Bruce Willis: Biography And Career Attainments

Being an actor is one of the career paths that make fame easy to attain but it takes a Bruce Willis to remain relevant and active in the industry for over 3 decades. Of course, the man is unquestionably one of the most influential actors in Hollywood. Beyond that, he is a producer and equally sings.

Did you know that Willis is a big supporter of the military, that he once traveled to Iraq just to encourage the soldiers? Well, there are other things you probably haven't heard about the actor. Let's take a look at a concise account of his bio and family life, the wealth he has acquired, and other facts about his life.

It's no secret that this Hollywood star was born as Walter Bruce Willis on the 19th of March and in the year 1955. His place of birth was in West Germany, precisely in Rhineland-Palatinate, Idar-Oberstein. Bruce was born into the family of David Willis who was an American soldier. David was discharged from the military about two years after Bruce was birthed, in 1957. He became a welder and worked in a factory in order to provide for his family. Meanwhile, Bruce's mother Marlene worked in a bank.

Bruce was born with the responsibility of being a first child, he is the oldest of his parent's four children which includes his sister Florence and his two brothers - Robert and David. Sadly, he has lost Robert. This actor's ancestry is pretty a complex one as he is of mixed heritage. While he is a citizen of the United States of America, his ethnicity has been linked to German, Welsh, Irish, Dutch, French, and English.

Records have it that the American actor was a student of Penns Grove High School located in Salem County, New Jersey. It is said that he was a stutterer and that he was able to conquer his inability to express himself by performing on stage, this marked the birth of an actor who would dominate the movie industry in years to come. Even though Bruce had what it takes to survive in the movie industry when he was done with high school - thanks to his active involvement in the activities of his school's drama group, he had to do other jobs before he decided to give acting all his attention.

Bruce was first seen in Moonlight, a television series and to intensify the pursuit of his acting career, he moved from New York City and settled in California where he auditioned for roles. It wasn't long before he started landing minor roles. His first feature film lead role came in 1987's romantic comedy, Blind Date. Bruce had a handful of other lead roles but it was his portrayal of John McClane in 1988's action thriller Die Hard that became his big bang.

Career Attainments

Bruce Willis' filmography boasts of a very long list of roles in television and much more in movies. While these roles have made it possible for him to attain the status of being one of the highest grossing actors, it has also earned him numerous coveted accolades.

In 2006, his contributions to the industry earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, the French government decorated him as an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters. Several years later (in 2013), he was elevated to the status of a Commander. Bruce got inducted to the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011 and beyond Emmy and the Golden Globe, he can brag about winning the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, the Golden Raspberry, People's Choice Award, and a host of other awards.

Before Bruce made a name for himself as an actor, he was an avid businessman. As at the time of this writing, it is believed that the total value of the man's wealth is worth $180 million. Granted that the true extent of Bruce's riches is best known to him, the amount isn't unrealistic if one considers his many sources of income and investment portfolio.

Bruce Willis owns quite a many properties in Idaho, New York City, Manhattan, California, and New Jersey. In addition to that, he is a co-owner of Cheyenne Enterprises, a California-based production company. Among his other business endeavors, it is known that he became the global face of Sobieski Vodka after he was handed a 3.3% ownership of the company.