Bruce Willis: A Hollywood Legacy

While most actors in their late 50s are seen in the occasional guest appearance or small movie role, Bruce Willis is gearing up to release a new installment of the hit Die Hard series. Sequels, especially multiple ones, are risky but the veteran actor is aware of the risk and he is ready to take it on.“I guess it’s a personal challenge. Because there are gaps of time between each movie. It’s a kind of ageist cryptic: “Oh, OK, now I’m this age,” and trying to tell that action movie, “Die Hard” theme — but I’m a little older,” he said to the Huffington Post. “How fast can I run? How well can I fight? So that’s a challenge and, you know, it’s a fun thing to do. There’s a story, if you look at all of them from the first film to the one we just did. And you see me age over these films — that has its own interest to me.”

Die Hard isn’t the only film keeping Willis busy. He is also gearing up to star in a few more movies including another installment of Sin City, Red 2 and GI Joe: Retaliation. Recently, he has been seen in lower budget flicks like the futuristic thriller “Looper.” Despite being a huge movie star, Willis enjoyed filming “Looper.” “It absolutely does. [Director] Rian Johnson is always really sure-handed and is really sure of what story he wanted to tell. What themes he wanted to include may have been a little surprising to people,” he said about the film. The level of violence was a theme — it was a chosen theme. Because if you look at the opposite of that and say, ‘A futuristic world does not include violence,’ that would be a completely different theme.”

Although Willis is a known movie star, he has also tried his hand at making music back in the eighties. His album, “Return of Bruno,” was released in 1987. It was moderately successful debuting at #14 on the Billboard 200 album chart. “Respect Yourself”, the leading single peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US and #7 in the United Kingdom.

The 57-year-old is clearly well-rounded and although his singing career didn’t earn him superstardom , he has had a stellar acting career. Born on a military base in West Germany, Willis started acting in high school plays and starred in a few off-Broadway productions. He did a few small parts in various films before being cast in the sitcom “Moonlighting”, which aired from 1985 to 1989. He got his breakout role in the original Die Hard soon after that role.

His career is almost in its third decade and at this point, Willis has had plenty of time to reflect on his life and career. “’I have changed as a man, physically and… we’ll leave spirituality out of it. But maturity? Am I much more mature? I don’t know. I still tell the same jokes! I still do mostly the same things. I’m much more gentle with the people in my life and I’m much more tranquil. Things don’t bother me as much anymore as they used to,” he told Total Film magazine.

Not to mention, Willis is a father of four girls, three grown daughters with ex-wife Demi Moore and one 9-month-old daughter with his current wife Emma Hemming. His career has given him lessons for raising his kids. His daughters have helped him develop a sense of restraint, something he wants to pass down to them. “Sometimes I have to resist the urge to speak. I learned it from dealing with my kids. That’s my number one rule. It applies in life. But it’s more about being a father,” he told Esquire Magazine. “I’d rather hear what they have to say. You learn more by listening. (It) is just a matter of not equating drama with actions that will help them. Teach them to shun drama.”