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