On and off screen, Bruce Willis has a lengthy list of accomplishments to be proud of.
The actor rose to fame as David Addison Jr. on Moonlighting, which aired for five seasons from 1985 to 1989. During the show’s successful run, Willis married Demi Moore and welcomed three daughters — Rumer Willis, Scout Willis and Tallulah Willis— with the Ghost actress. The pair announced their split in 1998 but had a good coparenting relationship.
“I still love Demi. We’re very close,” he explained to Rolling Stone in 2000, the same year they finalized their divorce. “We have three children whom we will continue to raise together, and we’re probably as close now as we ever were. We realize we have a lifelong commitment to our kids. Our friendship continues. The institution has been set aside … It’s difficult to live your life and marriage under a magnifying glass, which is what happens to movie star couples.”
While Bruce has more than 100 IMDb credits, he may be most known for his role as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise. The first film hit theaters in 1998, and he returned for four more movies, wrapping up the series with 2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard.
“No one ever knows when a film is going to take off. No one could predict this,” the Emmy winner told USA Today while promoting the fifth installment. “Did I think at the time that 25 years later I would still be making these films? You should call the president of the United States and ask him what’s going to happen 25 years from now. No one has any idea.”
As he continued to appear in movies and guest star on TV shows, Bruce met his second wife, Emma Heming Willis. The pair wed in 2009 and welcomed two daughters: Mabel and Evelyn.
“When we first met, I was surprised at how charming and how funny he was and extremely handsome,” she recalled in a 2016 episode of People’s List. “That was my first thought of you.”
He gushed at the time, “I was already in love with her.”
Moore proved to still be a big part of Bruce’s life when she attended her ex’s wedding. In 2015, Rumer opened up about her parents’ dynamic.
“I’m so thankful and grateful that my parents made such an effort at that time,” the 90210 actress told Larry King. “They always made an effort to do all of the family events still together and made such an effort to still have our family be as one unit, as opposed to two separate things, which I think really made an impact.”
News broke in March 2022 that Bruce was “stepping back” from his career after he was diagnosed with aphasia.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” read a joint statement, signed by Heming Willis, Moore and their respective daughters. “We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”
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Scroll through for a look at some of Bruce’s career and life highlights:
