Bruce Willis first came to America's notice as a TV star on ABC's Moonlighting, playing a cocksure private eye known for his ever-present smirk, then became an international superstar as an unlikely action hero in Die Hard, a megawatt critical and box office success that redefined the action genre in the '80s and beyond.
But to pigeonhole him for either breakout role overlooks the actor for the artist he was. He consistently delivered in his 30-plus year career winning, nuanced performances in starring and supporting roles across cinematic genres as diverse as comedy, drama, romance, comic-book adaptations, neo-noir thrillers and science fiction.
The Films of Bruce Willis offers a definitive critical assessment of his work, taking a deep-dive look at his commitment to stretching himself creatively and thematically in some of the most celebrated films of his generation. Unafraid to take risks with his image or the size of his roles, often choosing projects without billing and at a fraction of the salary he came to command, he crafted a fascinating big-screen legacy encompassing several personas that will live on in the wake of his abrupt retirement from acting in 2022 after being tragically diagnosed with a degenerative cognitive disorder.
James L. Neibaur is a film historian and scholar with more than 35 books and hundreds of articles appearing in Cineaste, Classic Images, Film Quarterly, Films in Review, Filmfax and Encyclopedia Brittanica.
GARY SCHNEEBERGER is a former journalist and entertainment critic who is president of the public-relations firm ROAR, where he has advised Hollywood studios, U.S. television networks major publishing houses and international nonprofits.