EXCLUSIVE: 'Dying' Bruce Willis' Emotional Look-Back at His Biggest Roles — From 'Very Frightening' Breakout Gig to 'Die Hard' Cop Being 'Closest Character to His Personality'
The Hollywood icon has had one of the most iconic careers in Hollywood.
March 31 2025, Published 7:11 p.m. ET
Bruce Willis has had one of the most iconic careers in Hollywood.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the actor, 70, has looked back on his biggest roles – including his "very frightening" breakout gig and the famous cop in the Die Hard franchise.
Willis starred in his final film back in 2023.
After growing up in Penns Grove, New Jersey, Willis, 70, admitted: "I had a terrible stutter. I thought I was handicapped. I couldn’t talk at all."
But once he joined theater, his life was forever changed.
In 1985, the Hollywood icon landed a role in Moonlighting – which soon became a "hit show."
The actor said: "I have always considered myself an actor, not a star of anything. There’s no rule book. It’s very frightening."
A few years later, he landed one of his most iconic roles yet – playing cop John McClane in the first of five action movies for the Die Hard franchise.
Willis explained: "Every film that I do is a learning experience. I think that in Die Hard, the character I play is closer to me than anything I've ever done."
The actor even tried out a role on Broadway.
The actor also had a handful of gigs in Pulp Fiction, Color of Night and 12 Monkeys before landing another major role in The Sixth Sense in 1999.
In the film, he starred alongside then 11-year-old Haley Joel Osment, whom he called "the most extraordinary actor I have ever worked with."
Willis added: "One scene required 10 takes, and every time on cue, he would cry. You see me sitting there amazed. It’s from watching a little 11-year-old boy act like a grown man."
In 2012, Willis played a quirky cop in Wes Anderson’s film Moonrise Kingdom.
Discussing the role, he said: "I like challenges. It's me competing with myself. It’s a solitary game for most actors — you really are competing with yourself."
Clearly up for a new challenge, Willis then embarked on a new journey on Broadway when he starred in Misery in 2015.
The actor said about performing on stage: "I'm not that frightened. It’s just a different mode. It’s just a different way of acting. You just can’t stop. You got to get it right all night long."
Bruce Willis retired from acting after he was diagnosed with dementia.
Willis' successful career in the business is proof he knows how to pick a role, and agreeing to star in 2019's Glass alongside Samuel L. Jackson was an obvious choice.
When approached to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s classic, the star explained: "When he approached me about it, I agreed immediately, I didn’t have to read the script. To work again with Night was a dream come true."
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Bruce Willis is being celebrated by his family on his 70th birthday.
In 2023, Willis starred in his final film, Assassin – which was intended for release in September 2022 under the title Die Like Lovers.
Back in February 2023, Willis' loved ones announced the Hollywood icon had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a brain disease that affects patients' behavior and ability to speak.
Willis' ex-wife, Demi Moore, his daughters and his current wife, Emma Heming, have since rallied around him and continue to care for the star.
From his birthday celebration to holidays, the actor's daughters have been documenting those special moments to share with his fans on social media.
