Looking Back At Bruce Willis' Best Movie Performances

Hollywood actor Bruce Willis recently retired from acting due to a health-related issue. Via Instagram, his family revealed that he was diagnosed with aphasia. This reportedly impacted his cognitive abilities, rendering him unable to continue acting.

The icon made his debut in Hollywood as a lead character in the comedy-drama series "Moonlighting." The show lasted from 1985-to 1988 then Willis proceeded to star in more popular movies. Since his first appearance, he has appeared in over 100 films, including some of his most popular work, the "Die Hard" franchise.

While Willis has several critically acclaimed and applauded works, some films weren't well-received by the public. This post will highlight some of the acting veteran's most loved works, from the 1980s to his recent titles.

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What's a Bruce Willis movie appreciation list without a "Die Hard" mention? The "Die Hard" movies are certainly the actor's most popular tv performances. The first installment was released in 1988 with John McTiermann as the director. It was based on a 1979 novel titled "Nothing Lasts Forever" written by Roderick Thorp.

Willis played New York Police Detective John McClane, who happened to be present during a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper. The actor was reportedly paid $5 million for his performance, making him one of Hollywood's most paid actors at the time.

While the movie had mixed reviews upon its release, it bagged $140 million to its $35 million budget and became the tenth highest-grossing movie of the year. It also had four Academy Award nominations and significantly elevated Willis's leading man status in Hollywood.

Another fantastic project Willis was involved in is "Death Becomes Her," where he played Dr. Earnest Menville. The 1992 movie showed the actor alongside Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. It bagged an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

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"12 Monkeys" was directed by Terry Gilliam and had the likes of Brad Pitt and Madeleine Stowe star alongside Willis. The movie was inspired by "La Jetée," a 1962 short film by Chris Marker. The script was rewritten by David and Janet Peoples after University Studios got the rights to remake the movie.

The 1995 sci-fi was set in 2035 and followed Willis as a prisoner named James Cole. James was sent back in time to help scientists find a cure for the virus that almost wiped out all of humanity. Most of the movie was shot in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

"12 Monkeys" saw Willis take up a different role from his usual tv performances. It showed none of his standard sarcastic glib humor and instead portrayed him in a more vulnerable light. It grossed over $168 million worldwide with a $29.5 million production budget. The movie was nominated and won several categories in the Saturn Awards.

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Willis went on to star in pop culture phenomenon that is "The Fifth Element," where he starred besides Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich and Gary Oldman. Willis played the lead character, Korben Dallas; An Ex-major from Planet Earth's special forces currently working as a cab driver. He teams up with Leeloo (Jovovich,) a strange young woman who drops out of nowhere into his flying cab. The two of them pair up and together they go on a quest to gather four mystical stones that are essential for the survival of earth against malevolent forces.

The "The Fifth Element" was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $239m from a budget of $90m. The movie is still heavily referenced up to this day for its many iconic scenes. and is considered by some to be one of the best sci-fi films ever made.

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Willis acted alongside stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright, and several others in this superhero thriller. The movie was followed by other installments in the franchise, "Glass" and "Split," released much later.

Willis played David Dunn, a security guard who, after surviving a ghastly train crash unhurt, discovers that he has superhuman abilities. The movie was directed, written, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan and was one of his most applauded works.

After its November 2000 release, it had a lot of positive reviews ranging from the screenplay, aesthetics, cinematography, emotional weight of the movie, and several other areas. In 2011, "Unbreakable" was listed in Times as number four of the top ten superhero films.

Willis reprised his role as David Dunn in "Split" for a cameo when it was released in January 2017 and the third installment "Glass" for its January 2019 release.

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2012 was an exciting year for Willis and his career in acting. The actor starred in several movies, two of which made the most impact. "Looper" and "Moonrise Kingdom" were both released within months of each other and had the best reception.

"Looper" was released in 2012 and starred Willis alongside actors like Joseph Gordon Johnson, Emily Blunt, and Jeff Daniels. The film followed present-day killers, known as "loopers," who went back in time to terminate targets of criminal syndicates. The sci-fi action thriller was a box office success, earning $176 million worldwide with its $30 million production budget.

"Moonrise Kingdom" was a coming-of-age comedy directed and written by Wes Anderson. Willis played an island police captain (Captain Sharp) searching for two runaways in the film. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay in the Academy Awards and Best Musical or Comedy for the Golden Globe. By 2016, it was added to BBC's list of the greatest films of the 21st century. Other honorable mentions include "16 Blocks," "The Last Boy Scout," "The Jackal," "Oceans 12," and several others.

Bruce Willis' exit from Hollywood will certainly be felt as he was a movie-star in every sense of the word.