American actor Bruce Willis began his career in 1980 with an uncredited role in '' The First Deadly Sin''. After guest-starring in a 1984 episode of '' Miami Vice'', he appeared in the first episode of the 1985 revival of ''The Twilight Zone''. Willis achieved fame starring in the ABC comedy-drama series '' Moonlighting'' (1985–1989), for which he received three

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and two

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In 1988, he starred as John McClane in '' Die Hard'' (1988), a film that spawned four sequels that earned him international recognition as an action hero. In the following years, Willis lent his voice for the video game ''

Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

'' (1998), the comedy film '' Look Who's Talking'' (1989), and its sequel '' Look Who's Talking Too'' (1990). In 1991, he conceived the story for '' Hudson Hawk'', starred as

Bo Weinberg Abraham "Bo" Weinberg (January 7, 1900 – September 9, 1935) was a Jewish New York City mobster who became a hitman and chief lieutenant for the Prohibition-era gang boss Dutch Schultz. As Schultz expanded his bootlegging operations into Manha ...

in '' Billy Bathgate'', and appeared in '' The Last Boy Scout'' alongside Damon Wayans, which earned a cult following and a nomination for the MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo. Willis' additional credits include '' Pulp Fiction'' (1994), ''

12 Monkeys ''12 Monkeys'' is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam, inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film ''La Jetée'', starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt, with Christopher Plummer and David Morse in sup ...

'' (1995), '' Last Man Standing'' (1996), '' The Fifth Element'' (1997), and '' Armageddon'' (1998). In 1999, he starred as Dr. Malcolm Crowe in the critically acclaimed '' The Sixth Sense'' (1999), which earned six Academy Award nominations. His guest appearance on ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' in 2000 earned his third Emmy nomination, this time for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. After appearing in '' Sin City'' (2005) and voicing the lead character in the animated film '' Over the Hedge'' (2006), he starred in '' Red'' and made a cameo appearance in '' The Expendables'' (both 2010). By the 2010s, Willis began starring in straight-to-video films that have received mostly negative reviews from critics and moviegoers. From '' The New York Times'',

Elisabeth Vincentelli Elisabeth Vincentelli is a French-born, New York-based arts and culture journalist. She is a regular contributor to ''The New York Times’ Arts section''. She served as the chief drama critic for the ''New York Post'' from 2009 until 2016, havin ...

analyzed several of his films and found that they generally lacked substance, with action sequences replacing "any attempts at coming up with decent plots", and featured Willis for an average of 15 minutes. Willis has also starred in the 2012 films '' Moonrise Kingdom'', '' The Expendables 2'', and '' Looper''. In 2013, he made an appearance as the title character in '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' and hosted '' Saturday Night Live''. Willis is also known for collaborating with writer and director

M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an Indian-American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for making original films with contemporary supernatural plots and twist endings. He was born in Mahé, India, and raise ...

in several of his films including the '' Eastrail 177 Trilogy'' consisting of '' Unbreakable'' (2000), '' Split'' (2016), and '' Glass'' (2019). In March 2022, Willis' family announced he was retiring from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia. By the end of his career, the films he starred in had grossed over US$5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors in the world.