Bruce Willis
Biography
Walter Bruce Willis is a retired American actor and singer born on March 19, 1955, in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany. Known for his portrayals of wisecracking or hard-edged characters, he became a prominent figure in Hollywood, particularly within the action genre. Willis gained widespread recognition for his work in both television and film, establishing himself as a major star throughout his career. His background includes a German mother and an American father. Throughout his professional life, he has been credited with appearing in over one hundred films, many of which have achieved significant commercial success, with his collective filmography grossing in excess of 2.5 billion USD. He is currently recognized as a retired performer.
Career overview
Bruce Willis began his acting career on the off-Broadway stage during the 1970s. He first achieved fame in the mid-1980s with a leading role as a detective on the comedy-drama television series Moonlighting, which aired from 1985 to 1989. This role brought him significant public attention and served as a springboard for his transition into feature films. He subsequently became a Hollywood icon of the action genre, most notably for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard film franchise, a role he played from 1988 through 2013.
Beyond the Die Hard series, Willis has appeared in a vast array of motion pictures. His filmography includes notable titles such as The Last Boy Scout, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, Last Man Standing, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, Hart's War, Tears of the Sun, Hostage, and Sin City. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his ability to anchor blockbuster productions, maintaining his status as one of Hollywood's most prominent stars. His extensive body of work encompasses over one hundred film credits, showcasing his versatility in playing various character types across multiple decades of cinema.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Bruce Willis : les secrets d'une icône (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- Sly (2023) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Assassin (2023) as Valmora
- Detective Knight: Independence (2023) as Det. James Knight
- The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- Vendetta (2022) as Donnie Fetter
- Paradise City (2022) as Ian Swan
- Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022) as Robert
- Detective Knight: Redemption (2022) as Det. James Knight
- Corrective Measures (2022) as Julius 'The Lobe' Loeb
- White Elephant (2022) as Arnold Soloman
- A Day to Die (2022) as Alston
- Gasoline Alley (2022) as Detective Freeman
- Detective Knight: Rogue (2022) as Det. James Knight
- Wrong Place (2022) as Frank
- American Siege (2022) as Ben Watts
- Wire Room (2022) as Shane Mueller
- Apex (2021) as Thomas Malone
- Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021) as Karl Helter
- Cosmic Sin (2021) as James Ford
- Out of Death (2021) as Jack Harris
- Fortress (2021) as Robert
- Survive the Game (2021) as David
- Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- Deadlock (2021) as Ron Whitlock
- Bruce Willis, l'indestructible (2020)
- Breach (2020) as Clay Young
- Hard Kill (2020) as Chalmers
- Survive the Night (2020) as Frank
- Glass (2019) as David Dunn / The Overseer
- The Movies That Made Us (2019) as Det. John McClane (archive footage)
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) as Bruce Willis (voice)
- Motherless Brooklyn (2019) as Frank Minna
- 10 Minutes Gone (2019) as Rex
- Trauma Center (2019) as Lt. Det. Wakes
- Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) as Bruce Willis (archive footage)
- Death Wish (2018) as Paul Kersey
- James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction (2018) as Self
- Acts of Violence (2018) as Detective James Avery
- Air Strike (2018) as Jack
- Reprisal (2018) as James
- Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis (2018) as Self
- The Orville (2017) as Groogen (voice)
- Split (2017) as David Dunn (uncredited)
- First Kill (2017) as Howell
- Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017) as Steve
- The Rolling Stones: From the Vault - Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda Theatre 2015 (2017) as Self - Audience Member
- John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood (2017) as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Precious Cargo (2016) as Eddie
- Marauders (2016) as Hubert
- Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 (2016) as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- Vice (2015) as Julian
- Rock the Kasbah (2015) as Bombay Brian
- Extraction (2015) as Leonard Turner
- Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' (2015) as Self / Cap Sharp
- Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) as Hartigan
- The Prince (2014) as Omar
- Altman (2014) as Self
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) as Joe Colton
- A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) as John McClane
- RED 2 (2013) as Frank Moses
- Bruce Willis: Why the Legend Never Dies (2013) as Narrator (voice) / Self
- Looper (2012) as Old Joe
- The Expendables 2 (2012) as Church
- Moonrise Kingdom (2012) as Captain Sharp
- Fire with Fire (2012) as Mike Cella
- The Cold Light of Day (2012) as Martin
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) as (archive footage)
- Lay the Favorite (2012) as Dink Heimowitz
- Close Up (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- B.B. King: The Life of Riley (2012) as Self
- Catch.44 (2011) as Mel
- Setup (2011) as Biggs
- His Way (2011) as Self
- Gorillaz - Single Collection 2001-2011 (2011)
- Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts (2011) as Self
- Conan (2010) as Self - Guest
- RED (2010) as Frank Moses
- The Expendables (2010) as Mr. Church (uncredited)
- Cop Out (2010) as Jimmy Monroe
- I'm Still Here (2010) as Self - Guest
- Inferno: The Making of 'The Expendables' (2010) as Self
- Surrogates (2009) as Tom Greer
- Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (2008) as Self
- Shine a Light (2008) as Self - Concert Audience (uncredited)
- Assassination of a High School President (2008) as Principal Jared T. Kirkpatrick
- What Just Happened (2008) as Bruce Willis
- Live Free or Die Hard (2007) as John McClane
- Planet Terror (2007) as Lieutenant Muldoon
- Grindhouse (2007) as Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror")
- Perfect Stranger (2007) as Harrison Hill
- The Astronaut Farmer (2007) as Doug Masterson (uncredited)
- Nancy Drew (2007) as Bruce (uncredited)
- Over the Hedge (2006) as RJ (voice)
- Lucky Number Slevin (2006) as Mr. Goodkat
- America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions (2006) as Narrator (voice)
- 16 Blocks (2006) as Jack Mosley
- Alpha Dog (2006) as Sonny Truelove
- Fast Food Nation (2006) as Harry Rydell
- The Hip Hop Project (2006) as Self
- The Hip Hop Project (2006) Executive Producer
- Hammy's Boomerang Adventure (2006) as RJ (voice)
- Tony Bennett: An American Classic (2006) as Self - Speaker
- The Reichen Show (2005) as Self - Guest
- Sin City (2005) as Hartigan
- Hostage (2005) as Jeff Talley
- Hostage (2005) Producer
- My Date with Drew (2005) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Ocean's Twelve (2004) as Bruce Willis
- Touching Evil (2004) Executive Producer
- The Whole Ten Yards (2004) as Jimmy Tudeski
- Grand Champion (2004) as Mr. Blandford
- Genius. A Night for Ray Charles (2004) as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Guest
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003) as Self
- Tears of the Sun (2003) as Lieutenant A.K. Waters
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) as William Rose Bailey (uncredited)
- Rugrats Go Wild (2003) as Spike (voice)
- Journey to Safety: Making 'Tears of the Sun' (2003) as Self
- Top Gear (2002) as Self
- Hart's War (2002) as Col. William A. McNamara
- The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002) Executive Producer
- Pulp Fiction: The Facts (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies (2002) as Self - Interviewee (uncredited)
- Pulp Fiction: Behind The Scenes Montages (2002)
- True West (2002) as Lee
- True West (2002) Executive Producer
- Bandits (2001) as Joseph Blake
- Unbreakable (2000) as David Dunn
- The Whole Nine Yards (2000) as Jimmy 'Tulipán' Tudeski
- The Kid (2000) as Russ Duritz
- The Sixth Sense (1999) as Malcolm Crowe
- Where Are They Now? (1999) as Self
- The Early Show (1999) as Self - Guest
- The Story of Us (1999) as Ben Jordan
- Breakfast of Champions (1999) as Dwayne Hoover
- That '70s Show (1998) as Vic
- Armageddon (1998) as Harry S. Stamper
- Mercury Rising (1998) as Art Jeffries
- The Entertainment Biz (1998) as Self
- The Siege (1998) as Major-General William Devereaux
- Armageddon: Target Earth (1998) as Self
- Jackie Chan: My Story (1998) Thanks
- The View (1997) as Self
- Taff (1997) as self
- The Fifth Element (1997) as Korben Dallas
- Ally McBeal (1997) as Dr. Nickle (uncredited)
- The Jackal (1997) as The Jackal
- Bruno the Kid: The Animated Movie (1997) as Bruno the Kid (voice) (archive footage)
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self - Guest
- Last Man Standing (1996) as John Smith
- Bruno the Kid (1996) as Bruno the Kid (voice)
- Bruno the Kid (1996) Executive Producer
- Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) as Muddy (voice)
- E! True Hollywood Story (1996) as Self
- The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 'Twelve Monkeys' (1996) as Self
- Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) as John McClane
- Twelve Monkeys (1995) as James Cole
- Four Rooms (1995) as Leo (uncredited)
- A Night to Die For (1995) as Self
- Friends (1994) as Paul Stevens
- Pulp Fiction (1994) as Butch Coolidge
- Nobody's Fool (1994) as Carl Roebuck
- Color of Night (1994) as Dr. Bill Capa
- North (1994) as Narrator (voice)
- Inside the Actors Studio (1994) as Self
- Late Show with David Letterman (1993) as Self
- Late Show with David Letterman (1993) as Self - Guest
- Late Show with David Letterman (1993) as Self - Top Ten Presenter
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- Striking Distance (1993) as Tom Hardy
- National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) as John McClane (uncredited)
- Annie Leibovitz 1993 Phaidon Documentary (1993) as Self
- Mad About You (1992) as Bruce Willis
- HBO First Look (1992)
- HBO First Look (1992) as Self
- Death Becomes Her (1992) as Dr. Ernest Menville
- The Player (1992) as Bruce Willis
- The Last Boy Scout (1991) as Joe Hallenbeck
- Hudson Hawk (1991) as Eddie 'Hudson Hawk' Hawkins
- Hudson Hawk (1991) Story
- Billy Bathgate (1991) as Bo Weinberg
- Mortal Thoughts (1991) as James Urbanski
- Die Hard 2 (1990) as John McClane
- The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) as Peter Fallow
- Look Who's Talking Too (1990) as Mikey (voice)
- Seriously... Phil Collins (1990) as Self
- Look Who's Talking (1989) as Mikey (voice)
- That's Adequate (1989) as Self
- In Country (1989) as Emmett Smith
- Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary (1989) as Self
- Die Hard (1988) as John McClane
- Sunset (1988) as Tom Mix
- Dolly (1987) as Self
- Blind Date (1987) as Walter Davis
- The Return of Bruno (1987) as Bruno Radolini
- The Return of Bruno (1987) Original Music Composer
- The Return of Bruno (1987) Producer
- The Return of Bruno (1987) Writer
- The Pointer Sisters: Up All Nite (1987) as Self
- Barbra Streisand: One Voice (1986) as Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
- Moonlighting (1985) as David Addison
- The Twilight Zone (1985) as Peter Novins (segment "Shatterday")
- Miami Vice (1984) as Tony Amato
- Miami Vice (1984) Songs
- Goldene Kamera (1984) as Self
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982) as Self - Guest
- The Verdict (1982) as Courtroom Observer (uncredited)
- Prince of the City (1981) as Extra (uncredited)
- The First Deadly Sin (1980) as Man Entering Diner as Delaney Leaves (uncredited)
- A Guru Comes (1980) as Extra (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self - Host
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self (uncredited)
- The Emmy Awards (1949) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self