Age, Biography, and Wiki
Bruce Willis was born on March 19, 1955, in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, to an American soldier father and a German mother. He is celebrated for his roles in blockbuster films such as Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, and Armageddon. Willis overcame a stutter in his youth by immersing himself in acting, which eventually led him to pursue drama at Montclair State University. After a stint as a bartender in New York, he moved to Los Angeles and landed his breakthrough role on the TV series Moonlighting opposite Cybill Shepherd.
| Occupation | Film Producer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 19 March 1955 |
| Age | 70 Years |
| Birth Place | Idar-Oberstein, West Germany |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | Germany |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Bruce Willis stands at approximately 6 feet (183 cm) tall. His weight fluctuated over the years but has generally been reported to be between 175–190 lbs (79–86 kg) during his prime. Specific recent measurements are less frequently updated due to his private lifestyle, but these figures reflect his well-known action-hero physique.
Willis was cast as David Addison Jr. in the television series Moonlighting (1985–1989), competing against 3,000 other actors for the position. His starring role in Moonlighting, opposite Cybill Shepherd, helped to establish him as a comedic actor. During the show's five seasons, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. During the height of the show's success, beverage maker Seagram hired Willis as the pitchman for their Golden Wine Cooler products. The advertising campaign paid Willis US$5–7 million over two years. Willis chose not to renew his contract when he decided to stop drinking alcohol in 1988.
| Height | 183 cm |
| Weight | 190 lbs |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Willis has been married twice. His first marriage was to actress Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000, with whom he has three daughters. Since 2009, he has been married to model and actress Emma Heming Willis. The couple has two daughters together. Willis maintains strong relationships with all his children and his ex-wife Demi Moore, often sharing the spotlight with them at public events.
His mother, Marlene, was German, from Kassel, and his father, David Willis, was an American soldier. He has a younger sister, Florence, and two younger brothers, Robert (deceased) and David. After being discharged from the military in 1957, his father relocated the family to his hometown of Carneys Point, New Jersey. Willis has described his background as a "long line of blue-collar people". His mother worked in a bank and his father was a welder, master mechanic and factory worker.
Having acquired major personal success and pop culture influence playing John McClane in Die Hard, Willis reprised his role in the sequels Die Hard 2 (1990) and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995). These first three installments in the Die Hard series grossed over US$700 million internationally and propelled Willis to the first rank of Hollywood action stars. At one point, Die Hard 2 and Ghost, starring Willis's then wife Demi Moore, would occupy the number one and number two spots at the box office, a feat that would not be accomplished again for a married Hollywood couple until 2024.
In 1994, Willis also had a leading role in one part of Quentin Tarantino's acclaimed Pulp Fiction; the film's success gave a boost to his career, and he starred alongside his Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta. In 1996, he was the executive producer and star of the cartoon Bruno the Kid which featured a CGI representation of himself. That same year, he starred in Mike Judge's animated film Beavis and Butt-head Do America with his then-wife Demi Moore. In the movie, he plays a drunken criminal named "Muddy Grimes", who mistakenly sends Judge's titular characters to kill his wife, Dallas (voiced by Moore). He then played the lead roles in 12 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 (which despite negative reviews was a box office hit), Mercury Rising, and Breakfast of Champions, as well as the implosion of the production of Broadway Brawler, a debacle salvaged only by the success of the Michael Bay-directed Armageddon, which Willis had agreed to star in as compensation for the failed production, and which turned out to be the highest-grossing film of 1998 worldwide. The same year his voice and likeness were featured in the PlayStation video game Apocalypse. In 1999, Willis played the starring role in M. Night Shyamalan's film The Sixth Sense, which was both a commercial and critical success.
In 2000, Willis won an Emmy 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). 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 alongside Matthew Perry, and Russ Duritz in Disney's The Kid opposite Emily Mortimer. Willis was originally cast as Terry Benedict in Ocean's Eleven (2001) but dropped out to work on recording an album. In the sequel, Ocean's Twelve (2004), he makes a cameo appearance as himself. In 2005, he appeared in the film adaptation of Sin City. In 2006, he lent his voice as RJ the Raccoon in Over the Hedge. In 2007, he appeared in the Planet Terror half of the double feature Grindhouse as the villain, a mutant soldier. This marked Willis's second collaboration with the director Robert Rodriguez, following Sin City.
On February 16, 2023, Willis's family announced that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. According to Gregg Day, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic's Florida campus, the symptoms include difficulties with language and comprehension, and misinterpretation of instructions. In a statement, the family said that Willis's condition had progressed and that "challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease". They expressed hope that media attention on Willis would raise awareness about the disease. Emma wrote a book, to be released in September 2025, titled Unexpected Journey, which focusing on her experience as a caregiver of her husband.
On November 21, 1987, Willis married Demi Moore at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas. On December 20, the couple held a second reception for about 450 guests on a soundstage at Warner Bros. Studios Burbank. They have three daughters: Rumer (b. 1988), Scout (b. 1991), and Tallulah (b. 1994). Willis and Moore announced their separation on June 24, 1998. They filed for divorce on October 18, 2000, and the divorce was finalized later that day. 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. He has maintained a close friendship with both Moore and her subsequent husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, and attended their wedding.
In 1988, Willis and then-wife Demi Moore campaigned for then Democratic Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign in the 1988 presidential elections. In the 1992 presidential election, however, he supported President George H. W. Bush for reelection and was an outspoken critic of Bill Clinton. In 1996, he declined to endorse Clinton's Republican opponent Bob Dole because Dole criticized Demi Moore for her role in the film Striptease. Willis was an invited speaker at the 2000 Republican National Convention, and supported George W. Bush that year.
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| Wife | Demi Moore (m. November 21, 1987-October 18, 2000) Emma Heming (m. March 27, 2009) |
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Net Worth and Salary
2025 Net Worth: Bruce Willis’s net worth is estimated at $250–$200 million in 2025, with most reputable sources citing $250 million as the most accurate figure.
Career Earnings: Willis has commanded eight-figure salaries since the late 1980s. Some highlights include:
- $5 million for a movie in 1988 (equivalent to about $10 million today)
- $10 million for Look Who’s Talking (1989)
- $14 million for The Last Boy Scout (1991)
- $15 million for Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)
- $14 million upfront plus a percentage of gross for The Sixth Sense—his biggest payday, totaling about $100 million from that film alone.
Career, Business, and Investments
Acting Career: Willis rose to fame in the 1980s with Moonlighting and became a global action icon with the Die Hard franchise. He has starred in numerous hits, including Armageddon, The Fifth Element, 12 Monkeys, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable trilogy. Awards and Recognition: Willis has won two Emmy Awards (for Moonlighting and a guest spot on Friends), a Golden Globe, and two People’s Choice Awards. Business and Investments: Willis is a savvy real estate investor, owning luxury properties in Brentwood, California; New York; Idaho; and Turks and Caicos. He has bought and sold several high-value homes, including one listed for $33 million and later sold for $27 million. His property portfolio reflects both wealth and taste.
Willis's other credits include The Last Boy Scout (1991), Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable, The Whole Nine Yards (both 2000), Tears of the Sun (2003), Sin City (2005), The Expendables, Red (both 2010), Looper (2012), and Glass (2019). In the last years of his career, he starred in many low-budget direct-to-video films, which were poorly received. Willis retired in 2022 due to aphasia, and was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
As a singer, Willis released his debut album, The Return of Bruno, in 1987, followed by two more albums in 1989 and 2001. He made his Broadway debut in the stage adaptation of Misery in 2015. Willis has received various accolades throughout his career, including a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two People's Choice Awards. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Films featuring Willis have grossed between US$2.64 billion and US$3.05 billion at North American box offices, making him in 2010 the eighth-highest-grossing leading actor.
In the early 1990s, Willis's career suffered a moderate slump, as he starred in flops such as The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) and Hudson Hawk (1991), although he did find box office success with The Last Boy Scout (1991). He gained more success with Striking Distance (1993) but flopped again with Color of Night (1994): it was savaged 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. Maxim also ranked his sex scene in the film as the best in film history.
Willis appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman several times throughout his career. He filled in for an ill David Letterman on his show on February 26, 2003, when he was supposed to be a guest. On many of his appearances on the show, Willis staged elaborate jokes, such as wearing a day-glo orange suit in honor of the Central Park gates, having one side of his face made up with simulated birdshot wounds after the Harry Whittington shooting, or trying to break a record (a parody of David Blaine) of staying underwater for only twenty seconds.
Willis was slated to play U.S. Army general William R. Peers in director Oliver Stone's Pinkville, a drama about the investigation of the 1968 My Lai massacre. However, due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, the film was canceled. 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.
In the final years of his career, Willis starred in many low-budget independent thrillers and science fiction films. He worked primarily with the production companies Emmett/Furla Oasis (which produced 20 films starring Willis) and 308 Entertainment Inc. Most of the films were released direct-to-video and were widely panned. The Golden Raspberry Awards, an annual award for the year's worst films and performances, created a dedicated category, the Worst Bruce Willis Performance in a 2021 Movie, for Willis's roles in eight films released that year. Chris Nashawaty of Esquire described the direct-to-video films as "a profitable safe harbor" for older actors, similar to The Expendables. Willis would often earn US$2 million for two days' work, with an average of 15 minutes' screentime per film. He nonetheless featured heavily in the films' promotional materials, earning them the derogatory nickname "geezer teasers".
Willis owns houses in Los Angeles and Penns Grove, New Jersey. He also rents apartments at Trump Tower and in Riverside South, Manhattan. In 2000, Willis and his business partner Arnold Rifkin started a motion picture production company called Cheyenne Enterprises. He left the company to be run solely by Rifkin in 2007 after Live Free or Die Hard. He also owns several small businesses in Hailey, Idaho, including The Mint Bar and The Liberty Theater and was one of the first promoters of Planet Hollywood, with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Willis and the other actors were paid for their appearances and endorsements through an employee stock ownership plan.
In 2009, Willis signed a contract to become the international face of Belvedere SA's Sobieski Vodka in exchange for 3.3% ownership in the company. In 2018, Willis became the brand ambassador of the Hungarian brand Hell Energy Drink.
Throughout his film career, Willis has depicted several military characters in films such as In Country, The Siege, Hart's War, Tears of the Sun, Grindhouse, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Willis grew up in a military family. Willis has donated Girl Scout cookies to the United States armed forces. In 2002, Willis's then 8-year-old 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 and other troops stationed throughout the Middle East at the time.
* 2000: American Cinematheque Gala Tribute honored Willis with the American Cinematheque Award for an extraordinary artist in the entertainment industry who is fully engaged in his or her work and is committed to making a significant contribution to the art of the motion pictures.
Social Network
Bruce Willis maintains a relatively private online presence. While he does not have official social media accounts, his wife Emma Heming Willis and daughters are active on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, often sharing updates about the family.
In the late 1980s, Willis enjoyed moderate success as a recording artist, recording an album of pop-blues, The Return of Bruno, which included the hit single "Respect Yourself" featuring the Pointer Sisters. The LP was promoted by a Spinal Tap–like rockumentary parody featuring scenes of Willis performing at famous events including Woodstock. He released a version of the Drifters song "Under the Boardwalk" as a second single; it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, but was less successful in the US. Willis returned to the recording studio several times.
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.
* 2006: Honored by French government for his contributions to the film industry; appointed an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters in a ceremony in 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."
Education
Willis studied drama at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He did not complete his degree, as he left to pursue acting full-time after landing roles in New York theater and eventually moving to Los Angeles.
Willis spoke with a stutter. He attended Penns Grove High School in Carneys Point Township, where his schoolmates nicknamed him "Buck-Buck". Willis joined the drama club, and found that acting on stage reduced his stutter. He was eventually elected student council president. He graduated from Penns Grove in 1973.
After graduating from high school, Willis worked as a security guard at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant and transported crew members at the DuPont Chambers Works factory in Deepwater. He turned to acting after working as a private investigator, a role he would later play in the comedy-drama series Moonlighting and the action-comedy film The Last Boy Scout.
Willis enrolled in the drama program at Montclair State University, where he was cast in a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He left the school in 1977, and moved to New York City, where he supported himself in the early 1980s as a bartender at various nightspots in Manhattan including Kamikaze, Cafe Central & Chelsea Central, while living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.
