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Biography
other persons|Walter WillisInfobox person| name = Bruce Willis| image = Bruce Willis by Gage Skidmore.jpg| caption = Willis at the San Diego Comic-Con International , July 2010| birth_name = Walter Bruce Willis| birth_date = Birth date and age|mf=yes|1955|3|19| birth_place = Idar-Oberstein , West Germany | occupation = Actor, producer, musician| years_active = 1980–present| other_names = W.B. Willis Bruno| spouse = Demi Moore (1987–2000) Emma Heming (2009–present)| children = Rumer Willis , Scout Willis, Tallulah Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March& nbsp;19, 1955), is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard (franchise)| Die Hard series , which were mostly critical and uniformly financial successes. He has also appeared in over sixty films, including box office successes like Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Sin City (film)|Sin City (2005), and Red (2010 film)|Red (2010).
Motion pictures featuring Willis have Gross (economics)|grossed US$2.64 billion to 3.05 billion at North American box office s, making him the ninth highest-grossing actor in a leading role and twelfth highest including supporting roles.cite web|publisher= Box Office Mojo |title=People Index|url= http://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/? view=Actor& sort=sumgross& p=.htm|accessdate=August 29, 2010cite web|title=All Time Top 100 Stars at the Box Office|publisher=The Numbers|url= http://www.the-numbers.com/people/records/|accessdate=August 29, 2010 He is a two-time Emmy Award -winning, Golden Globe Award -winning and four-time Saturn Award -nominated actor. Willis was married to actress Demi Moore and they had three daughters before their divorce in 2000, following thirteen years of marriage.
Early life
Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein , West Germany . His mother, Marlene K., was German and born in Kaufungen near Kassel, Germany|Kassel , and his father, David Willis, was an United States European Command|American soldier from Southeastern Idaho of English ancestry.cite news|title=Surprise German visit from Willis|publisher=BBC News|date=August 8, 2005 |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4132632.stm|accessdate=May 9, 2009cite news|last=Lipworth|first=Elaine|title=Die Another Day: Bruce Willis|publisher= Daily Mail |url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/live/live.html? in_article_id=462215& in_page_id=1889|date=June 16, 2007|accessdate=May 9, 2009Archerd, Army. (2003-12-11) http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117897071? refCatId=1000 Inside Move: Flu KOs Smart Set yule bash – Entertainment News, Other News, Media. Variety. Retrieved on 2011-11-14. Willis is the eldest of four children: he has a sister, Florence, and a brother, David. His brother Robert died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, aged 42.cite web|url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117802168|title=Robert Willis Obituary|date=July 1, 2001|accessdate=June 23, 2011|work= Variety (magazine)|Variety After being discharged from the military in 1957, Willis's father took his family back to Carneys Point Township, New Jersey|Carneys Point, New Jersey .Stated on Inside the Actors Studio , 2001 Willis has described himself as having come from a "long line of blue collar people"; his mother worked in a bank and his father was a welder, master mechanic, and factory worker.cite web|last=Barnard|first=Sarah|title=Bruce Willis|publisher= The Biography Channel |url= http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/294:118/1/Bruce_Willis.htm|accessdate=May 9, 2009 Willis attended Penns Grove High School in his hometown, where he encountered issues with a stuttering|stutter . He was nicknamed Buck-Buck by his schoolmates.cite news|last=Petersen|first=Melody|title=Bruce Willis Drops Project, Leaving Town More Troubled|publisher=The New York Times|date=May 9, 1997 |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=9A02E6DF1439F93AA35756C0A961958260 |accessdate=May 9, 2009cite news|publisher= Reader's Digest |title=Bruce Willis: The Uncut Interview |url= http://www.rd.com/images/content/021102/bruce_willis_interview.pdf|year=2002 |format=PDF |accessdate=May 9, 2009 Finding it easy to express himself on stage and losing his stutter in the process, Willis began performing on stage and his high school activities were marked by such things as the drama club and student council president.
After high school, Willis took a job as a security guard at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant cite episode |title=Bruce Willis |series= The Daily Show |network= Comedy Central |station= |airdate=June 26, 2007 |url= http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-26-2007/bruce-willis and also transported work crews at the DuPont Chambers Works factory in Deepwater, New Jersey .cite news|last=Segal|first=David|title=Bruce Willis's Tragic Mask|publisher=The Washington Post|date=March 10, 2005|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22175-2005Mar9.html|accessdate=May 9, 2009
After working as a private investigator (a role he would play in the television series Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting as well as in the 1991 film, The Last Boy Scout ), Willis returned to acting. He enrolled in the drama program at Montclair State University , where he was cast in the class production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof . Willis left school in his junior year and moved to New York City.
After multiple auditions, Willis made his theater debut in the off-Broadway production of Heaven and Earth . He gained more experience and exposure in Fool for Love (play)|Fool for Love , and in a Levi's commercial.
Career
Early career
Willis left New York City and headed to California to audition for several television shows. In 1984, he appeared in an episode of the TV series Miami Vice , titled "No Exit."IMDb name|246 He auditioned for the role of David Addison Jr. of the television series Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting (1985–89), competing against 3,000 other actors for the position.cite web|title=Yahoo& #33; Movies|work=Bruce Willis Biography |url= http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018749/bio|accessdate=May 9, 2009 The starring role, opposite Cybill Shepherd , helped to establish him as a comedic actor, with the show lasting five seasons. During the height of the show's success, beverage maker Seagram hired Willis as the pitchman for their Golden Wine Cooler products.cite news|title=How Bruce Willis Keeps His Cool|publisher=Time|url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1635812,00.html|date=June 21, 2007 |accessdate=May 10, 2009 The advertising campaign paid the rising star between $5–7 million over two years. In spite of that, Willis chose not to renew his contract with the company when he decided to stop drinking alcohol in 1988.cite news|last=Grobel|first=Lawrence|title=Playboy Interview: Bruce Willis|publisher= Playboy |pages=59–79|date=November 1988
One of his first major film roles was in the 1987 Blake Edwards film Blind Date (1987 film)|Blind Date , with Kim Basinger and John Larroquette . Edwards cast him again to play the real-life cowboy actor Tom Mix in Sunset (film)|Sunset (1988). However, it was his then-unexpected turn in the film Die Hard (1988) that catapulted him to movie star status. He performed most of his own stunt s in the film,cite web|title=Bruce Willis: Biography|publisher= People (magazine)|People |url= http://www.people.com/people/bruce_willis/biography|accessdate=May 9, 2009 and the film grossed $138,708,852 worldwide.cite web|publisher= Box Office Mojo |title=Die Hard|url= http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/? id=diehard.htm|accessdate=May 9, 2009 Following his success with Die Hard , he had a supporting role in the drama In Country as Vietnam veteran Emmett Smith and also provided the voice for a talking baby in '' Look Who's Talking , as well as its sequel Look Who's Talking Too .
In the late 1980s, Willis enjoyed moderate success as a recording artist , recording an album of pop-blues titled The Return of Bruno (album)|The Return of Bruno , which included the hit single " Respect Yourself ",cite web|title=Top 100 Songs of 1987|publisher=The Eighties Club|url= http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id224.htm|accessdate=May 9, 2009 promoted by a This Is Spinal Tap|Spinal Tap -like rockumentary parody featuring scenes of him performing at famous events including Woodstock . Follow-up recordings were not as successful, though Willis has returned to the recording studio several times. See Discography below.
1990s
Willis acquired major personal success and pop culture influence playing John McClane in 1988's Die Hard . This film was followed up by Die Hard 2: Die Harder in 1990 and Die Hard with a Vengeance in 1995. These first three installments in the Die Hard (franchise)|Die Hard series grossed over US$700 million internationally and propelled Willis to the first rank of Hollywood action stars.
In the early 1990s in film|1990s , Willis's career suffered a moderate slump starring in Box office bomb|flops such as The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)|The Bonfire of the Vanities , Striking Distance , and a film he co-wrote titled Hudson Hawk , among others. He starred in a leading role in the highly sexualized thriller Color of Night (1994), which was very poorly received by critics, but did well in the home video market and became one of the Top 20 most-rented films in the United States in 1995. Billboard (magazine)|Billboard vol 108 #1 (1/6/1996) p.54. However, in 1994, he had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino 's acclaimed Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction , which gave a new boost to his career. In 1996, he was the executive producer of the cartoon Bruno the Kid which featured a Computer-generated imagery|CGI representation of himself.cite web|title=Bruce Willis Biography (1955–)|publisher=Filmreference|url= http://www.filmreference.com/film/99/Bruce-Willis.html|accessdate=May 9, 2009
He went on to play the lead roles in Twelve Monkeys (1995) and The Fifth Element (1997). However, by the end of the 1990s, his career had fallen into another slump with critically panned films like The Jackal (1997 film)|The Jackal , Mercury Rising , and Breakfast of Champions (film)|Breakfast of Champions , saved only by the success of the Michael Bay -directed Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon which was the highest grossing film of 1998 worldwide.cite web|title=1998 Worldwide Grosses|publisher= Box Office Mojo |url= http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/? view2=worldwide& yr=1998& p=.htm|accessdate=May 9, 2009 The same year his voice and likeness were featured in the PlayStation video game Apocalypse (video game)|Apocalypse .cite news|last=Walk|first=Gary Eng|title="Apocalypse" Now|publisher= Entertainment Weekly |url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286028,00.html|date=December 4, 1998 |accessdate=May 9, 2009 In 1999, Willis then went on to the starring role in M. Night Shyamalan 's film, The Sixth Sense . The film was both a commercial and critical success and helped to increase interest in his acting career.
2000s–2010s
In 2000, Willis won an Emmy Award|Emmy http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/bruce-willis Bruce Willis Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Friends (in which he played the father of Ross Geller 's much-younger girlfriend).cite news|title=The 52nd Annual Emmy Awards|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|url= http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/59857880.xml? dids=59857880:59857880& FMT=ABS& FMTS=ABS:FT& type=current& date=Sep+11%2C+2000& author=BRIAN+LOWRY& pub=Los+Angeles+Times& desc=THE+52ND+ANNUAL+EMMY+AWARDS%3B+Veterans+Top+List+of+Creative+Arts+Winners%3B+Veterans+Lead+in+Creative+Fields& pqatl=google |date=September 11, 2000|accessdate=May 9, 2009 He was also nominated for a 2001 American Comedy Award (in the Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series category) for his work on Friends . Also in 2000, Willis played Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski in The Whole Nine Yards (film)|The Whole Nine Yards alongside Matthew Perry . Willis was originally cast as Terry Benedict in '' Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)|Ocean's Eleven '' (2001) but dropped out to work on recording an album.cite news|last=Rohan|first=Virginia|title=Let's Make a Deal|publisher= The Record (Bergen County)|The Record |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-95921703.html|format=Registration required|date=June 28, 2004|accessdate=May 9, 2009 In '' Ocean's Twelve (2004), he makes a cameo appearance as himself. In 2007, he appeared in the Planet Terror half of the double feature Grindhouse (film)|Grindhouse '' as the villain , a mutant soldier. This marks Willis's second collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez , following Sin City .
Willis has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman several times throughout his career. He filled in for an ill David Letterman on his show February 26, 2003, when he was supposed to be a guest.cite news|last=Susman|first=Gary|title=The Eyes Have It|publisher= Entertainment Weekly |url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,427601,00.html|date=February 28, 2003|accessdate=May 9, 2009 On many of his appearances on the show, Willis stages elaborate jokes, such as wearing a day-glo orange suit in honor of the The Gates|Central Park gates , having one side of his face made up with simulated buckshot wounds after the Dick Cheney hunting incident|Harry Whittington shooting , or trying to break a record (parody of David Blaine ) of staying underwater for only twenty seconds.
On April 12, 2007, he appeared again, this time wearing a Sanjaya Malakar wig.cite web|title=The Week's Best Celeb Quotes|publisher= People (magazine)|People |url= http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20035205,00.html|date=August 17, 2007|accessdate=May 9, 2009 His most recent appearance was on June 25, 2007 when he appeared wearing a mini-turbine strapped to his head to accompany a joke about his own fictional documentary titled An Unappealing Hunch (a wordplay of An Inconvenient Truth ).cite web|title=Bruce Willis Wears Mini-Wind Turbine On His Head|work=Star Pulse|url= http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/06/26/bruce_willis_wears_mini_wind_turbine_on_|accessdate=May 9, 2009 Willis also appeared on Japanese Subaru Legacy television commercials.cite web|title=1991 Subaru Legacy Ad|publisher=YouTube|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=yKopOLKEWfE|accessdate=May 9, 2009 Tying in with this, Subaru did a limited run of Legacys, badged "Subaru Legacy Touring Bruce", in honor of Willis.
Willis has appeared in four films with Samuel L. Jackson (National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 , Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction , Die Hard with a Vengeance , and Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable ) and both actors were slated to work together in Black Water Transit , before dropping out. Willis also worked with his eldest daughter, Rumer Willis|Rumer , in the 2005 in film|2005 film Hostage (film)|Hostage . In 2007, he appeared in the Thriller (genre)|thriller Perfect Stranger (film)|Perfect Stranger , opposite Halle Berry , the crime/drama film Alpha Dog , opposite Sharon Stone , and marked his return to the role of John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard . Recently he appeared in the films What Just Happened and Surrogates (film)|Surrogates , based on the The Surrogates|comic book of the same name .cite news |last=Fleming |first=Michael |coauthors=Tatiana Siegel |title=Films halted due to strike |work= Variety (magazine)|Variety |url= http://www.variety.com/VR1117976244.html |date=November 18, 2007 |accessdate=May 9, 2009
Willis was slated to play U.S. Army general William R. Peers in director Oliver Stone|Oliver Stone's Pinkville , a drama about the investigation of the 1968 My Lai Massacre .cite web |last=Mayberry |first=Carly |title=The Vine: Pitt targeted for 'Pinkville'|url= http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i26138003c343f1a17dd721b6e61885d2|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080501222251/ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i26138003c343f1a17dd721b6e61885d2|archivedate=2008-05-01 |format=Registration required |work= The Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=May 9, 2009 However, due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike , the film was cancelled. Willis appeared on the 2008 Blues Traveler album North Hollywood Shootout , giving a spoken word performance over an instrumental blues-rock jam on the track "Free Willis (Ruminations from Behind Uncle Bob's Machine Shop)". In early 2009, he appeared in an advertising campaign to publicize the insurance company Norwich Union 's change of name to Aviva .cite news |last=Dunkley |first=Jamie |title=Aviva lambasted for rebranding costs |work= The Daily Telegraph |date=April 29, 2009 |accessdate=May 9, 2009 |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/insurance/5246121/Aviva-lambasted-for-rebranding-costs.html | location=London
Willis starred with Tracy Morgan in the comedy Cop Out (2010 film)|Cop Out , directed by Kevin Smith and about two police detectives investigating the theft of a baseball card.cite web|title=Bruce Willis Circling Several New Movies |publisher= Empire (magazine)|Empire |url= http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp? NID=24691 |accessdate=May 9, 2009 The film was released in February 2010. Willis appeared in the music video for the song " Stylo (song)|Stylo " by Gorillaz .cite web|title=Bruce Willis takes aim at Gorillaz in Stylo video|work= Billboard (magazine)| Billboard |url= http://www.billboard.com/column/viralvideos/bruce-willis-takes-aim-at-gorillaz-in-stylo-1004072014.story|accessdate= March 2, 2009 Also in 2010, he appeared in a cameo with former Planet Hollywood co-owners and '80s action stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film The Expendables (2010 film)|The Expendables . Bruce Willis played the role of "Mr. Church". This was the first time these three legendary action stars appeared on screen together. Although the scene featuring the three was short, it was one of the most highly anticipated scenes in the film. The trio filmed their scene in an empty church on October 24, 2009. http://www.newsinfilm.com/2009/10/25/stallone-on-rocky-7-plus-expendables-update/ Stallone Shot a Scene with Arnold and Bruce News in Film His most recent project was Red (2010 film)|Red , an adaptation of the comic book mini-series Red (comics)|of the same name , in which he portrayed Frank Moses. The film was released on October 15, 2010.cite web|url= http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/18/red-begins-principal-photography/|title=Red Begins Principal Photography |publisher= /Film |date=January 18, 2010|accessdate=January 18, 2010
Upcoming films
Willis will star in the movie adaptation of the video game Kane & Lynch: Dead Men , named Kane & Lynch (film)|Kane & Lynch .cite web |title=Bruce Willis To Star in 'Kane and Lynch' |publisher=MTV |url= http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/10/21/bruce-willis-to-star-in-kane-and-lynch-movie/ |date=October 21, 2009 |accessdate=October 27, 2009 He will also star in the upcoming movies Catch .44 , The Cold Light of Day (film)|The Cold Light of Day , Moonrise Kingdom , and Looper (film)|Looper .
On October 12, 2011, it was announced that A Good Day to Die Hard would see a February 14, 2013 (Valentine's Day) release, with Willis reprising his most famous role of John McClane for a fifth time.cite web|url= http://news.yahoo.com/die-hard-5-given-name-2013-release-date-000633481.html|title=Die Hard 5 Given a Name and a 2013 Release Date|publisher=Yahoo& #33; News|date=October 12, 2011|accessdate=November 29, 2011
Sylvester Stallone revealed that he is talking to Willis about returning for The Expendables sequel. Stallone has said that he wants to expand Willis' role and that he wants Willis to play the villain in the next Expendables. Willis will be starring in the sequel on a more expanded role.cite web | date = August 29, 2010 | author = Jason Barr | title = Sylvester Stallone Wants Bruce Willis to Play a "Super Villain" in THE EXPENDABLES Sequel | url = http://www.collider.com/2010/08/29/the-expendables-sequel-sylvester-stallone-bruce-willis-super-villain/ They have talked about Willis' schedule and possible actors that could join the sequel.
Filming for a new movie, Moonrise Kingdom , starring Bruce Willis alongside Bill Murray , Edward Norton and Frances McDormand , is expected to begin in the first half of 2011. Filming will take place in Rhode Island under the direction of Wes Anderson .cite news|title=Film starring Bruce Willis to be shot in RI|url= http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2011/03/24/film_starring_bruce_willis_to_be_shot_in_ri/|accessdate=6 April 2011|newspaper= Boston Globe |date=24 March 2011|agency= Associated Press |location= Providence, R.I. |quote=Steven Feinberg, executive director for the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, says on-site work on the film, 'Moonrise Kingdom,' is scheduled to begin this spring. Feinberg says the film will be shot in several locations in Rhode Island.
Willis will team up with 50 Cent in a new film directed by David Barrett (director)|David Barrett called Fire with Fire (2012 film)|Fire with Fire , starring opposite Josh Duhamel about a fireman who must save the love of his life.cite news|last=Anderton|first=Ethan|title=Bruce Willis and 50 Cent Teaming Up Again to Fight 'Fire with Fire'|url= http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/bruce-willis-and-50-cent-teaming-up-again-to-fight-fire-with-fire/|accessdate=6 May 2011|newspaper=Firstshowing.net|date=5 May 2011|agency= Variety (magazine)!Variety |quote=Now Variety reports that for some reason, the two will team-up again for an indie drama called Fire with Fire . Willis will also join Vince Vaughn and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Lay the Favorite , directed by Stephen Frears , about a Las Vegas cocktail waitress who becomes an elite professional gambler.cite news|last=Bettinger|first=Brendan|title=Vince Vaughn Joins Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in LAY THE FAVORITE|url= http://collider.com/vince-vaughn-lay-the-favorite/89285/|accessdate=6 May 2011|newspaper=Collider.com|date=5 May 2011|quote=Vince Vaughn will join Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the gambling drama Lay the Favorite . The two films will be distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment|Lionsgate Entertainment .
Business activities
Willis owns property in Los Angeles , rents an apartment in the Trump Tower (New York)|Trump Tower in New York City ,cite web|title=Bruce Willis Moves Into Trump Towers|publisher=SoFeminine.ca|url= http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/w/star/n117308/news/Bruce-Willis-Moves-Into-Trump-Towers.html|accessdate=May 10, 2009 and Trump Place,cite news|last=Abelson|first=Max|title=Bruce Willis Pays $4.26 M. for Trump Enemy's Condo|publisher= The New York Observer |url= http://www.observer.com/2007/bruce-willis-pays-4-26-m-trump-enemys-condo|date=November 5, 2007|accessdate=May 10, 2009 as well as a home in Malibu, California , a ranch in Montana , a beach home on Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos , and multiple properties in Sun Valley, Idaho .
Willis started his own motion picture production company called Cheyenne Enterprises , which he started with his business partner Arnold Rifkin in 2000. He left the company to be run solely by Rifkin in 2007 after Live Free or Die Hard.cite news|last=Fleming|first=Michael|title=Willis held 'Hostage'|publisher= Variety (magazine)|Variety |url= http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-26789071_ITM |format=Registration required|date=November 12, 2002|accessdate=May 10, 2009 He also owns several small businesses in Hailey, Idaho , including The Mint Bar and The Liberty Theater and is a co-founder of Planet Hollywood , with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone .cite news|last=Martinson|first=Jane|coauthors=Vikram Dodd|title=Planet Hollywood crashes to earth |publisher= Guardian.co.uk |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/1999/aug/18/janemartinson.vikramdodd |date=August 18, 1999|accessdate=May 10, 2009 | location=London In 2009 Willis signed a contract to become the international face of Belvédère (company)|Belvedere SA 's Sobieski Vodka in exchange for 3.3% ownership in the company.cite news |author=Baubeau, Amelie and David Kesmodel |title=Bruce Willis Sees Spirits in Equity Deal With Belvedere |url= http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574611690552812758.html |work=WSJ.com |date=December 23, 2009
Personal life
Willis' acting role models are Gary Cooper , Robert De Niro , Steve McQueen , and John Wayne .cite web|url= http://www.biography.com/articles/Bruce-Willis-9533244|publisher=biography.com|title=Bruce Willis Biography|accessdate=June 7, 2010
Marriages and family
At the premiere for the film Stakeout (film)|Stakeout , Willis met actress Demi Moore . Willis married Moore on November 21, 1987 and had three daughters: Rumer Glenn Willis|Rumer Willis (b. August 16, 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (b. July 20, 1991) and Tallulah Belle Willis (b. February 3, 1994) before the couple divorced on October 18, 2000. The couple gave no public reason for their breakup. Regarding the divorce, Willis stated, "I felt I had failed as a father and a husband by not being able to make it work." He credited actor Will Smith for helping him cope with the situation. After their breakup, rumors persisted that the couple planned to re-marry, until Moore married the actor Ashton Kutcher . Willis has maintained a close relationship with both Moore and Kutcher, even attending their wedding. Willis and Moore currently share custody of their daughters.
Willis was engaged to Brooke Burns until they broke up in 2004 after ten months together. He married Emma Heming in Turks and Caicos on March 21, 2009;cite news|title=Bruce Willis Married to Super Model Emma heming|url= http://www.celebrityness.com/2009/05/bruce-willis-married-22-years-younger.html|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5msOjCyn4|archivedate=January 18, 2010|accessdate=April 11, 2009 guests included his three daughters, Moore, and Kutcher. The ceremony was not legally binding, so the couple wed again in a civil ceremony in Beverly Hills six days later.cite news|title=Bruce and Emma make marriage legal|publisher= MSNBC |url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29923036/|date=March 27, 2009|accessdate=May 9, 2009 Willis has expressed interest in having more children. On October 26, 2011, Willis' rep announced he and Heming were expecting their first child together, his fourth. Nudd, Tim. (2011-10-26) http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20540053,00.html Bruce Willis, Emma Heming Expecting a Baby. People.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-14.
Religion
Bruce Willis was, at one point, Lutheranism|Lutheran (specifically Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod ),cite web|url= http://hope-elca.com/famous/ |title=Famous Lutherans |publisher=Hope-elca.com |date= |accessdate=2010-08-22 but no longer practices, after clarifying in a July 1998 interview with George (magazine)|George magazine:
cquote2|Organized religions in general, in my opinion, are dying forms", he says. "They were all very important when we didn't know why the sun moved, why weather changed, why hurricanes occurred, or volcanoes happened", he continues. "Modern religion is the end trail of modern mythology. But there are people who interpret the Bible literally. Literally& #33; I choose not to believe that's the way. And that's what makes America cool, you know? cite web|title=Celeb Atheist|work=Celebatheists.com|url= http://www.celebatheists.com/? title=Bruce_Willis|accessdate=May 10, 2009Verify credibility|it would be much better to just properly cite the george magazine article with title and page number|date=March 2010
Political views
In 1988, he and Moore actively campaigned for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis|Michael S. Dukakis 's Presidential bid. Four years later, he supported President George H. W. Bush for reelection and he was a vocal critic of Bill Clinton . However, in 1996, he declined to endorse Clinton's Republican Party (United States)|Republican opponent Bob Dole , because Dole had criticized Moore for her role in the film Striptease (film)|Striptease .cite news|last=Vincent|first=Mal|title=Playing the bad boy is a natural for Bruce Willis|publisher=HamptonRoads.com|url= http://hamptonroads.com/2006/03/playing-bad-boy-natural-bruce-willis|date=March 3, 2006|accessdate=May 10, 2009 Willis was an invited speaker at the 2000 Republican National Convention ,cite news|title=Bush and Cheney head toward Philadelphia as party vanguard makes preparations |publisher=CNN |url= http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/07/28/convention.wrap/index.html|date=July 28, 2000|accessdate=May 10, 2009 and actively supported George W. Bush that year. He did not make any contributions or public endorsements in the United States presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential campaign . In several June 2007 interviews, he declared that he still maintains some Republican Party (United States)|Republican ideologies.
In 2006, he proposed that the United States should invade Colombia , in order to end the drug trafficking .cite news|last=Walls|first=Jeannette|title=Bruce Willis blasts Colombian drug trade |publisher= MSNBC |url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11701188 |date=March 14, 2006|accessdate=May 10, 2009 In several interviews Willis has said that he supports large salaries for teachers and police officers, and says that he is disappointed in the United States' foster care and treatment of Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans .cite news|last=West|first=Kevin|title=A Big Ride of a Life|publisher= USA Weekend |url= http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/070624/070624bruce_willis.html |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5msOk4Dax |archivedate=January 18, 2010 |date=June 24, 2007 |accessdate=May 10, 2009 Willis also stated that he is a big supporter of gun politics|gun rights :
cquote2|"Everyone has a right to bear arms. If you take guns away from legal gun owners, then the only people who have guns are the bad guys." Even a pacifist, he insists, would get violent if someone were trying to kill him. "You would fight for your life."cite news |last=Roach |first=Mary|title=Being Bruce Willis|publisher= USA Weekend |url= http://www.usaweekend.com/00_issues/000213/000213willis.html |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5msOk5618 |archivedate=January 18, 2010 |date=February 13, 2000|accessdate=May 10, 2009 In February 2006, Willis appeared in Manhattan to talk about 16 Blocks with reporters. One reporter attempted to ask Willis about his opinion on current events, but was interrupted by Willis in mid-sentence: "I'm sick of answering this fucking question. I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government, I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop shitting on my money and your money and tax dollars that we give 50 percent of... every year. I want them to be fiscally responsible and I want these goddamn lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm a Republican... I hate the government, OK? I'm apolitical. Write that down. I'm not a Republican."cite web|title=Willis Is Mad As Hell...|publisher=MSN Movies|url= http://movies.msn.com/movies/hitlist/2-24-06? GT1=100|date=February 24, 2006|accessdate=May 10, 2009Dead link|date=November 2011
Willis's name was in an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times on August 17, 2006, that condemned Hamas and Hezbollah and supported Israel in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict . http://www.hollywoodgrind.com/nicole-kidman-and-84-others-stand-united-against-terrorism/ "Nicole Kidman and 84 Others Stand United Against Terrorism." Hollywood Grind . August 18, 2006.
Military pursuits
Throughout his film career, Willis has depicted several military characters in films such as The Siege , '' Hart's War , Tears of the Sun , and Grindhouse (film)|Grindhouse ''. Growing up in a military brat|military family , Willis has publicly sold Girl Scout cookies for the United States armed forces. In 2002, Willis's youngest daughter, Tallulah, suggested that he purchase Girl Scout cookies to send to troops. Willis purchased 12,000 boxes of cookies, and they were distributed to sailors aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)|USS John F. Kennedy and other troops stationed throughout the Middle East at the time.cite news|last=Smith|first=Leah N.|title=Bruce Willis Moonlights as Off-Screen Hero with Cookie Donation|publisher=USS John F. Kennedy Public Affairs |url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pnav/is_200205/ai_2244019612 |accessdate=June 24, 2007 | date=May 30, 2002 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071118171431/ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pnav/is_200205/ai_2244019612 |archivedate = November 18, 2007 In 2003, Willis visited Iraq as part of the United Service Organizations|USO tour, singing to the troops with his band, The Accelerators.cite news|last=Neal|first=Rome|title=Bruce Willis Sings For The Troops|publisher= CBS News |url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/26/entertainment/main575209.shtml|date=September 26, 2003|accessdate=May 10, 2009 Willis considered joining the military to help fight the second Iraq war , but was deterred by his age.cite news|title=Hollywood's right reluctant to join Iraq debate|publisher=CNN|url= http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/07/iraq.celebs.reut/|date=March 7, 2003|accessdate=May 10, 2009 It was believed he offered US$1 million to any non combatant who turns in terrorist leaders Osama bin Laden , Ayman al-Zawahiri , or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; in the June 2007 issue of Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair , however, he clarified that the statement was made hypothetically and not meant to be taken literally. Willis has also criticized the media for its coverage of the war, complaining that the press were more likely to focus on the negative aspects of the war:
cquote2|I went to Iraq because what I saw when I was over there was soldiers—young kids for the most part—helping people in Iraq; helping getting the power turned back on, helping get hospitals open, helping get the water turned back on and you don't hear any of that on the news. You hear, 'X number of people were killed today,' which I think does a huge disservice. It's like spitting on these young men and women who are over there fighting to help this country.cite web|title=Willis Fights for Iraqi Troops |publisher=Hollywood.com |url= http://www.hollywood.com/news/Bruce_Willis_Fights_for_Iraqi_Troops_/2436202 |date=March 9, 2005|accessdate=May 10, 2009 Willis stated in 2005 that he wanted to "make a pro-war film in which American soldiers will be depicted as brave fighters for freedom and democracy ."cite news|last=Baxter|first=Sarah|title=Bruce Willis comes out fighting for Iraq's forgotten GI heroes|publisher=The Times |url= http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article597133.ece |date=November 27, 2005|accessdate=May 10, 2009 | location=London The film would follow members of 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment|Deuce Four, the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry , who spent considerable time in Mosul and were decorated heavily for it. The film is to be based on the writings of blog ger Michael Yon , a former United States Army Special Forces soldier who was Embedded journalism|embedded with Deuce Four and sent regular dispatches about their activities. Willis described the Plot (narrative)|plot of the film as "these guys who do what they are asked for very little money to defend and fight for what they consider to be freedom."cite web|title=Willis to Make Movie Honoring U.S. Troops in Iraq |publisher=Hollywood.com |url= http://www.hollywood.com/news/Willis_to_Make_Movie_Honoring_US_Troops_in_Iraq/3469589 |date=November 28, 2005|accessdate=May 10, 2009
Controversy
Comments at playoffs
Willis, an avid New Jersey Nets fan, made controversial comments on April 29, 2007 during a live broadcast of a Nets home playoff game on The Sports Network|TSN by saying a catch phrase from his Die Hard (franchise)| Die Hard films , "Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherfucker", at the end of the interview.cite news|last=Feschuk|first=Dave|title=Learning the hard way |publisher=TheStar.com |url= http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/208749 |date=April 30, 2007|accessdate=May 10, 2009 | location=Torontocite web |publisher= Internet Movie Database |title=Willis Gets Naughty with Expletive at Basketball Game |url= http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/news? year=2007|date=May 2, 2007 |accessdate=May 10, 2009 Reacting to the backlash, he later blamed his actions on jet lag , stating: "Sometimes I overestimate my ability to function under duress with less than enough sleep".
"Walter_B"
On May 5, 2007, someone using the screen name "Walter_B" started posting detailed responses onto Ain't it Cool News , where people were discussing the fact that Live Free or Die Hard received a PG-13 rating, instead of an R rating like the earlier three Die Hard films.cite web|title=Bruce Willis|work= Ain't it Cool News |url= http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/32511#comment_1493497|accessdate=May 10, 2009 The responses included detailed information on Live Free or Die Hard , which was yet to be released; the theme of the Die Hard film series, direct criticisms of other film crews and casts, and many film trivia answers. Many people were skeptical that "Walter_B" was indeed Willis, but on May 9, Willis revealed his identity on a video chat session (using iChat ).cite web|title=Is Bruce Willis a Talkbacker? |publisher=Freeze Dried Movies|url= http://www.freezedriedmovies.com/blog/index.php? /archives/81-Is-Bruce-Willis-a-talkbacker.html|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071103000430/ http://www.freezedriedmovies.com/blog/index.php? /archives/81-Is-Bruce-Willis-a-talkbacker.html|archivedate=November 3, 2007|accessdate=May 10, 2009cite news|last=Shamoon|first=Evan|title=Bruce Willis Knows How to Use the Internet(s)|publisher=Switched.com|url= http://www.switched.com/2007/05/11/bruce-willis-knows-how-to-use-the-internet-s/|date=May 11, 2007|accessdate=May 10, 2009
Cultural references
In 1996, Roger Director, a writer and producer from Moonlighting wrote a roman à clef on Willis titled A Place to Fall .cite news |last=Gates |first=Anita |title=Moonlighting |publisher=The New York Times |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=9A00E5DC1439F937A15750C0A960958260 |date=March 24, 1996|accessdate=May 10, 2009 Cybill Shepherd wrote in her 2000 autobiography, Cybill Disobedience , that Willis was angry at Director, because the character was written as a "neurotic, petulant actor."
In 1998, Willis participated in Apocalypse (video game)|Apocalypse , a PlayStation video game. The game was originally announced to feature Willis as a sidekick, not as the main character. The company reworked the game using Willis's likeness and voice and changed the game to use him as the main character.
Filmography
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1979
The Driller Killer
Car Window Washer
cameo
1980
sortname>The
Man Entering Diner
Uncredited
1982
sortname>The
Courtroom Observer
1985
sortname>A
Extra
1987
Blind Date
Walter Davis
1988
sortname>The
Bruno Radolini
Sunset
Tom Mix
Die Hard
John McClane
1989
'' That's Adequate
Himself
In Country
Emmett Smith
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor& nbsp;– Motion Picture
The Return of Bruno (album)|The Return of Bruno , 1987, Motown, OCLC|15508727
''If It Don't Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger , 1989, Motown / Pgd, OCLC|21322754.
Classic Bruce Willis: The Universal Masters Collection , 2001, Polygram Int'l, OCLC|71124889.
Compilations/Guest appearances
Moonlighting Soundtrack| Moonlighting soundtrack , 1986; track " Good Lovin' (The Young Rascals song)|Good Lovin' "
Hudson Hawk soundtrack, 1991; tracks " Swinging on a Star " and " Side by Side (1927 song)|Side by Side ", both duets with Danny Aiello
Rugrats Go Wild soundtrack, 2003; "Big Bad Cat" with Chrissie Hynde and " Lust for Life (song)|Lust for Life "
Blues Traveler , North Hollywood Shootout , 2008; track "Free Willis (Ruminations from Behind Uncle Bob's Machine Shop)"
Singles chart
In 1987, Bruce Willis released sang a number of tracks on the soundtrack of the film "The Return of Bruno" including:
Respect Yourself , reached number 5 in the US and number 7 in the UK
Under The Boardwalk , reached number 59 in the US and number 2 in the UK
Young Blood , reached number 62 in the US
In the UK the following singles also charted:
"Secret Agent Man – James Bond is Back", number 43 (September 1987)
"Comin' Right Up", number 73 (January 1988)
Awards and honors
Willis has won a variety of awards and has received various honors throughout his career in television and film.
For his work on the television show Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting he won an Emmy Award|Emmy ("Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series") and a Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe ("Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series& nbsp;— Comedy/Musical") plus received additional nominations for the show.cite web |publisher= Internet Movie Database |title=Awards for Bruce Willis |url= http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/awards |accessdate=May 10, 2009
He was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in the film In Country
Maxim magazine had named his sex scenes in Color of Night (1994) as the best sex scenes ever in film history.cite web|url= http://telepixtvcgi.warnerbros.com/reframe.html? http://telepixtvcgi.warnerbros.com/dailynews/pop/12_00/12_06a.html|title=Top Sex Scenes of All-Time|date=December 6, 2000|accessdate=July 9, 2009 |publisher= Telepixtvcgi.warnerbros.com/
In the 1999 drama/thriller film, The Sixth Sense , Willis won the Blockbuster (video store)|Blockbuster Entertainment Award ("Favorite Actor& nbsp;— Suspense") and the People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Award ("Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Drama"). He was also nominated for the The Saturn Awards|Saturn Award for Best Actor and received two nominations for the MTV Movie Awards for "Best Male Performance" and "Best On-Screen Duo".
In 2000, Willis won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Friends .
In February 2002, Willis was awarded the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. According to the organization, the award is given to performers who give a lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment.cite news|last=Silverman|first=Stephen M.|title=For Bruce Willis, Award Is a Drag |publisher= People (magazine)|People |url= http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,623503,00.html|date=February 12, 2002 |accessdate=June 20, 2007
Also in 2002, Willis was appointed as national spokesman for Children in Foster Care by President George W. Bush .cite web|title=President, Mrs. Bush & Bruce Willis Announce Adoption Initiative |publisher= whitehouse.gov |url= http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020723-7.html|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20020725130329/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020723-7.html|archivedate=2002-07-25|date=July 23, 2002|accessdate=May 10, 2009 Willis wrote online: "I saw Foster Care as a way for me to serve my country in a system by which shining a little bit of light could benefit a great deal by helping kids who were literally wards of the government."
In April 2006, he was honored by France|French government for his contributions to the film industry. Willis was named "Officier Dans L'ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres" (Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters) in a ceremony in Paris, France|Paris . The French Prime Minister stated "This is France's way of paying tribute to an actor who epitomizes the strength of American cinema, the power of the emotions that he invites us to share on the world's screens and the sturdy personalities of his legendary characters."cite web |title= Internet Movie Database |work=Willis Receives French Honor |url= http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/news? year=2006 |date=January 12, 2006 |accessdate=May 10, 2009
On October 16, 2006, Willis was honored with a star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame . The star is located at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard and it was the 2,321st star awarded in its history. Willis, reacting to his reception of the star, stated "I used to come down here and look at these stars and I could never quite figure out what you were supposed to do to get one...time has passed and now here I am doing this, and I'm still excited. I'm still excited to be an actor."cite news|author= Associated Press |title=Willis Gets Hollywood Walk of Fame Star|publisher=The Washington Post|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101601073.html|date=October 17, 2006|accessdate=May 10, 2009
In 2011, Willis was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame .cite news|newspaper= The Newark Star Ledger
References
Reflist|colwidth = 30em
External links
Commons category|Bruce WillisWikiquote
http://web.archive.org/web/*/ http://www.brucewillis.com BruceWillis.com (Way Back Machine) Official website& nbsp;– shutdown since Thanksgiving 2005. Link refers to the cached homepages of the site at Archive.org.
IMDb name|246
iobdb|Bruce|Willis
people.com
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200407/20040709.html Bruce Willis interview on The Tavis Smiley Show
cite news|last=DeLucia|first=Matt|title=The West Bank Café|publisher= Restaurant Insider (magazine)|Restaurant Insider |date = July 2007|url= http://www.newyorkrestaurantinsider.com/july2007-west-bank.asp|accessdate=May 9, 2009
http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/bruce-willis Bruce Willis at Emmys.com
Template group|title=Awards for Bruce Willis |list= EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1976-2000EmmyAward ComedyGuestActor 1976-2000GoldenGlobeBestActorTVComedy 1970-1989Use mdy dates|date=August 2010Good article Persondata|NAME= Willis, Bruce |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Willis, Walter Bruce |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American actor, producer, singer |DATE OF BIRTH= March 19, 1955 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Idar-Oberstein , Germany (U.S. Military Base) |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Bruce Category:1955 births Category:Actors from Idaho Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American bloggers Category:American film actors Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American television actors Category:American video game actors Category:American voice actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Military brats Category:Montclair State University alumni Category:People from Penns Grove, New Jersey Category:People from Birkenfeld (district)