20 best Bruce Willis roles in movies and TV shows

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Willis began to learn stage skills as a child. True, this happened "not because of, but in spite of."

Bruce, the eldest of four children of a German woman and an American soldier, stuttered a lot in his youth. To correct his speech problems, the boy was sent to a school theater group. He soon fell in love with the stage and began performing regularly in local productions.

But Willis did not get into the cinema right away. At first, he managed to try on the role of a security guard and even a private detective. And after moving to New York, he worked as a bartender for a long time, dreaming at the same time to become a famous musician - Bruce sings and plays the harmonica perfectly.

But then one of the Hollywood casting directors noticed him and invited him to a cameo role in a movie. Soon, his small appearances in films became regular, and then Willis was called for the first leading role in the series.

1. Detective agency "Moonlight"

• USA, 1985.
• Comedy, detective, drama.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Returning from a cruise, the former model Maddie was left completely without money. But she turned out to be the owner of the Moonlight detective agency. Private investigator David Addison persuades her not to close the firm, becomes a partner in the work and helps in investigations.

About 2,000 actors were nominated for the role of David, and Willis had to use all his skills to please the producers. The experience of working as a private detective and natural charm helped.

It is ironic that the authors initially relied not on him, but on the already established star Sybill Shepard. But it was for Bruce Willis that this series became the road to big cinema.

2. Die hard

• USA, 1988.
• Action movie.
• Duration: 132 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Police Officer John McClain comes to Los Angeles for Christmas to make up with his wife. But it turns out that the skyscraper where she works was captured by terrorists. And instead of resting, McClane has to rescue the hostages alone.

Initially, Die Hard was conceived as a sequel to the film Commando, and Arnold Schwarzenegger planned to play the main role. But, having learned that the villains in the film will be immigrants from Germany, he refused, since he himself comes from Austria. After that, they wanted to replace him with some other action star, and offered the role of Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford and other famous actors.

Not having achieved success, the authors reworked the concept: they invited a more lively and comedic Bruce Willis, and the image of the main character was greatly changed. Instead of a tough and stern commando, a sarcastic policeman who is not at all happy to deal with rescuing hostages turned out to be in the center of the plot.

It was later said that Die Hard marked the end of the era of classic action films, adding humor to the plot and making the hero closer to the ordinary spectator. And Willis made the film a world star. Maybe that's why he continues to return to the image of John McClane to this day, although each subsequent part looks weaker than the previous ones.

3. The Last Boy Scout

• USA, 1991.
• Action, comedy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Once Joe Hallenbeck worked in the protection of the president and even saved his life. True, due to his stubborn nature, he soon lost his job and became a mediocre private detective.

Now Joe gets a new order to guard the local stripper. But she soon dies, and the hero, together with her boyfriend, former football player Jimmy Dix, are trying to figure out the mysterious circumstances of her death.

After the success of Die Hard's two-part series, Willis has become a darling of filmmakers where the protagonist has to be cool, sarcastic and tired at the same time. Sometimes there were failures: "Hudson Hawk" did not even cover a third of its budget. But sometimes very successful works came out like "The Last Boy Scout".

4. Death suits her

• USA, 1992.
• Comedy, fantasy, horror.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

Once the Broadway star Madeline Ashton stole her friend Helen's fiancé, the talented plastic surgeon Ernest. Years later, Helen decides to take revenge on her lovemaker. And it seems that she almost succeeds in fulfilling her plan, but it turns out that both ladies, wishing to preserve their youth, take the elixir of immortality.

Despite regularly filming action films, Bruce Willis has not lost his self-irony. In the black comedy, he appears as a battered and awkward character who cannot decide which of the dead girls to choose.

5. Pulp Fiction

• USA, 1994.
• Drama, crime.
• Duration: 154 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

Bandits Vincent Vega and Jules Winfield carry out the assignments of their boss Marcellus Wallace, while talking about divine salvation and cultural differences between Europe and the United States. In addition, Vincent entertains Marcellus's wife. And boxer Butch confronts the boss of the mafia himself, trying to escape from a fixed match.

It was only Tarantino's second directorial project that instantly glorified everyone who played in it. The film gave Samuel L. Jackson a ticket to big cinema, John Travolta allowed himself to be shown from an unexpected side. And Willis's Pulp Fiction helped restore his declining popularity.

The role of Butch is just one of many in this film, but viewers remember each character perfectly. Subsequently, Willis only once filmed with Tarantino - in the final part of the film "Four Rooms".

6.12 monkeys

• USA, 1995.
• Science fiction, thriller, drama.
• Duration: 129 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

By 2035, a terrible virus has wiped out 99% of the world's population. The surviving people are forced to live underground. Criminal James Cole, as punishment for the crime, is first sent to the surface, and then offered in exchange for amnesty to go back in time. With the help of a time machine, he finds himself in 1990, where he must understand the reasons for the appearance of the virus.

Bruce Willis's career in science fiction films began with this film. True, all the main awards for "12 Monkeys" went to Brad Pitt, who played a minor role. But at least the final scene with the main character will certainly catch on with its emotionality.

7. Fifth element

• France, 1997.
• Action, science fiction, adventure.
• Duration: 126 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The dark forces try to destroy the world every 5,000 years. Corben Dallas - a taxi driver from New York of the XXIII century - will have to become a real hero in order to save all that exists. He has to collect four important elements, and then add to them the main, fifth element - the fragile girl Leela.

According to rumors, Luc Besson invited Bruce Willis to play the main role in the very early nineties, when the film had neither a finished idea nor funding. He agreed. And at the time of filming, Besson received an already held action and science fiction star.

8. Armageddon

• USA, 1998.
• Science fiction, adventure.
• Duration: 151 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

A huge asteroid the size of Texas is looming on Earth. And if nothing is done, in 18 days all life on the planet will die. Then NASA experts find the hereditary driller Harry Stamper. He, together with the team, must go to the asteroid and plant a nuclear bomb there.

After the release, this picture was much scolded for technical flaws and disregard for the elementary laws of physics. Bruce Willis even won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. However, the audience fell in love with the touching science fiction film and the grumpy Harry Stamper, who can scold the whole world, but is ready to give his life for him.

9. Sixth sense

• USA, 1999.
• Drama, thriller, mysticism.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Child psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe encounters an unusual boy, Cole, who can see the ghosts of people who have not realized their death. At first, Crowe thinks that the child is simply hallucinating, but soon he realizes that this is really a way to connect with the other world.

The film "The Sixth Sense" often got into the ratings of films with the most unexpected outcome. And for filming in it, left-handed Bruce Willis specifically had to learn to write with his right hand in order to save viewers from an important spoiler.

By the way, many people celebrate moments that coincide with the film "12 Monkeys". For example, there Willis's character named Cole said the phrase: "Everyone I see is dead." And in The Sixth Sense, a boy named Cole says, "I see dead people."

10. Invincible

• USA, 2000.
• Science fiction, drama, action.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

David Dunn is the only one who survived the terrible train accident. Moreover, he did not even receive a single scratch. And then he is found by Elijah Price, who was nicknamed Mister Glass because of his very fragile bones. He claims that David is a real superhero, since he is completely invulnerable.

After a successful collaboration in The Sixth Sense, director M. Night Shyamalan invited Willis to his next film. Shyamalan wanted to film a superhero story in the real world. And Willis, like no one else, suited the role of such a character. After 18 years, he returned to the image of David Dunn in the painting "Glass".

11. Nine yards

• USA, 2000.
• Detective, comedy.
• Duration: 98 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Dentist Nicholas Ozeranski lives calmly and measuredly. But soon he has a new neighbor - Jimmy Tulip. He used to work as a hitman and stole $ 10 million from his boss. And Nicholas's wife decides to turn over Jimmy to his former employers.

There are many legends about the communication of the leading actors. Allegedly, Bruce Willis really wanted Matthew Perry to star with him. He kept calling him on his answering machine. Tired of not calling Perry back, Willis cursed and threatened to cut off his legs. And then this phrase was included in the film.

And after the release of the picture, they even argued about how much the film would collect at the box office - Willis was sure that "Nine Yards" would fail. However, the picture collected a large sum and, according to the terms of the bet, he starred in one of the episodes of Friends.

12. Bandits

• USA, 2001.
• Comedy, crime.
• Duration: 123 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

Charismatic Joe Blake and hypochondriac Terry Collins are unusual robbers. They clean banks using only ingenuity and charm, and each time they manage to leave the FBI agents with nothing.

But everything changes with the appearance in their company of the former housewife Kate Wheeler. A love triangle immediately forms in the gang, which can disrupt the next operation.

Interestingly, in this film, Willis was originally supposed to play the shy Terry, and Val Kilmer claimed the role of Joe. Then everything changed, and as a result, Bruce Willis became the main driving force of the story, and he got Billy Bob Thornton as his partner.

13. Tears of the sun

• USA, 2003.
• Action, drama, thriller.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

A special forces detachment led by Lieutenant Waters is sent into the interior of Nigeria. They must find and free an American doctor from captivity. However, she states that she will not leave the village unless the team takes 70 refugees with them.

In fact, this film can simply be called "the next action movie with Willis." But it deserves attention for several reasons. Firstly, there is absolutely no room left for the irony and jokes familiar to the actor. And secondly, Antoine Fuqua, a master of directing excellent action films, was responsible for the production.

14. Sin City

• USA, 2005.
• Crime, thriller.
• Duration: 124 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Sin City is full of dark secrets and crimes. Lonely Marv is trying to find the killer of his beloved. Photographer Dwight accidentally breaks the fragile truce between aggressive prostitutes and law enforcement officials. A middle-aged policeman is trying to rid the city of a sinister yellow-skinned maniac.

The author of the original comic, Frank Miller, personally worked on the adaptation of his stories. And he was helped by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. And they put together an excellent team of actors on the set: from Mickey Rourke to Benicio del Toro.

Bruce Willis got the main role in one of the novels: he played a typical aged police officer who protects the young beauty. Moreover, despite the ending, he returned in the continuation of the picture, albeit in a rather unexpected way.

15. Lucky number Slevin

• USA, UK, Germany, Canada, 2005.
• Action, crime.
• Duration: 110 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Slevin Kelevra's life is full of failures. So, having come to live at the house of his friend Nick, he first loses his wallet, and then finds himself in the center of a bandit showdown. Now Slevin must kill one of the local crime bosses, otherwise he himself will have to say goodbye to life.

In this film, Willis played a hired killer nicknamed the Good Cat. And, despite the fact that his character is harsh and ruthless, the actor managed to add a little funny grotesque to his hero.

16. Surrogates

• USA, 2009.
• Science fiction, action, thriller.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 3.

By the middle of the 21st century, people practically stopped leaving their homes and communicating with each other. For them, it is done by androids, who look like their masters, but are not subject to aging and fatigue. Policeman Tom Greer needs to investigate the murders of androids that led to the death of their owners. However, for this he will have to get out of the house in person.

At the beginning of the film, the main character appears as a young "surrogate". He was played by the thirty-year-old actor Trevor Donovan, who was then superimposed on Willis's face using a computer. And only by the middle of the film, the middle-aged hero himself appears in the frame.

17. RED

• USA, 2010.
• Action, comedy.
• Duration: 111 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Former CIA special agent Frank Moses lives a peaceful and quiet life until he is assassinated. Then Frank turns to his former partners. True, one of them has almost lost his mind, and the second is in a nursing home. However, they can still fight back against the enemy.

Over time, the middle-aged Willis began to play more and more "retired heroes." Here he, in the company of the same elderly colleagues, fights off the acting CIA agents. Of course, against the background of Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich, his hero still looks very brave, but still time is irreversible.

18. The Expendables-2

• USA, 2012.
• Action movie.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Terrorist Jean Vilen and his henchmen want to get five tons of pure plutonium and change the balance of power in the world. Only the coolest military team called "The Expendables" can stop him. True, in this case, even they will not be hurt by help.

"The Expendables" can be called the apotheosis of nostalgic action films. The films of this series bring together all the main actors who played the "tough guys" in the 80s and 90s: from Sylvester Stallone to Jean-Claude van Damme. In the first part, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger performed only cameo roles. But in the sequel, they have already directly participated in the action.

19. Kingdom of the Full Moon

• USA, 2012.
• Comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Sixties. Boy Scout Sam is an orphan with a difficult character. Susie is an introverted girl living in her dreams. The teenagers fall in love with each other and decide to escape from adult supervision. As a result, the local sheriff has to start an investigation into the disappearance of the children, and the camp leader has to organize a search.

Director Wes Anderson filmed a naive and beautiful story of single teenagers that instantly fell in love with the audience. And in this film, absolutely all the actors are equally cute and funny. In particular, and Bruce Willis, who played Sheriff Sharpe.

20. Time loop

• USA, China, 2012.
• Action, science fiction, drama.
• Duration: 113 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

In the near future, in order to hide the traces of the crime, the victims are sent back in time to the killers who erase them from history. One day it turns out that Joe Simmons has to kill himself. But he lets his old version escape and tries to change his own future.

In this film, the young version of Willis' character is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He was specially made a special make-up to give his facial features a resemblance to Bruce Willis. And in one of the versions of the film there is a scene where it is shown how he grows old, year after year, turning from one character to another.

Musical creativity

Despite the fact that Bruce Willis has long been a movie star, he has not abandoned his musical activity either. Willis occasionally performs with his group The Accelerators or solo. The artist most often performs well-known blues standards and plays the harmonica.