Trivia

Has regularly been named on "Best Celebrity Tippers" lists over the years. This is largely due to his early "struggling" waiter/bartender days.

Met Demi Moore at a screening of Emilio Estevez's film, Étroite surveillance (1987). Moore had broken off her engagement to Estevez the previous December after it was revealed publicly that he'd fathered another woman's two children while in a relationship with Moore; so it was a little odd for her to be there in the first place. She and Willis were married four months later.

Acting helped him to overcome a debilitating childhood stutter. In an interview with "GQ" magazine in March 2013, he said, "I had a terrible stutter. But then I did some theater in high school and when I memorized words, I didn't stutter, which was just miraculous. That was the beginning of the gradual dispelling of my stutter. I thought I was handicapped. I couldn't talk at all. I still stutter around some people now".

Was chosen to play John McClane in Piège de cristal (1988) because the producers felt he brought warmth and humor to an otherwise cold and humorless character. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone had turned down the role.

Is left-handed and is displayed in most of his films. In Sixième Sens (1999), he learned to write with his right hand so this would not be so easily noticeable that his character was not wearing his wedding ring.

Turned down the role of Sam Wheat in Ghost (1990) because he did not think the plot would work and that playing a ghost would be detrimental to his career. Ironically, he played a ghost in Sixième Sens (1999), which was a critical success and is widely regarded as one of his best performances.

Credits Will Smith with helping him come to terms with his divorce from Demi Moore, and accepting Ashton Kutcher as her new husband.

Has stated, in 1997, 2001 and 2013, that he will no longer be doing violent action or "save-the-world" movies.

Became the first actor to guest-star on Friends (1994) and win an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Guest Actor category for their performance.

As a young man his personality was very much like that of the character he played on Clair de lune (1985). He was always getting into trouble because of this and was bodily ejected from parties by the hosts for being obnoxious.

Was the only celebrity that attended Julia Roberts' wedding to Daniel Moder. Their friendship is referred to in Ocean's Twelve (2004), when he mistakes Tess Ocean for Julia Roberts, and asks her about "Danny".

Co-founder of "Planet Hollywood" together with Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. (1991)

Wears his watch upside down with the face on the inside of his wrist. This is also visible in many movies he has done (Une journée en enfer (1995), Code Mercury (1998), etc.) where they have not requested him to flip this over.

The scar on his right shoulder is from surgery due to complications from a broken arm when he was age 17.

Recommended Michael Clarke Duncan to play the role of John Coffey in La Ligne verte (1999).

Often supports the careers of other actors he has met on set, and asks they be given supporting roles in his films, most famously Michael Clarke Duncan, whom he worked with on Mon voisin le tueur (2000), asked for him on Armageddon (1998) and suggested him to the producers of La Ligne verte (1999). Other actors include Billy Bob Thornton (Armageddon (1998), Bandits (2003)), Johnny Messner (Les larmes du soleil (2003), Mon voisin le tueur 2 (2004)), Nick Chinlund (Les larmes du soleil (2003), Sale môme (2000)) and Cole Hauser (Mission évasion (2002) "(Tears of the Sun")). Met and befriended Matthew Perry on the set of Mon voisin le tueur (2000) and then appeared on Friends (1994) at Perry's request.

Has named his acting idols as Robert De Niro, Gary Cooper, Steve McQueen and John Wayne.

Filled in as a last-minute host for David Letterman on February 26, 2003, a show he was supposed to be the guest for. This was Letterman's first "sick day" in 20 years (other than his time off for heart surgery).

Was a guest at Demi Moore's wedding to Ashton Kutcher.

Was the first actor to ever "act" in a video game (Apocalypse (1998)). No one before had ever done voice-work along with having their likeness and movements digitally added to the game, as well as receiving prominent billing on the game's cover.

Born on a US military base in Germany. His mother, Marlene, was German, and was born in Kassel. His father, David Willis, was American-born, and had English and smaller amounts of Dutch, French, Irish and Welsh ancestry.

Personally recommended Bonnie Bedelia for the part of his estranged wife in Piège de cristal (1988), her most visible role since On achève bien les chevaux (1969).

Quentin Tarantino opines that Willis' performance in Incassable (2000) is the best of his career.

Divides his time between Malibu, California and Hailey, Idaho. In the latter, he and now ex-wife Demi Moore were criticized by locals for buying businesses in the town and not running them properly. He owns (after buying out Moore) the Mint Bar and the Liberty Theater. He also owns the old Hailey Drug Store, but the building has been vacant and unused since the early 1990s.

The name of his band is Bruce Willis and the Accelerators. In 2002, the band had its largest tour to date, going to 15 cities.

Admitted to "Playboy" magazine in 1996 that he was once arrested at age 19 for possessing two joints.

3/21/09: Married girlfriend Emma Heming Willis at his home in Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos. The ceremony was not legally binding, so the couple wed again in a civil ceremony in Beverly Hills six days later.

Awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6915 Hollywood Blvd. on October 16, 2006.

In 2001, his younger brother, Robert Willis, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 42.

(7/23/02) Appointed by President George W. Bush as national spokesman for Children in Foster Care.

Diagnosed with aphasia in 2022.

Has 5 daughters: Rumer Willis (b. August 16, 1988), Scout Willis (b. July 20, 1991) & Tallulah Willis (b. February 3, 1994) with ex-wife, Demi Moore and Mabel Ray Willis (b. April 1, 2012) & Evelyn Penn Willis (b. May 5, 2014) with wife, Emma Heming Willis.

Set a new benchmark for actors' salaries when he was paid $5 million for Piège de cristal (1988) in 1988. Eight years later, his wife, Demi Moore, set a benchmark of $12 million with Striptease (1996).

Among the guests at his wedding to Emma Heming Willis were his three daughters, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Madonna.

His Actors Studio (1994) interview was taped on September 10, 2001. The episode was respectfully dedicated by Willis and the Actors Studio Drama School "to the heroes who fell September 11th - and to the heroes who fight on.".

Has appeared with Samuel L. Jackson in five films: Alarme fatale (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), Une journée en enfer (1995) and Incassable (2000), Glass(2019) even though they only shared scenes together in the last three.

He and Linda Fiorentino were employed as bartenders in the early 1980s at the Kamikaze Club in New York City.

His performance as John McClane in the "Die Hard" trilogy is ranked #46 on "Premiere: magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Has been special ambassador of his birth town, Idar-Oberstein, Germany, since his 50th birthday.

Visited Michael Jackson on the set of the "Smooth Criminal" segment for Moonwalker (1988). Also visiting the set were Gregory Peck and Robert De Niro.

Along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charlton Heston, he was one of very few Hollywood celebrities to publicly support the Iraq war. While visiting the troops in 2003, he offered $1 million of his own money for the man who would capture Saddam Hussein. When Hussein was captured, it turned out that military rules prevent troops from collecting such a reward.

France awarded him Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in April 2005. "France pays homage to an actor who represents the force of American cinema and the power of emotions that he invites us to share on screens throughout the world", Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said. "I'm nervous. Bonjour Paris", he replied.

Was considered for the role of Kyle Reese in Terminator (1984), which went to Michael Biehn.

(10/20/04) Sued Revolution Studios for unspecified damages related to a blow to his forehead that he received during "ultrahazardous activity" involved in the filming of Les larmes du soleil (2003). He claims that it has caused him extreme mental, physical and emotional pain and suffering.

He has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Le verdict (1982), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Sixième Sens (1999).

"Maxim" magazine had named his sex scenes in Color of Night (1994) as the best sex scenes ever in film history.

Worked in a chemical factory before going to college.

Little Richard presided over his wedding to Demi Moore. Ally Sheedy was one of the bridesmaids. The ceremony and reception was arranged by Tri-Star Pictures.

He worked with Melanie Griffith twice, and in both movies Le bûcher des vanités (1990) and Un homme presque parfait (1994), they share just one scene. Melanie said that she wished they had shared more screen time together, since they knew each other for many years. She also attended Hollywood Salutes Bruce Willis: An American Cinematheque Tribute (2000) where she talked about the two films she did with him, along with the one film that both auditioned for but didn't get Recherche Susan désespérément (1985). Bruce jokingly apologized to Melanie for the failure of "Bonfire of the Vanities".

Graduated from Penns Grove High School in Penns Grove, New Jersey (near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), where he was raised. (Actor John Forsythe was born in Penns Grove.) Willis's class voted him "Most School Spirit". (1973)