Bruce Willis

Actor and musician Bruce Willis is well known for playing wisecracking or hard-edged characters, most often in spectacular action films. In total, he's appeared in films that have grossed in excess of $2.5 billion dollars. Walter Bruce Willis was born March 19, 1955 in Idar-Oberstein (West Germany) to Marlene Kassel and David Andrew Willis (from Carneys Point New Jersey), both of whom were living on an United States military base. The family relocated to America within a short time following his birth. He was raised in Penns Grove (New Jersey) where his mother worked as an employee at a bank, while his father was an electrician and worked in a factory. Willis began to develop an interest in drama arts at high school. He was "discovered" when he worked in a New York City cafe. Later, he appeared in several off-Broadway productions. In one bar it was discovered that he was spotted by a casting director who liked his personality and needed bartenders for a minor film part. Willis was involved in countless auditions before landing the role in the romantic comedy of the same name, Moonlighting (1985), as David Addison. His sarcastic humor and wittiness as a P.I. is the highlight of his career. Some believe it's an exercise in preparation to prepare for Willis the role he played in Die Hard (1988), in which he was the sole defender of the thieves of a gang who were stealing from an Los Angeles skyscraper. In the sequel, Die Hard 2 (1990), Willis reprised his role as McClane. The story was set in Washington's Dulles International Airport where a group of rebellious Special Forces soldiers are trying to get back an unjust South American general. The sequel, Die Hard with avengeance (1995) was a smash success. The film starred Samuel L. Jackson as an obnoxious Harlem shop owner who has to assist McClane during a terrorist bombing spree that takes place in the midst of a scorching New York day.