Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. His career began on the off-Broadway stage in the 1970s. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989) and has since appeared 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.
Golden Raspberry Awards
Worst Screenplay
Known For
Split
(2017)
David Dunn (uncredited)
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
Butch Coolidge
Death Wish
(2018)
Paul Kersey
Surrogates
(2009)
Tom Greer
The Fifth Element
(1997)
Korben Dallas
Glass
(2019)
David Dunn / The Overseer
The Sixth Sense
(1999)
Malcolm Crowe
Unbreakable
(2000)
David Dunn
The Expendables
(2010)
Mr. Church (uncredited)
Twelve Monkeys
(1995)
James Cole
Die Hard
(1988)
John McClane
Die Hard 2
(1990)
John McClane
Armageddon
(1998)
Harry S. Stamper
Grindhouse
(2007)
Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror")
Looper
(2012)
Old Joe
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
(2014)
Hartigan
Full Filmography
Acting
The First Deadly Sin
(1980)
Man Entering Diner as Delaney Leaves
Ein Guru kommt
(1980)
Extra (uncredited)
Prince of the City
(1981)
Extra (uncredited)
The Verdict
(1982)
Courtroom Observer (uncredited)
Barbra Streisand: One Voice
(1986)
Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
Blind Date
(1987)
Walter Davis
The Return of Bruno
(1987)
Bruno Radolini
The Pointer Sisters: Up All Nite
(1987)
Self
Die Hard
(1988)
John McClane
Sunset
(1988)
Tom Mix
In Country
(1989)
Emmett Smith
Look Who's Talking
(1989)
Mikey (voice)
That's Adequate
(1989)
Himself
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
(1989)
Self
Die Hard 2
(1990)
John McClane
Look Who's Talking Too
(1990)
Mikey (voice)
The Bonfire of the Vanities
(1990)
Peter Fallow
Seriously... Phil Collins
(1990)
Self
Mortal Thoughts
(1991)
James Urbanski
Hudson Hawk
(1991)
Eddie 'Hudson Hawk' Hawkins
The Last Boy Scout
(1991)
Joe Hallenbeck
Billy Bathgate
(1991)
Bo Weinberg
The Player
(1992)
Bruce Willis
Death Becomes Her
(1992)
Dr. Ernest Menville
Striking Distance
(1993)
Det. Tom Hardy
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
(1993)
John McClane (uncredited)
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
Butch Coolidge
Color of Night
(1994)
Capa
Nobody's Fool
(1994)
Carl Roebuck
North
(1994)
Narrator
Four Rooms
(1995)
Leo (uncredited)
Twelve Monkeys
(1995)
James Cole
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
(1995)
John McClane
A Night to Die For
(1995)
Himself
The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 'Twelve Monkeys'
(1996)
Self
Last Man Standing
(1996)
John Smith
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
(1996)
Muddy Grimes (voice)
The Fifth Element
(1997)
Korben Dallas
The Jackal
(1997)
The Jackal
Bruno the Kid: The Animated Movie
(1997)
Bruno the Kid (voice) (archive footage)
Armageddon
(1998)
Harry S. Stamper
Mercury Rising
(1998)
Art Jeffries
The Siege
(1998)
Major-General William Devereaux
The Sixth Sense
(1999)
Malcolm Crowe
The Story of Us
(1999)
Ben Jordan
Breakfast of Champions
(1999)
Dwayne Hoover
The Whole Nine Yards
(2000)
Jimmy 'Tulipán' Tudeski
The Kid
(2000)
Russ Duritz
Unbreakable
(2000)
David Dunn
Bandits
(2001)
Joseph Blake
Hart's War
(2002)
Col. William A. McNamara
Grand Champion
(2002)
Mr. Blandford
True West
(2002)
Lee
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
(2002)
Self - Interviewee (uncredited)
Tears of the Sun
(2003)
Lieutenant A.K. Waters
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
(2003)
William Rose Bailey (uncredited)
Rugrats Go Wild
(2003)
Spike (voice)
The Whole Ten Yards
(2004)
Jimmy Tudeski
Ocean's Twelve
(2004)
Bruce Willis (uncredited)
Genius. A Night for Ray Charles
(2004)
Self
Sin City
(2005)
Det. John Hartigan
Hostage
(2005)
Jeff Talley
My Date with Drew
(2005)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lucky Number Slevin
(2006)
Mr. Goodkat
16 Blocks
(2006)
Jack Mosley
Alpha Dog
(2006)
Sonny Truelove
Over the Hedge
(2006)
RJ (voice)
Fast Food Nation
(2006)
Harry Rydell
The Hip Hop Project
(2006)
Himself
Tarantino's Mind
(2006)
Butch Coolidge (archive footage)
Hammy's Boomerang Adventure
(2006)
RJ (voice)
Tony Bennett: An American Classic
(2006)
Self - Speaker
Live Free or Die Hard
(2007)
John McClane
Planet Terror
(2007)
Lieutenant Muldoon
Perfect Stranger
(2007)
Harrison Hill
Grindhouse
(2007)
Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror")
Nancy Drew
(2007)
Bruce (uncredited)
The Astronaut Farmer
(2007)
Doug Masterson (uncredited)
What Just Happened
(2008)
Himself
Assassination of a High School President
(2008)
Principal Kirkpatrick
Shine a Light
(2008)
Self - Concert Audience (uncredited)
Surrogates
(2009)
Tom Greer
Cop Out
(2010)
Jimmy Monroe
RED
(2010)
Frank Moses
I'm Still Here
(2010)
Self - Guest
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
The Expendables
(2010)
Mr. Church (uncredited)
Inferno: The Making of 'The Expendables'
(2010)
Self
Setup
(2011)
Biggs
Catch.44
(2011)
Mel
The Black Mamba
(2011)
Mister Suave
His Way
(2011)
Self
Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts
(2011)
Self
Lay the Favorite
(2012)
Dink Heimowitz
The Expendables 2
(2012)
Church
The Cold Light of Day
(2012)
Martin
Looper
(2012)
Old Joe
Moonrise Kingdom
(2012)
Captain Sharp
B.B. King: The Life of Riley
(2012)
Self
Fire with Fire
(2012)
Mike Cella
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
(2012)
(archive footage)
Close Up
(2012)
Self (archive footage)
A Good Day to Die Hard
(2013)
John McClane
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
(2013)
Joe Colton
RED 2
(2013)
Frank Moses
Bruce Willis: Why the Legend Never Dies
(2013)
Himself
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
(2014)
Hartigan
The Prince
(2014)
Omar
Altman
(2014)
Self
Vice
(2015)
Julian
Rock the Kasbah
(2015)
Bombay Brian
Extraction
(2015)
Leonard Turner
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
(2015)
Self / Cap Sharp
Precious Cargo
(2016)
Eddie
Marauders
(2016)
Hubert
Tony Bennett Celebrates 90
(2016)
Self
First Kill
(2017)
Howell
Split
(2017)
David Dunn (uncredited)
Once Upon a Time in Venice
(2017)
Steve
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
(2017)
Self - Actor (archive footage)
Air Strike
(2018)
Jack
Death Wish
(2018)
Paul Kersey
Acts of Violence
(2018)
Detective James Avery
Reprisal
(2018)
James
Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis
(2018)
Self
Glass
(2019)
David Dunn / The Overseer
Motherless Brooklyn
(2019)
Frank Minna
10 Minutes Gone
(2019)
Rex
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
(2019)
Bruce Willis (voice)
Between Two Ferns: The Movie
(2019)
Bruce Willis (archive footage)
Trauma Center
(2019)
Lt. Det. Wakes
QT8: The First Eight
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
Survive the Night
(2020)
Frank
Breach
(2020)
Clay Young
Hard Kill
(2020)
Chalmers
Bruce Willis, l'indestructible
(2020)
Cosmic Sin
(2021)
James Ford
Midnight in the Switchgrass
(2021)
Karl Helter
Deadlock
(2021)
Ron Whitlock
Apex
(2021)
Thomas Malone
Out of Death
(2021)
Jack Harris
Survive the Game
(2021)
David
Fortress
(2021)
Robert
American Siege
(2022)
Ben Watts
Paradise City
(2022)
Ian Swan
White Elephant
(2022)
Arnold Soloman
A Day to Die
(2022)
Alston
Corrective Measures
(2022)
Julius 'The Lobe' Loeb
Fortress: Sniper's Eye
(2022)
Robert
Vendetta
(2022)
Donnie Fetter
Gasoline Alley
(2022)
Detective Freeman
Wrong Place
(2022)
Frank
Wire Room
(2022)
Shane Mueller
Detective Knight: Rogue
(2022)
Det. James Knight
Detective Knight: Redemption
(2022)
Det. James Knight
Assassin
(2023)
Valmora
Detective Knight: Independence
(2023)
Det. James Knight
Sly
(2023)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Production
The Return of Bruno
(1987)
Producer
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
(2002)
Executive Producer
True West
(2002)
Executive Producer
Hostage
(2005)
Producer
Sound
Writing