
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Born
1955-03-19
Place of Birth
Idar-Oberstein, West Germany [now Germany]
Bruce Willis
Biography
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is an American retired 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.
Gallery












Known For
Acting History
2025
Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special as Self (archive footage)
2025Gorillaz: House of Kong as Self (archive footage)
2023Sly as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2023The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump as Self (archive footage)
2023Assassin as Valmora
2023Detective Knight: Independence as Det. James Knight
2022Detective Knight: Redemption as Det. James Knight
2022Paradise City as Ian Swan
2022Detective Knight: Rogue as Det. James Knight
2022Wire Room as Shane Mueller
2022Wrong Place as Frank
2022White Elephant as Arnold Soloman
2022Vendetta as Donnie Fetter
2022Corrective Measures as Julius 'The Lobe' Loeb
2022Fortress: Sniper's Eye as Robert
2022A Day to Die as Alston
2022Gasoline Alley as Detective Freeman
2022American Siege as Ben Watts
2021Fortress as Robert
2021Deadlock as Ron Whitlock
2021Apex as Thomas Malone
2021Survive the Game as David
2021Midnight in the Switchgrass as Karl Helter
2021Out of Death as Jack Harris
2021Cosmic Sin as James Ford
2021Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend as Self (archive footage)
2020Breach as Clay Young
2020Bruce Willis, l'indestructible
2020The 52nd Annual Emmy Awards as Self - Presenter
2020Hard Kill as Chalmers
2020Survive the Night as Frank
2019Trauma Center as Lt. Det. Wakes
2019The Movies That Made Us as Det. John McClane (archive footage)
2019Motherless Brooklyn as Frank Minna
201910 Minutes Gone as Rex
2019Between Two Ferns: The Movie as Bruce Willis (archive footage)
2019The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part as Bruce Willis (voice)
2019Glass as David Dunn / The Overseer
2018Air Strike as Jack
2018Reprisal as James
2018Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis as Self
2018James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction as Self
2018Death Wish as Paul Kersey
2018Acts of Violence as Detective James Avery
2017The Rolling Stones: From the Vault - Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda Theatre 2015 as Self - Audience Member
2017The Orville as Groogen (voice)
2017First Kill as Howell
2017Once Upon a Time in Venice as Steve
2017John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Actor (archive footage)
2017Split as David Dunn (uncredited)
2016Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 as Self
2016Precious Cargo as Eddie
2016Marauders as Hubert
2015Extraction as Leonard Turner
2015Rock the Kasbah as Bombay Brian
2015Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' as Self / Cap Sharp
2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
2015Vice as Julian
2014The Prince as Omar
2014Sin City: A Dame to Kill For as Hartigan
2014Altman as Self
2013RED 2 as Frank Moses
2013G.I. Joe: Retaliation as Joe Colton
2013Bruce Willis: Why the Legend Never Dies as Narrator (voice) / Self
2013A Good Day to Die Hard as John McClane
2012B.B. King: The Life of Riley as Self
2012Close Up as Self (archive footage)
2012Looper as Old Joe
2012Fire with Fire as Mike Cella
2012The Expendables 2 as Church
2012Lay the Favorite as Dink Heimowitz
2012Moonrise Kingdom as Captain Sharp
2012The Cold Light of Day as Martin
2012Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
2011Catch.44 as Mel
2011Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts as Self
2011Setup as Biggs
2011The Black Mamba as Mister Suave
2011His Way as Self
2010Inferno: The Making of 'The Expendables' as Self
2010RED as Frank Moses
2010I'm Still Here as Self - Guest
2010The Expendables as Mr. Church (uncredited)
2010Cop Out as Jimmy Monroe
2009Surrogates as Tom Greer
2008What Just Happened as Self
2008Shine a Light as Self - Concert Audience (uncredited)
2008Assassination of a High School President as Principal Kirkpatrick
2008Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis as Self
2007Live Free or Die Hard as John McClane
2007Nancy Drew as Bruce (uncredited)
2007Perfect Stranger as Harrison Hill
2007Planet Terror as Lieutenant Muldoon
2007Grindhouse as Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror")
2007The Astronaut Farmer as Doug Masterson (uncredited)
2006Tony Bennett: An American Classic as Self - Speaker
2006Fast Food Nation as Harry Rydell
2006America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions as Narrator (voice)
2006Hammy's Boomerang Adventure as RJ (voice)
2006Over the Hedge as RJ (voice)
2006The Hip Hop Project as Self
200616 Blocks as Jack Mosley
2006Lucky Number Slevin as Mr. Goodkat
2006Alpha Dog as Sonny Truelove
2005The Reichen Show as Self - Guest
2005My Date with Drew as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2005Sin City as Hartigan
2005Hostage as Jeff Talley
2004Ocean's Twelve as Bruce Willis
2004Genius. A Night for Ray Charles as Self
2004Grand Champion as Mr. Blandford
2004The Whole Ten Yards as Jimmy Tudeski
2003The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
2003Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle as William Rose Bailey (uncredited)
2003Rugrats Go Wild as Spike (voice)
2003Tears of the Sun as Lieutenant A.K. Waters
2002Top Gear as Self
2002Pulp Fiction: The Facts as Self (archive footage)
2002The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies as Self - Interviewee (uncredited)
2002True West as Lee
2002Hart's War as Col. William A. McNamara
2001Bandits as Joseph Blake
2000Unbreakable as David Dunn
2000The Kid as Russ Duritz
2000The Whole Nine Yards as Jimmy 'Tulipán' Tudeski
1999The Early Show as Self - Guest
1999The Story of Us as Ben Jordan
1999The Sixth Sense as Malcolm Crowe
1999Where Are They Now? as Self
1999Breakfast of Champions as Dwayne Hoover
1998The Siege as Major-General William Devereaux
1998That '70s Show as Vic
1998Armageddon as Harry S. Stamper
1998Mercury Rising as Art Jeffries
1998The Entertainment Biz as Self
1998Armageddon: Target Earth as Self
1997The Jackal as The Jackal
1997Ally McBeal as Dr. Nickle (uncredited)
1997The View as Self
1997The Fifth Element as Korben Dallas
1997Bruno the Kid: The Animated Movie as Bruno the Kid (voice) (archive footage)
1997Taff as self
1996Beavis and Butt-Head Do America as Muddy (voice)
1996The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 'Twelve Monkeys' as Self
1996Bruno the Kid as Bruno the Kid (voice)
1996Last Man Standing as John Smith
1996E! True Hollywood Story as Self
1996The Daily Show as Self
1995Twelve Monkeys as James Cole
1995Four Rooms as Leo
1995Die Hard: With a Vengeance as John McClane
1995A Night to Die For as Self
1994Nobody's Fool as Carl Roebuck
1994Friends as Paul Stevens
1994Pulp Fiction as Butch Coolidge
1994Color of Night as Capa
1994Inside the Actors Studio as Self
1994North as Narrator (voice)
1993Striking Distance as Det. Tom Hardy
1993Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
1993Late Show with David Letterman as Self
1993National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as John McClane (uncredited)
1993Annie Leibovitz 1993 Phaidon Documentary as Self
1992Mad About You as Bruce Willis
1992Death Becomes Her as Dr. Ernest Menville
1992HBO First Look
1992HBO First Look as Self
1992The Player as Bruce Willis
1991The Last Boy Scout as Joe Hallenbeck
1991Billy Bathgate as Bo Weinberg
1991Hudson Hawk as Eddie 'Hudson Hawk' Hawkins
1991Mortal Thoughts as James Urbanski
1990The Bonfire of the Vanities as Peter Fallow
1990Look Who's Talking Too as Mikey (voice)
1990Seriously... Phil Collins as Self
1990Die Hard 2 as John McClane
1989Look Who's Talking as Mikey (voice)
1989Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary as Self
1989In Country as Emmett Smith
1989That's Adequate as Self
1988Die Hard as John McClane
1988Sunset as Tom Mix
1987Dolly as Self
1987Blind Date as Walter Davis
1987The Return of Bruno as Bruno Radolini
1987The Pointer Sisters: Up All Nite as Self
1986Barbra Streisand: One Voice as Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
1985The Twilight Zone as Peter Novins (segment "Shatterday")
1985Moonlighting as David Addison
1984Miami Vice as Tony Amato
1984Goldene Kamera as Self
1982The Verdict as Courtroom Observer (uncredited)
1981Prince of the City as Extra (uncredited)
1980A Guru Comes as Extra (uncredited)
1980The First Deadly Sin as Man Entering Diner as Delaney Leaves
1975Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1949The Emmy Awards as Self
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self









