, were dating for a few months. The relationship hit the headlines in 2003, but it culminated due to the long distance between the couple.
Another rumored Bruce Willis relationship was with Aida Yespica, a Venezuelan TV personality. They were both clicked together a few times, but the (supposed) relationship never blossomed.
In 2008, Bruce met his future wife Emma Hemming. Bruce Willis and Emma Hemming have an age difference of 23 years, but it did not come in the way of their romance.
After they met in 2008, they dated for about a year before marrying in 2009. The great thing about Bruce and Emma’s relationship was that Bruce’s former wife Demi was completely on board with it. She even attended the wedding ceremony held in Beverley Hills.
Bruce has two daughters with Emma – Mabel and Evelyn. The love between the couple only strengthened with the birth of their daughters and they even renewed their vows after 10 years. Currently, both Demi Moore, Emma Hemming and their children are living happily as a blended family.
Bruce Willis’s Beliefs and Interests
Bruce Willis believes in Protestantism and was a Lutheran at a point of time in his life. But his religious beliefs changed drastically over a period of time and he doesn’t consider religion to be an important part of his life anymore.
Bruce Willis has somewhat mixed political beliefs. He supports Democrats’ initiative for free health. But he also supports Republicans’ point of view towards gun rights. He is conservative and liberal at the same time.
As far as hobbies go, Bruce Willis loves to play squash and listen to old English songs. He is also an avid boxing and basketball fan.
Bruce Willis Early Life
Bruce Willis was born to an American soldier, David Willis, and a West German woman named Marlene. He came into this world on 19 March 1955. His place of birth is Idar-Oberstein, a town in the erstwhile West Germany. Bruce Willis was the eldest son in the family, and had a younger sister and two younger brothers.
When Bruce’s father was released by the army, he came back to the US and started working Blue Collar jobs. Bruce’s mother also took up a job in a bank to support her family. Bruce Willis did his schooling from Penns Grove High School where he joined a drama school. But acting wasn’t Bruce’s first career path.
As his main priority was to fend off for himself and his family, he took up a job as a security guard, then a private investigator and finally as a bartender. His last gig landed him in New York where he got the role of an extra in the movie ‘The Verdict’. Not many, including Bruce Willis, did not know what was in store next.
Bruce Willis Career
While in New York, Bruce Willis was bitten by the acting bug. He decided to move to Hollywood and after several auditions got a golden opportunity with a popular show called ‘Miami Vice’. Bruce Willis gained attention with his performance.
The show unlocked the doors to an even bigger opportunity in the form of ‘Moonlighting’. Bruce Willis in Moonlighting was a delight to watch. The show lasted for 5 years, and established Bruce as a bankable comedy star.
Moonlighting was like a goldmine for Bruce, both in terms of popularity and money. He even got a multi-million-dollar endorsement deal with Seagram because of the fame he received due to the success of the show.
Working with Blake Edwards
Bruce Willis did two movies with Blake Edwards. The first one was ‘Blind Date’ opposite the ever-so-beautiful Kim Basinger. The next was a cowboy story called ‘Sunset’. These movies helped him transition from a TV star to a movie star.
Claim to Fame
After becoming a seasoned movie actor, Bruce Willis got to play the role of John McClane in a John Mc Tiernan movie called ‘Die Hard’. To the surprise of everyone in the industry, the movie became a phenomenal success.
It grossed nearly 140 million US dollars worldwide. Considering the inflation rates, the earning of this 1988 classic in today’s time would be well over 300 million US dollars.
The movie played a huge role in establishing Bruce Willis as an action superstar. He was talked about in the same breath as Arnold and Sylvester, which is a great testament to his impactful and hard-hitting acting.
But unlike other mega action stars, Bruce was experimenting with a wide range of genres at the same time. His versatility as an actor was for all to see in movies like ‘Look Who’s Talking’, ‘Color of Night’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’.
If that wasn’t enough to show that there were no limits to his talent, he even tried his hand at singing with his album ‘The Return of Bruno’ and tasted success.
Die Hard Sequels
As of now (in 2020), there have been 5 ‘Die Hard’ movies, each starring Bruce Willis in the lead role. Every movie has received positive reviews and box office success, which tells a lot about Bruce Willis’s tremendous fan following.
Other Notable Roles in Different Genres
Apart from Die Hard, Bruce Willis is famous for his performances in movies like 12 Monkeys, Looper and Armageddon (Sci-Fi), The Sixth Sense and Color of Night (Thriller) and Once Upon a Time in Venice (Comedy).
Bruce Willis movies almost always do well commercially, which is why; directors have put their trust in him in over 100 films till date.
His latest movie was ‘Hard Kill’, which was released in August, 2020 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Bruce Willis is an unstoppable force who is still making movies at the ripe old age of 65, and he is making them fast.
Earning
Bruce Willis net worth is 250 million US dollars. He has raked in the biggest share of his net worth from the movies. Some of the earnings are from his endorsement deals and music album. Bruce Willis’s Die Hard franchise alone has grossed nearly 1.5 billion US dollars.