The Many Lives Of Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis is one of the hardest working men in show business. LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD marks his 40th starring role in just 20 years. I was going to write about Willis' up and down career, but while doing research I was amazed by how much he's done. Aside from 5 movies which feature only his voice (LOOK WHO'S TALKING 1&2, OVER THE HEDGE, RUGRATS GO WILD, BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD DO AMERICA), he's also found time for a small part on "Friends" - he won an Emmy - and filled in for David Letterman when the talk show host fell ill.

But what really surprised me was how often Bruce would make un uncredited cameo. Time and again he loves to play himself, a parody of his action star persona, or a humorless military man/politician.

The Player (1992)
Willis started off his cameo career playing Himself as an Action Star.

Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
Dressed like John McClane, Willis acts unphased after his trailer is literally blown to bits.


Four Rooms (1995)
Paying off his debt to Tarantino for PULP FICTION, Willis plays a big time movie star involved in a very strange bet.


"Mad About You" .... The Birth: Part 2 (1997)
Possibly my favorite cameo, star Paul Reiser finds himself next to Willis (playing himself) in a men's room stall. Willis then helps Paul - John McClane style - make it to the birth of his child.



Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Memory fails me here, but I believe he plays an Top Spy who is murdered right as the girls arrive to save him.

Ocean's 12 (2004)
In one of the loopier surprise cameos, Willis plays himself who believes Julia Roberts character of Tess is ACTUALLY Julia Roberts.

Fast Food Nation (2006) .... Harry Rydell
In one of his best cameo's, Willis plays the humorless liasion between the Fast Food Company and the Slaughterhouse.


The Astronaut Farmer (2007)
Bruce Willis appears as an Air Force colonel and former astronaut sent to determine how serious Billy Bob Thornton is about going into space.

Grindhouse (2007)
Willis is the humorless military officer who unleases Zombie Gas (and killed Osama Bin Laden.)


Nancy Drew (2007)
This one surprised me. Bruce plays himself when Nancy stumbles onto a film set, and quickly schools the bumbling director.

I wanted to end with Ben Stiller's parody of Bruce Willis and DIE HARD films. It gets my vote as the funniest thing Stiller's ever done.