Beginning his career with the seminal '80s crime-dramedy 'Moonlighting', Willis moved on to star in arguably one of the greatest action blockbusters of our time - 'Die Hard'.
Since then, his career has seen a number of twists and turns, ranging from outright comedies like 'The Whole Nine Yards' to more cerebral fare like 'Looper' and 'The Siege'.
In more recent years, however, Bruce Willis has descended into the depths of VOD schlocky-ness and seems destined to stay there for the time being. Still, his work through the years has been impressive nonetheless.
Here's his five best scenes.
5. 'UNBREAKABLE' - The Pool Scene
Although the credit here might go more to M. Night Shyamalan than Bruce Willis, it's still a brilliant scene in a hugely underrated movie. Willis' characterisation of David Dunn was fascinating; never exactly sure of who and what he was or how he came to be in possession of such powers. This scene, together with its incredible mix of cinematography and music, is a highlight of the movie. It's a crying shame that 'Glass' never lived up to the potential laid out here.
4. 'MOONRISE KINGDOM' - "Until help arrives, I'm deputising the little guy, the skinny one and the boy with the patch on his eye..."
Wes Anderson's crisp and clean-cut dialogue worked perfectly with Willis' often clipped delivery in 'Moonrise Kingdom'. There are very actors who could make a line like this sound convincing and authoritative, much less believable. There's also something funny as well about Willis, who made his career on playing tough-guy cops, playing the closest character to that in a Wes Anderson movie.
3. 'THE SIXTH SENSE' - "I didn't leave you."
Although much is made of Haley Joel Osment's career-best performance in 'The Sixth Sense', Bruce Willis' measured, considered approach to a fantastical story grounds the whole movie. He's our guide in the weird world of talking ghosts. We see through his eyes, we experience Osment's apparitions through him, but it's the final scene that really drops one on you. It's Willis' look of utter disbelief when he realises his true nature that sells it all, mirroring our own.
2. 'PULP FICTION' - "Bed-side table. On the Kangaroo."
'Pulp Fiction' is one of the best films of the '90s. Nobody can really argue with that point. However, Bruce Willis was arguably the most underrated actor in 'Pulp Fiction' and it's easy to see why. You have flashy performances from Samuel L. Jackson, a career-resurgent John Travolta, a fantastic soundtrack, a complex and entertaining story and Tarantino at his purest. However, Willis gave one of his best performances as Butch Coolidge, sprinkling in a little bit of that violence that seems to permeate in all of his roles. We know Coolidge is a bad guy, but we're never actively against him - except for one scene when he flips out over his father's watch. There's a sense that there is something brutal and violent lurking underneath, but it's never explored.
1. 'DIE HARD' - "I was always partial to Roy Rogers, actually..."
Whether he likes it or not, Bruce Willis will forever be associated with John McClane and 'Die Hard'. It's almost a cliche to call it one of the greatest action movies ever made, but it truly is. It has pitch-perfect direction, an effective story, great acting by everyone involved and it's entertaining every time you sit down to watch it. Not only that, the dialogue is silky smooth as evidenced by this brilliant scene. It's set up perfectly, with Willis' whip-smart demeanour playing off nicely against Alan Rickman's icy tones. Are you still there, Mr. Mystery Guest?