Bruce Willis is one of the most recognized action stars in Hollywood. He played the role of the everyman cop John McClane in the Die Hard series and reached new heights as the tough guy in films such as 12 Monkeys, Armageddon, Unbreakable, and more.
While Willis has also gone into dramatic territory, his forte is still playing the rough action star, which also seems to carry over to his real-life persona. Hence, talk show host Conan O’Brien stated that he finds Bruce Wilis to be a tough guy in real life, unlike other action stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Bruce Willis’ Career As An Action Hero
While Bruce Willis is known for his action hero roles, it can come as a surprise to fans that he started his career as a comedic actor. He was cast as a private detective in the comedy series Moonlighting. The actor became widely known for his comedic performance in the series and even won an Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy.
Willis took a complete shift from his well-known persona as a comedic actor when he was cast in the action film Die Hard. The film saw him play a cop John McClane, who has to manage a hostage situation at his estranged wife’s office on Christmas. The film was a massive hit at the box office, earning over $138 million. Willis reportedly performed his stunts in the film.
The commercial success of the film spawned four sequels and he became known as an action star. His career fluctuated outside the Die Hard films, but he then regained his fame after starring in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The actor has since starred in multiple action and drama films such as Armageddon and Split which showcase his macho personality.
Conan O’Brien Thinks Bruce Willis Is A Tough Guy In Real Life As Well
Many action stars who are known for their tough exteriors catch the audience by surprise with their contrasting, bright personalities. Actors such as John Cena, Keanu Reeves, and Dwayne Johnson are known for their outgoing personalities, despite being known for their intense macho roles.
However, Bruce Willis’ persona outside the films still seems to be along the lines of some of the roles he plays. The actor had been a private investigator in real life, before he was cast in the role in his breakthrough show Moonlighting, and was also a security guard at a Nuclear Power Plant. The actor also comes from a military family and has mentioned his enthusiasm for joining the military during the Iraq War.
Noted talk show host Conan O’Brien addressed this on an episode when he called Bruce Willis a tough guy even off-screen. Talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger, O’Brien said,
“There are a lot of guys out there who play tough guys in movies and then you meet them in real life and they don’t strike you as tough guys…Schwarzenegger, you see him in the movies, he is blowing things up left and right. I talked to him backstage, he’s rubbing lotion into his hand going, ‘Hands are pretty’.”
When asked if he likes to be a tough guy in real life, Willis replied that he does wish so but he cannot do it. He said,
“It is true. Don’t you just want to just kick somebody’s a*s, once in a while?…just haul off and just deck somebody…Well, I can’t do that.”
Bruce Willis is still known as an action hero despite not being ‘able to be a tough guy’ in real life.
