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Bruce
Many of us have seen the Die Hard movies or Pulp Fiction and are well familiar with Bruce Willis, with a star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. But, did you know that Bruce was born in the Eifel Region, just around the corner from the Kaiserslautern Military Community?
He was born as Walter Bruce Willis March 19, 1955, in the quaint town of Idar-Oberstein, renowned for its international gem exchange. His father, David Andrew Willis, was an American soldier and his mother, Marlene, née Henze, was from Kassel, Germany. He has one sister and a brother, while his younger brother Robert is deceased.
When Bruce was two years old, his father retired and relocated to his hometown of Carneys Point, New Jersey. His mother took on employment in a bank and his father became a welder, master mechanic and factory worker. Bruce described his background as a “long line of blue-collar people.”
It is said that Bruce spoke with a stutter and attended Penns Grove High School in Carneys Point, where his schoolmates nicknamed him “Buck-Buck.” In an effort to reduce his stutter and as a type of therapy, he joined the drama club, and as a side effect discovered his talent as an actor.
After graduating, he first worked as a security guard at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant and also transported crew members at the DuPont Chambers Works factory in Deepwater. Then he ventured on a short career as a private investigator, valuable experience which years later reflected in the comedy-drama series Moonlighting.
Big Apple
In 1977 he decided that his life needed a new twist, so he moved to the Big Apple and first supported himself as a bartender in nightspots in Manhattan, living in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. But, his interest in acting never faded, and not losing faith, he ambitiously aimed at a colorful career.
Competing against 3,000 other actors, he received a starring role in the series Moonlighting and became well established as a comedic actor. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1987.
During the height of the show’s success, he was offered an advertising role from beverage maker Seagrams, but declined a contract renewal after two years when he decided to stop drinking alcohol in 1988. Instead, he tried himself as a singer and recorded an album of pop-blues which included the hit single “Respect Yourself” together with the Pointer Sisters. Later he produced two further albums.
His breakthrough came in the year 1988 when he starred as John McClane in the first Die Hard movie. Amazingly he performed most of his own stunts in the film leading to its great success, and further follow-up movies were produced in the following years.
In the early 1990s, his career suffered a moderate slump, when he concentrated on his marriage with Demi Moore that brought about three daughters. In 1994 he received a leading role in part one of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, which gave a boost to his popularity. In 1996 he excelled as the executive producer and also star of the cartoon Bruno the Kid, featuring a computer-generated image of himself.
Overall, he has scored in various genres as a movie actor, stage performer, musician and producer, as well as a prolific career in Hollywood, starring in over 100 films. Some of his most notable movies include Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Sin City (2005), Looper (2012), Glass (2019).
Ambassador of Idar-Oberstein
At this 50th birthday celebration in Hollywood in 2005, he was pronounced the “Ambassador of Idar-Oberstein.” Shortly after, he paid his hometown a visit, bought some precious gems, visited former neighbors, and treated himself to a good German beer in a local pub, not being recognized by the owner! He has kept close ties to extended family and one of his cousins is the German folk singer Wilfried Gliem, so talent must run in the family!
In 2006 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in addition to receiving a long list of other awards and recognitions. His films have been successful in drawing millions to movie theaters around the world and his multi-faceted talent has made him one of the leading actors of his time.
In addition, he has dedicated his time and resources to organizations to raise awareness and funds to support medical research and provide necessary treatments for children in need.
In 2022 Bruce retired from acting due to a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that affects the ability to speak and understand language. A year later his diagnosis was updated to frontotemporal dementia.
According to his family, he is in a stable condition and is being well cared for by his wife Emma Heming, his ex-wife Demi Moore and all his five daughters. The family is showing their love and support for him in view of his health condition as they celebrate his 70th birthday March 19.
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag (happy birthday) Bruce!
