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Best known as the action hero behind cinema's Die Hard series, Bruce Willis became a twice-over recording artist during the late '80s. His debut album, The Return of Bruno, became a surprise seller after the single "Respect Yourself" hit the Top Five in early 1987. Willis had two other modest hits, and recorded another LP two years later, but has remained outside music for the most part — performing only occasionally to inaugurate several Planet Hollywood restaurants.
Bruce Willis is really called Walter Willis. He has three children they are called Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. Willis was a wild child, always fighting and cracking jokes. He was born on March 19, 1955 in Germany. After this he grew up in New Jersey from the age of two. Then started to work as an entertainer. He was in a band (Loose Goose) and played the harmonica while he was in collage. He worked as a security guard. Then he began acting and working in a bar.
Soon after of Broadway productions and TV advertisements Bruce got a part in Moonlighting co-staring Cybill Sheperd. Bruce Willis' Addison on Moonlighting set the tone for the more high-profile action roles of his film career. After this he got a part in Blind Date which then lead to his big hit Die Hard his third film made him known in Hollywood and since 1988 total worldwide box office takings have made more than $1.3 billion. Where Stallone and Schwarzenegger seemed like muscle guys trying to be funny, Willis always seemed like a funny guy trying to be tough.
Willis pays the bills with action roles, but he likes to take risks, some of which pay off, some of which are called Hudson Hawk. Willis' range, both good and bad is epitomized by his work between 1994 and 1995. He starred in Color of Night, a laughably bad psychological thriller (worth renting on a bad movie night). The convoluted plot doesn't bear scrutiny and seems to serve mostly as a bridge for sex scenes with beautiful and often nude actress Jane March. The unintentional humor of the movie is strengthened by the soundtrack, which includes some of the most overbearing saxophone play this side of Kenny G.
Right after that debacle Willis took a supporting role in Pulp Fiction. Willis' best acting is usually done in supporting roles in less commercial products. The respect he won from his role as Butch was furthered by his turn with Paul Newman in Nobody's Fool.
Willis starred in 2 films in 1995. He cashed in again with Die Hard With a Vengeance, a box office success but probably the least exciting of the Die Hard series. As the hero of Twelve Monkeys, Willis did some of his finest acting. He played a hero not out of the action mold, a befuddled man from the future sent through time to change the past. Gone was the wise-cracking cockiness; in its place was a very human uncertainty and frailty.
Since then, Willis has starred in 2 films that were moderately successful but critically lambasted. On the horizon he will be seen in a remake of Day of the Jackal, and further ahead there is already some talk of a fourth Die Hard. While his wife Demi Moore's fortunes have fallen slightly over the past year, Bruce Willis still appears to be going strong.
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