In 1988, Bruce Willis committed a most grievous offense against entertainment journalists: he proved them wrong. Really wrong. Laughably wrong.
The newly minted star of ABC's "Moonlighting" drew the ire of just about everyone in Hollywood when 20th Century Fox paid him a whopping $5 million to star in the action film "Die Hard." This rankled rival studio executives, who only shelled out that kind of cash for long-established leading men like Warren Beatty and Robert Redford. While Willis might've been a minor media sensation due to "Moonlighting," with his surprise Billboard smash "The Return of Bruno" and his omnipresent Bartles and Jaymes wine cooler commercials, he had yet to prove himself worthy of a $5 million big-screen payday.
Before "Die Hard," Willis had scored a solid theatrical hit with Blake Edwards' dismally unfunny "Blind Date." This was the extent of his motion picture oeuvre when Fox declared him a massive marquee name.
The newly minted star of ABC's "Moonlighting" drew the ire of just about everyone in Hollywood when 20th Century Fox paid him a whopping $5 million to star in the action film "Die Hard." This rankled rival studio executives, who only shelled out that kind of cash for long-established leading men like Warren Beatty and Robert Redford. While Willis might've been a minor media sensation due to "Moonlighting," with his surprise Billboard smash "The Return of Bruno" and his omnipresent Bartles and Jaymes wine cooler commercials, he had yet to prove himself worthy of a $5 million big-screen payday.
Before "Die Hard," Willis had scored a solid theatrical hit with Blake Edwards' dismally unfunny "Blind Date." This was the extent of his motion picture oeuvre when Fox declared him a massive marquee name.
- 5/22/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The Story: Eddie Hawkins (Bruce Willis) aka the Hudson Hawk is a master cat burglar recently released from prison after a long stretch. Determined to go straight, he’s nonetheless blackmailed by the psychotic Darwin (Richard E. Grant) and Minerva Mayflower (Sandra Bernhard) to undertake a series of jobs in Rome involving the components of a machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci that converts lead into gold.
The Players: Starring: Bruce Willis, Andie MacDowell, Danny Aiello, James Coburn, Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard. Directed by Michael Lehman.
The History: With Bruce Willis’s sad health situation forcing him into retirement, it’s worth digging into his filmography to examine some of his less-seen gems. For me, one of the big ones is Hudson Hawk. In 1991, Bruce Willis was arguably at the peak of his fame. “Moonlighting” was done and Die Hard had made him into one of the biggest action stars in town,...
The Players: Starring: Bruce Willis, Andie MacDowell, Danny Aiello, James Coburn, Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard. Directed by Michael Lehman.
The History: With Bruce Willis’s sad health situation forcing him into retirement, it’s worth digging into his filmography to examine some of his less-seen gems. For me, one of the big ones is Hudson Hawk. In 1991, Bruce Willis was arguably at the peak of his fame. “Moonlighting” was done and Die Hard had made him into one of the biggest action stars in town,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Note: Today marks Bruce Willis’s 68th birthday. We wanted to take a moment to wish the icon a very happy birthday and reflect on his career:
Here at JoBlo – we love Bruce Willis. When we heard back in March of 2022 that he would step back from acting due to his tragic Aphasia diagnosis, we were as shocked as everyone else, even if there were signs that things weren’t great with Willis going back a number of years. His last truly prominent role was M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass in 2019, while his last lead role was in Eli Roth’s Death Wish. Since then, it’s been chiefly VOD movies for Willis, where his roles were secondary at best. With his recent frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, we now know the truth.
Whatever the case, we here at JoBlo Originals wish to extend our very best to the man and his family at this difficult time.
Here at JoBlo – we love Bruce Willis. When we heard back in March of 2022 that he would step back from acting due to his tragic Aphasia diagnosis, we were as shocked as everyone else, even if there were signs that things weren’t great with Willis going back a number of years. His last truly prominent role was M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass in 2019, while his last lead role was in Eli Roth’s Death Wish. Since then, it’s been chiefly VOD movies for Willis, where his roles were secondary at best. With his recent frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, we now know the truth.
Whatever the case, we here at JoBlo Originals wish to extend our very best to the man and his family at this difficult time.
- 3/19/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Hollywood star Bruce Willis, who was diagnosed with aphasia in March, enjoyed an “impromptu jam session” in a new video shared online. Posted by his wife Emma Heming-Willis on social media this week, the heartwarming clip shows him performing a tune with musician and family friend Derek Richard Thomas.
In the video, the ‘Die Hard’ star is sat at the bottom of the stairs playing a harmonica while his friend sings and plays guitar.
She captioned the post: “Their talent is speaking for itself. I’ll just leave this here.” She added on her Instagram Story, “Impromptu jam session with @derikrichardthomas”
Willis is no stranger to the world of music, having released 1987 album ‘The Return of Bruno’ and the follow-up “If It don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger” two years later.
The ‘Die Hard’ star, who has been married to Emma since 2009 and also has eight-year-old Evelyn...
In the video, the ‘Die Hard’ star is sat at the bottom of the stairs playing a harmonica while his friend sings and plays guitar.
She captioned the post: “Their talent is speaking for itself. I’ll just leave this here.” She added on her Instagram Story, “Impromptu jam session with @derikrichardthomas”
Willis is no stranger to the world of music, having released 1987 album ‘The Return of Bruno’ and the follow-up “If It don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger” two years later.
The ‘Die Hard’ star, who has been married to Emma since 2009 and also has eight-year-old Evelyn...
- 8/17/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Bruce Willis’ talents are popular in the world of social media.
After sharing a rare video of her husband having a dance-off with their 10-year-old daughter Mabel, the actor’s wife Emma Hering Willis has now treated fans to a clip of him playing the harmonica.
Bruce was joined by musician Derek Richard Thomas, who played guitar and sang, in the clip.
“Their talent is speaking for itself,” Emma gushed in the caption, adding: “I’ll just leave this here. #jamsession.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)
This isn’t the first we’ve seen of Bruce’s musical talents.
Read More: Bruce Willis Returns To Iconic ‘Die Hard’ Setting In Emotional Video
He dropped his blues album The Return of Bruno back in 1987, as well as releasing another album, If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger, two years later.
After sharing a rare video of her husband having a dance-off with their 10-year-old daughter Mabel, the actor’s wife Emma Hering Willis has now treated fans to a clip of him playing the harmonica.
Bruce was joined by musician Derek Richard Thomas, who played guitar and sang, in the clip.
“Their talent is speaking for itself,” Emma gushed in the caption, adding: “I’ll just leave this here. #jamsession.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)
This isn’t the first we’ve seen of Bruce’s musical talents.
Read More: Bruce Willis Returns To Iconic ‘Die Hard’ Setting In Emotional Video
He dropped his blues album The Return of Bruno back in 1987, as well as releasing another album, If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger, two years later.
- 8/16/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Bruce Willis is proving he's still got it. On Aug. 15, the Die Hard actor's wife Emma Heming Willis shared a video of her husband playing the harmonica alongside musician Derek Richard Thomas, who played the guitar and sang. "Their talent is speaking for itself," the model captioned the post. "I'll just leave this here. #jamsession." Bruce may be known for his iconic action-packed movie roles, but he does have a background in music. In 1987, he released a blues album titled The Return of Bruno. The project peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart. Two years later, he released his sophomore studio album, If It Don't Kill You,...
- 8/16/2022
- E! Online
Everything old is new again.
That was the theme on The Late Show Wednesday, which saw guest Bruce Willis don a wig and return to the hair that made him famous.
"I recently had a dramatic birthday and I've just been very sentimental about it, and I decided to go back to the very first look that I ever did on the David Letterman show," Willis explained, gesturing to not just the hairpiece but the baggy '80s-era sweater vest. (Willis turned 60 on March 19.)
David Letterman pulls up a photograph as proof, and there it is: a considerably more hirsute...
That was the theme on The Late Show Wednesday, which saw guest Bruce Willis don a wig and return to the hair that made him famous.
"I recently had a dramatic birthday and I've just been very sentimental about it, and I decided to go back to the very first look that I ever did on the David Letterman show," Willis explained, gesturing to not just the hairpiece but the baggy '80s-era sweater vest. (Willis turned 60 on March 19.)
David Letterman pulls up a photograph as proof, and there it is: a considerably more hirsute...
- 4/23/2015
- by Alex Heigl, @alex_heigl
- People.com - TV Watch
No day but Today. That's from Rent, but you should forgive us for the pun: Kathie Lee Gifford revealed Friday on the Today show that she's written an 18-minute musical featuring the show's anchors and crew. (Whether it'll be loosely based on La Boheme has not yet been confirmed.) Featuring the astounding title of Not Today and Tomorrow's Not Looking Good Either, the musical will include guest-star Regis Philbin, and may air sometime before the end of the year. "It's going to be live and it's going to be so much fun," Gifford said. While we're on the topic of Today show adaptations: Last year,...
- 8/4/2014
- by Alex Heigl, @alex_heigl
- PEOPLE.com
What's the only thing hotter than a hot guy? A hot guy who can sing, of course! That's why the Internet has swooned at old footage of Divergent star Theo James performing with his now-defunct rock band Shere Khan. It turns out, besides looking like an evolutionary blend of James Franco and Johnathon Schaech, the dude has some pipes; when he sings James has a broody, José Gonzales thing going on. But the smoldering Briton isn't the only sexy thespian with musical ambitions. Below, a tour of the hot actors who would also like to be known as hot singers.
- 3/26/2014
- by Nate Jones
- PEOPLE.com
"Yippee ki-yay, motherf****r!"
Legendary action movie icon Bruce Willis can currently be seen on the big screen in his fifth go-round as John McClane, the perpetually "wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time," in A Good Day to Die Hard. In his 28-year career as an actor, Willis has starred in more than 60 movies — five last year alone — playing such diverse characters as a time travelling hitman, a deep-sea oil driller (in space), a taxicab driver (in space), a dead child psychologist, an honorable boxer with a killer hook, an assassin named "Mr. Goodkat," a professional gambler named "Dink," and a charming killer named "The Tulip." Some of his movies have become classics, while others...not so much, but they all boast one thing: Willis himself, a bonafide movie star the likes of which are rarely seen in Hollywood anymore. Pour yourself a refreshing glass of Seagram's Golden Wine Cooler,...
Legendary action movie icon Bruce Willis can currently be seen on the big screen in his fifth go-round as John McClane, the perpetually "wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time," in A Good Day to Die Hard. In his 28-year career as an actor, Willis has starred in more than 60 movies — five last year alone — playing such diverse characters as a time travelling hitman, a deep-sea oil driller (in space), a taxicab driver (in space), a dead child psychologist, an honorable boxer with a killer hook, an assassin named "Mr. Goodkat," a professional gambler named "Dink," and a charming killer named "The Tulip." Some of his movies have become classics, while others...not so much, but they all boast one thing: Willis himself, a bonafide movie star the likes of which are rarely seen in Hollywood anymore. Pour yourself a refreshing glass of Seagram's Golden Wine Cooler,...
- 3/5/2013
- by BrentJS Sprecher
- Reelzchannel.com
Top 10 Sarah Dobbs 21 Feb 2013 - 07:17
Sarah lists the geeky stars who shouldn't give up the day job when it comes to launching their music career...
Everyone dreams of being a rock star, don’t they? Most of us have had a go at playing air guitar, or singing into our hairbrushes, even if we wouldn’t inflict our dubious musical talents on other people. There’s just something irresistibly glamorous about the idea of being a famous musician. So much so, apparently, that even celebrities aren’t immune to the siren call of the rock ‘n’ roll dream. Here are ten geek actors who’ve tried, and largely failed, to launch a secondary career as musicians…
Bruce Willis
Before Bruce Willis became a bona fide action hero due to 1988’s Die Hard, he had a go at being an R’n’B star. He was already a recognisable face...
Sarah lists the geeky stars who shouldn't give up the day job when it comes to launching their music career...
Everyone dreams of being a rock star, don’t they? Most of us have had a go at playing air guitar, or singing into our hairbrushes, even if we wouldn’t inflict our dubious musical talents on other people. There’s just something irresistibly glamorous about the idea of being a famous musician. So much so, apparently, that even celebrities aren’t immune to the siren call of the rock ‘n’ roll dream. Here are ten geek actors who’ve tried, and largely failed, to launch a secondary career as musicians…
Bruce Willis
Before Bruce Willis became a bona fide action hero due to 1988’s Die Hard, he had a go at being an R’n’B star. He was already a recognisable face...
- 2/20/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
From Die Hard to the Whole Nine Yards, we seek out the best on-screen moments from the man who first teamed up 'yippee-kay-aye' with an unpublishable obscenity
An action hero who's equally at home in comedy roles and straight drama, Bruce Willis has been an A-lister for 25 years. While his presence in a film isn't necessarily always a sign of quality, he's starred in enough modern classics for all but the most mean-spirited to forgive him the occasional Look Who's Talking Now.
Here are five of our favourite moments from Bruce Willis's filmography, including recommendations from @guardianfilm Twitter followers @AudreyLang_, @We_Are_Conclave, @dkschaeche and @RalphGurnsey. What would you add to the list?
1. Pulp Fiction
If you rearranged Pulp Fiction into chronological order, this would be the final scene – Butch and Fabienne riding out of town on Zed's chopper. Who's Zed? "Zed's dead, baby – Zed's dead."
Reading on mobile?...
An action hero who's equally at home in comedy roles and straight drama, Bruce Willis has been an A-lister for 25 years. While his presence in a film isn't necessarily always a sign of quality, he's starred in enough modern classics for all but the most mean-spirited to forgive him the occasional Look Who's Talking Now.
Here are five of our favourite moments from Bruce Willis's filmography, including recommendations from @guardianfilm Twitter followers @AudreyLang_, @We_Are_Conclave, @dkschaeche and @RalphGurnsey. What would you add to the list?
1. Pulp Fiction
If you rearranged Pulp Fiction into chronological order, this would be the final scene – Butch and Fabienne riding out of town on Zed's chopper. Who's Zed? "Zed's dead, baby – Zed's dead."
Reading on mobile?...
- 2/17/2013
- by Adam Boult
- The Guardian - Film News
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