After acting for over 40 years, actor Bruce Willis’ legendary career had sadly come to an end after his diagnosis of aphasia. The disorder is an impairment that impacts the production or comprehension of speech, which was noticeably starting to affect his work in more recent years. At the age of 67, he has appeared in over 100 movies, making him a staple to the movie industry, even though he is often unacknowledged. He went his whole career without a single Oscar nomination, only obtaining a handful of Golden Globe nominations.
From comedy to drama to action, he’s covered several genres over his career, proving he was an actor with incredible range and drive. To honor his legendary career, here are some of his most iconic films and roles, ranked:
8. Moonrise Kingdom
This comedic role as Captain Sharp goes overlooked as one of his best roles. His quirky stature is extremely likable and a joy to watch, like most Wes Anderson characters. The role was one of his many comedic roles, but this was one of the most worthy and savory, as he plays a homely father figure and small-town police captain.
7. Friends
Willis’ run on the classic 90s sitcom was a short yet memorable one. Out of all the memorable guest actors on the show, his appearance was iconic, having appeared after losing a bet with one of the showrunners, Matthew Perry. His role as Paul Stevens, an overbearing father of Ross Geller’s extremely young girlfriend, was intimidating and calculating, bringing comedy out of several awkward places. His calculating performance did not go unnoticed, as he was awarded with an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
6. Death Becomes Her
Another one of his prestigious comedic roles is in this 1992 film Death Becomes Her. He plays the role of an awkward plastic surgeon Dr. Ernest Menville, who is caught up in a love triangle with two women, played by iconic actresses Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. This cult classic is magnificent with the amazing chemistry between the three but, more importantly, Willis’ character is the one that steals the show with his upbeat, energetic role.
5. Looper
One of Willis’ most notable sci-fi thrillers is this 2012 film directed by Rian Johnson. What makes this film so unique is its exciting plot in which Willis’ character has to fight what is a younger version of himself, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt. The chemistry between the two versions is elevated beyond belief and is often overlooked. Being deeply involved in such a distinct film much later in his career proves that Willis was still able to make such amazing performances.
4. The Sixth Sense
M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural thriller granted Willis one of his most dramatic roles. Willis, in one of his most popular roles, plays a child psychologist examining a child who that he can see dead people. Featuring one of the most famous plot twists of all time, people often overlook the performances and the compelling character dynamic between Willis and his younger co-star, Haley Joel Osment.
3. Pulp Fiction
Willis may have played a supporting role in this Tarantino masterpiece, but this role was simply one of his most unforgettable. Cast as the heavyweight boxer Butch Cassidy, his self-driven character was pivotal to the film overall, bringing chaos and tension to the plot line. Even though he stood out among the other characters, he sadly wasn't awarded any acknowledgment unlike the other actors in this film.
2. Moonlighting
Debuting in 1985, this comedy-drama series was Willis’ breakout role. Playing the role of David Addison Jr., he starred as a snarky private investigator alongside Cybill Shepherd. Remarkably, Willis beat out over 3,000 other actors for the role. His acting for the show was well-received, being awarded a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series as well as a Golden Globe award.
1. Die Hard
Switching from television to the big screen, Die Hard was Willis’ first major film role as well as his most prestigious role as cop John McClane. With incredibly witty one-liners and a lot of character development, this role was made for Willis. The iconic formula he presented in this film would continue to be shown in several other of Willis’ action films, including the many follow-ups to Die Hard. Even though Willis went on to star in so many other action films throughout his career, nothing truly compared to his first one.
