| Information | Category |
| $250 Million | Net Worth |
| Mar 19, 1955 (69 years old) | Birthdate |
| Idar-Oberstein | Birthplace |
| Male | Gender |
| 6 ft (1.83 m) | Height |
| Actor, Film Producer, Television producer, Businessperson, Voice Actor, Singer, Musician, Writer, Composer | Profession |
| United States of America | Nationality |
What is Bruce Willis’ net worth and salary?
Bruce Willis, an American actor, producer, and musician, boasts a net worth of $250 million from his successful career. He was consistently one of Hollywood’s highest-paid leading men from the late 1980s until his retirement. Willis earned hundreds of millions of dollars from film salaries alone.
His earnings from the movie “The Sixth Sense” in 1999 totaled $114 million, with a $14 million upfront salary and a generous cut of the film’s gross. This stands as the second-highest earnings by an actor from a single movie, with Keanu Reeves holding the #1 spot for his earnings from two “Matrix” movies.
Willis became a household name in the 1980s through the TV series “Moonlighting” and successfully transitioned to the big screen. He starred in the “Die Hard” franchise, as well as in blockbuster films like “Pulp Fiction,” “12 Monkeys,” “Armageddon,” “Unbreakable,” “Sin City,” and “The Fifth Element.” He has also been part of successful film franchises such as “RED,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” and “The Expendables.”
Despite a few low points in the early to mid-90s with projects like “Hudson Hawk,” “Striking Distance,” “North,” and “Color of Night,” Willis bounced back and remained a fan favorite. He has also made appearances on television shows like “Mad About You,” “Ally McBeal,” “Friends,” and “That 70s Show” when not starring in movies.
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Early Life
Bruce Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, on March 19, 1955. His mother worked as a bank teller, and his father was a serviceman in the American military. When he was young, Willis moved to Penns Grove, New Jersey.
After finishing high school, Bruce took on a security job at a nuclear power plant and later worked as a driver for workers at a DuPont factory. He also briefly worked as a private investigator before deciding to pursue acting.
Willis studied drama at Montclair State University but left during his junior year to focus on acting in New York City. In New York, he worked mainly as a bartender while attending auditions, with limited success. However, he did have a small role as an extra in the 1982 film The Verdict, starring Paul Newman.
In 1984, Willis relocated to Los Angeles, where he started landing minor roles on TV shows such as Miami Vice and The Twilight Zone.
Success
In 1985, Bruce Willis successfully auditioned for the role of David Addison Jr. on the TV show Moonlighting, starring alongside Cybill Shepherd. Drawing from his past experience as a private detective, Willis portrayed the character for five seasons, from 1985 to 1989. His role on the show propelled him to international fame and earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a Golden Globe. Willis’s popularity also led to a lucrative endorsement deal with Seagram for their Golden Wine Cooler, for which he was paid $7 million over two years. Adjusted for inflation, this would be approximately $17 million today. Willis ended his contract with Seagram in 1988 when he decided to quit alcohol.
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Die Hard
After rising to the A-List, Willis began securing roles in films. In 1988, he debuted as John McClane in Die Hard, a role that solidified his status as a television and film star. He was paid $5 million for the first film, $7.5 million for the second, $15 million for the third, and $25 million for the fourth. In total, before adjusting for inflation, Bruce has earned at least $52 million from the Die Hard series. Adjusting for inflation, his earnings are closer to $70-80 million.
Other Notable Films
In 1989, Bruce showcased his voice acting talents in Look Who’s Talking, earning a hefty $10 million. He later reprised his role for the sequel, earning another $10 million.
In 1994, Bruce took a substantial pay cut of just $800,000 to star in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. This decision revitalized his career, solidifying his status as a top-tier actor.
His performances in 1995’s 12 Monkeys and The Fifth Element garnered critical and audience acclaim, respectively. Bruce’s filmography also includes memorable roles in Sin City, Red, Moonrise Kingdom, The Expendables 2, Looper, Unbreakable, Split, and Glass.
While Bruce has faced mixed critical reviews, he has delivered several blockbuster hits. The Die Hard series alone grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. Armageddon was the highest-grossing film of 1998, raking in $553 million. His role in The Sixth Sense earned him critical acclaim and remains his highest-grossing film, earning $673 million.
Bruce has been honored with two Emmys (for Moonlighting and Friends), a Golden Globe (for Moonlighting), and two People’s Choice Awards (for Moonlighting and The Sixth Sense).
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Personal Life
Bruce Willis married actress Demi Moore in 1987, and they had three daughters together before divorcing in 2000. During their split, Willis paid Moore a settlement of $90 million. He later married model Emma Heming in 2009, with whom he has two daughters. Despite their divorce, Willis and Moore have remained amicable, with Willis even attending Moore’s wedding to Ashton Kutcher and Moore attending Willis’s wedding to Heming. Willis became a grandfather for the first time in April 2023 when his daughter Rumer gave birth to a baby girl.
Aside from his acting career, Willis is also a musician, having released three rock albums that received positive reviews.
In 2022, Bruce Willis announced his retirement from acting due to aphasia dementia. In February 2023, his family revealed that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. At the time of his retirement, he had completed eleven films that were awaiting release.
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Real Estate
Over the years, Bruce Willis has owned several valuable properties worldwide.
In 1990, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore bought a 7,000-square-foot penthouse in New York City’s San Remo building for $7 million. They later purchased an additional two-bedroom apartment in the same building. After their divorce, Demi Moore received this apartment. She listed it for sale in 2015 for $75 million and eventually sold it in 2017 for $45 million.
In 2014, Bruce Willis sold his former Beverly Hills mansion for $16.5 million. He also sold a penthouse in New York City for $18 million in April 2018.
In March 2019, Bruce Willis listed a sprawling estate in Turks and Caicos for $33 million. This 7.4-acre property includes a 13,500-square-foot private compound with multiple guest houses, a yoga studio, a children’s play area, beach volleyball courts, and four pools. Here is a video showcasing this remarkable property:
After initially listing his home for $33 million, Bruce later accepted an offer of $27 million from the founder of Goosehead Insurance, a multibillion-dollar insurance company. The new owners put the property back on the market in February 2022, asking for $37.5 million.
Around the same time Bruce listed a property in Turks and Caicos in 2019, he purchased a home in Brentwood, California, for just under $10 million. Additionally, a few months before that, he listed a home in upstate New York for $13 million and sold a property in Idaho for $5 million.
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Bruce Willis Salary Per Movie
Bruce Willis earned a massive payday from his role in “The Sixth Sense,” taking an upfront salary of $14 million along with a significant percentage of the movie’s earnings. In total, he made approximately $100 million from the film. His career has seen him commanding eight-figure salaries since the late 1980s.
Back in 1988, Bruce earned $5 million for a movie, equivalent to around $10 million today. The following year, he received $10 million for “Look Who’s Talking,” which would be about $20 million today. He earned another $10 million a year later for the sequel. Subsequently, he was paid $14 million for “The Last Boy Scout” in 1991, $15 million for “Die Hard: With a Vengeance” in 1995, $16.5 million for “Last Man Standing” in 1996, and $14.8 million for “Armageddon” in 1998.
In 2000, Bruce made around $55 million, mainly from starring in “The Kid” and “Unbreakable” ($20 million each). He then earned $70 million in 2001 and $46 million in 2002. In a typical year, he can easily make a minimum of $20 million for relatively little work.