Burly, thick-featured and balding, Bruce Willis looks as if he would be perfectly at home behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler, but instead he is one of Hollywood's more popular action heroes, thanks to the success of the "Die Hard" series. But to peg Willis into such a narrow category is to deny his versatility, for he has proven himself at home in leads and supporting roles in dramas, comedies, romances and adventures. Still, he has traversed many hills and valleys during his career.

Though he was born on an American military base in West Germany, Willis was raised in New Jersey since the age of two. As a youth, Willis had a stammer that only disappeared when he was performing. During high school, Willis was the class clown, but in his senior year, he participated in a racial disturbance and was expelled from school until his father hired a lawyer and Willis was allowed to graduate. While attending Montclair State College, he performed in a production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Before attending college, he had worked at several odd jobs and was a security guard, He also played harmonica for a local blues band, Loose Goose. While in school, his love of acting blossomed and he spent much time in New York trying out for various off-Broadway productions. He finally succeeded in 1977 and so left school to work in the play Heaven on Earth. His subsequent acting career was spotty, with a commercial here and a small theatrical role there until 1984 when he landed the lead in an off-Broadway production of Fool for Love and then, during a trip to Los Angeles, was selected out of 3,000 auditioners to co-star in Cybill Shepherd's romantic sitcom Moonlighting in which Willis played wiseacre, self-assured private detective David Addison. Though the show experienced troubled behind the scenes, in large part due to a long-running conflict between Willis, Shepherd and the show's creator Glen Gordon Caron, the show was a major hit during most of its 1985-89 run. In the early '80s, Willis had bit parts in two major features, but did not make his official big screen debut until he starred opposite Kim Basinger in the Blake Edwards farce Blind Date (1987). He again worked with Edwards for his sophomore effort playing cowboy star Tom Mix opposite James Garner's Wyatt Earp in the western spoof Sunset (1988). Both shows reaped modest profits, but did little towards making Willis a major star. Then came Die Hard (1989) wherein he played a low-key New York cop who ingeniously takes on the international terrorists who have taken hostage the corporate L.A. office where his estranged wife is attending a Christmas party. The movie was slick, fast-paced and filled with awesome stunts and its tremendous popularity put Willis on Hollywood's A-list. The natural progression of such things suggests that Willis would have followed-up his success with another blockbuster, but instead he appeared in Norman Jewison's straight drama In Country as a psychologically damaged Vietnam vet who must care for his orphaned niece. Willis next lent his vocal talents to the baby in the inventive comedy Look Who's Talking (1989) and its sequel Look Who's Talking Too (1990). He continued on to reprise his role as a cop in both "Die Hard" sequel. In 1991, he made his screenwriter debut for the much panned Hudson Hawk. Since then, his film his career has continued to be prolific but uneven. In addition to acting, Willis has recorded a music cd, produced movies and even produced a children's animated show. Willis has been married to actress Demi Moore since 1987. They have three children.