What is Bruce Willis’ net worth?
| Net Worth: | $250 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 69 |
| Born: | March 19, 1955 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional Actor |
| Last Updated: | Jul 31, 2024 |
Table of Contents
Introduction
Bruce Willis is an American former professional actor and producer with an estimated net worth of $250 Million.
Although now retired, Willis had an incredible film career that spanned four decades. He starred in almost 150 films and television series, which grossed $6.37 billion at the global box office. The most significant highlights of his career include The Sixth Sense, his highest-grossing movie, and his role as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise.
At the peak of his acting career, Willis regularly commanded $15-$20 million per movie. Most significantly, due to an interesting set of events in the late 90s, he earned the highest compensation for an actor from a single film. His role in The Sixth Sense would earn Willis over $100 million, primarily due to backend points.
Quick Facts
- Earned $100-$120 million compensation from The Sixth Sense
- Die Hard franchise accounts for $70-$80 million of his earnings
- Regular commanded $20 million per movie in the late ’90s to mid-2000s
- Agreed to a fee of just $800,000 for 1994’s Pulp Fiction
Early Life
Bruce Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, on the 19th of March, 1955.
He has three younger siblings: Florence, David, and Robert (deceased).
Although Willis was born in Germany, his father was an American soldier, and the family moved back to New Jersey when Bruce was only two years old. When Bruce was in high school, he suffered from a speech impediment and was mocked by many of his classmates. He began acting on stage and quickly lost his stutter.
Career
Bruce Willis got his start in the TV series Moonlighting in 1985 after competing with 3,000 other actors for the role of David Addison.This show helped establish him as a comedic actor, and he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance.
He landed his first lead role in the film Blind Date and, the same year, was cast in the critically acclaimed film Die Hard.Following the unprecedented success of Die Hard, Willis was cast in In Country and found modest success as a recording artist.
An Iconic Actor
Bruce Willis reprised his role as John McClane in Die Hard 2 in 1990 and again in Die Hard with a Vengeance in 1995.However, during the 90s, Willis also starred in many flops, including Hudson Hawk and The Bonfire of the Vanities. Fortunately, he had plenty of successes, especially in 1994, when he was cast in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.
In 1996, he was the executive producer andstar of the cartoonBruno the Kid andappeared in the film Beavis and Butt-head Do America.After another brief slump at the end of the 90s, Willisreturned inMichael Bay’sArmageddon, the highest-grossing film 1998.
The following year, he appeared in M. Night Shyamalan’s film The Sixth Sense, another critical and commercial success.
Willis’ Career In The 2000s
In 2000, Bruce Willis won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series after appearing in Friends.He then appeared in the2005 film adaptation ofSin City and voiced RJ the Raccoon in Over the Hedge.
Two years later, he reprised his role as John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard and then joined Tracy Morgan in Cop Out.
In 2012, Willis joined Edward Norton and Bill Murray in Moonrise Kingdom, followed by an appearance in Looper. Willis was cast in Fire with Fire and then reprised his role as John McClane for a fifth time in A Good Day to Die Hard.After hosting Saturday Night Live in 2013, he made his Broadway debut in an adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery.
In 2018, he was roasted on Comedy Central and had a cameo in the 2019 film The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
Health Decline & Retirement
During the final years of his career, Bruce Willis starred in several independent thrillers and sci-fi films, often in minor roles. However, those working with him in his later films usually stated that he appeared confused and was fed lines via an earpiece. These roles earned him many Golden Raspberry Awards, and they even added a designated category for Willis’ worst performances.
In 2022, Willis’ family announced he was retiring after being diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that was causing language and comprehension difficulties.
Subsequently, the Golden Raspberry Awards retracted his awards and eliminated his category, apologizing because of his medical condition.At the time of his retirement, Willis had 11 films waiting to come out, which he’d taken to ensure his family’s financial security.
In 2023, Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, the same as Wendy Williams, and his condition had progressed.
Earnings & Salary
| Year | Project | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Die Hard | $5,000,000 |
| 1989 | Look Who's Talking | $10,000,000 |
| 1990 | The Bonfire of the Vanities | $5,000,000 |
| 1990 | Look Who's Talking Too | $10,000,000 |
| 1990 | Die Hard 2 | $7,500,000 |
| 1991 | The Last Boy Scout | $14,000,000 |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | $800,000 |
| 1995 | Die Hard: With a Vengeance | $15,000,000 |
| 1996 | Last Man Standing | $16,500,000 |
| 1998 | The Siege | $5,000,000 |
| 1999 | The Sixth Sense | $114,000,000 |
| 2000 | Unbreakable | $20,000,000 |
| 2000 | The Kid | $20,000,000 |
| 2002 | Hart's War | $22,500,000 |
| 2007 | Live Free or Die Hard | $25,000,000 |
| Total Calculated Earnings: | $290,300,000 | |
Die Hard Franchise
Willis’ most beloved role as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise brought the actor some impressive paydays. When Willis was cast in the original Die Hard (1988), he earned $5 million, an impressive salary for the 1980s. In today’s currency, it would be equivalent to $13.3 million. Despite no longer being one of his ten best-performing box office movies, at the time, it grossed $144 million against a budget of $28 million.
For Die Hard 2 (1990), his salary increased by 50% to $7.5 million, and from there, it doubled to $15 million for Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). By this point, the franchise had become a license to print money. The fourth movie, Live Free or Die Hard, was released over a decade later, earning Willis $25 million. Reports for his salary from the fifth installment, A Good Day to Die Hard, are mixed. However, he’s more than likely to have also earned $25 million.
Willis more than likely earned a solid $75-$80 million from the Die Hard franchise.
The Sixth Sense Earnings
One film in Bruce’s past earned him more money than all five Die Hard films combined. In 1997, David Vogel, a Walt Disney Executive, purchased the film rights to The Sixth Sense from M. Night Shyamalan for $3 million. Vogel also allowed Shyamalan to direct the film, something he didn’t have much experience with at the time.
When Michael Eisner, then Disney CEO, found out, Vogel was fired, and the film rights were offloaded to Spyglass in exchange for Disney keeping 12.5% of the gross profits, which is where Bruce Willis came into the picture. He was offered a $14 million salary upfront, plus 17.5% of the gross profits. After the movie grossed $673 million worldwide against a budget of $40 million, Willis walked away with roughly $100-$120 million.
Other Movie Salaries
Throughout his career, Willis often commanded $15-$20 million per movie. One of his best years was in 2000 when he earned $20 million for Unbreakable and $20 million for The Kid. He also earned $22.5 million in 2002 for Hart’s War.
Estimated Net Worth
In 2024, Bruce Willis’ net worth is estimated to be $250 Million.
Highest-Grossing Movies
The top-grossing movie of Willis’ career is The Sixth Sense, which grossed $673 million at the global box office against a budget of $40 million. The oldest movie to make it in Willis’ top ten was 1989’s Look Who’s Talking, which grossed $297 million.
Although most Bruce Willis fans know and love him from his iconic role in the Die Hard franchise, only three of the five movies reached the top ten: A Good Day to Die Hard (9th, $305 million), Die Hard with a Vengeance (5th, $366 million), and Live Free or Die Hard (3rd, $388 million).As for the other two films, Die Hard 2 grossed $240 million, and the original Die Hard didn’t even crack the top 25, grossing $144 million. In total, the franchise grossed $1.44 billion.
Here’s a complete list of Bruce Willis’ ten highest-grossing movies:
- The Sixth Sense – $673 Million (1999)
- Armageddon – $554 Million (1998)
- Live Free or Die Hard – $388 Million (2007)
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation – $376 Million (2013)
- Die Hard with a Vengeance – $366 Million (1995)
- Ocean’s Twelve – $363 Million (2004)
- Over the Hedge – $340 Million (2006)
- The Expendables 2 – $315 Million (2012)
- A Good Day to Die Hard – $305 Million (2013)
- Look Who’s Talking – $297 Million (1989)
Favorite Quotes from Bruce Willis
“You can’t undo the past… but you can certainly not repeat it.” – Bruce Willis
“On the one hand, we’ll never experience childbirth. On the other hand, we can open all our own jars.” – Bruce Willis
“I’ve always had confidence. Before I was famous, that confidence got me into trouble. After I got famous, it just got me into more trouble.” – Bruce Willis
“I wake up laughing. Yes, I wake up in the morning and there I am just laughing my head off.” – Bruce Willis
“I’m much more proud of being a father than being an actor.” – Bruce Willis
“Everybody, no matter how old you are, is around 24, 25 in their heart.” – Bruce Willis
“I like having the dough to come and go as I please.” – Bruce Willis
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