(CNN Spanish) — More than 140 roles and more than 20 awards: The long career of Bruce Willis, who suffers from frontotemporal dementia, has shaped generations of film buffs.
Here’s a look back at his most iconic roles, from the mythical Die Hard, which began in the ’80s, to the suspenseful The Sixth Sense.
John McClane in Die Hard
Bruce Willis’ consecration came in 1988 with Die Hard, in which he played New York City police agent John McClane, who tries to rescue his wife and others killed by a German terrorist at a Christmas party in a Los Angeles building hostages were taken.
Until then, explains specialist film site IMDb, Willis was best known for his comedic role in the television series Moonlighting (1985), so when the first trailers were released, people thought the film was going to be a comedy. The production even removed Willis’s face from the billboards to avoid creating that expectation, and eventually reintroduced it when the film was released and doing well. It had four sequels. And so the name Willis is synonymous with action hero.
Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction
Years later, in 1994, Willis Butch brought Coolidge to life in Pulp Fiction, the mythical thriller directed by Quentin Tarantino, in which he plays a retired ex-boxer who comes into conflict with mobster Marsellus Wallace and who has everything Necessary will do Get your watch.
James Cole in “Twelve Monkeys”
In 1995’s “Twelve Monkeys,” Willis played James Cole, a convict living in an apocalyptic future set in the year 2035, who along with another group of inmates is sent on a journey down memory lane to discover the origin of a deadly virus that nearly wiped people out .
Korben Dallas in “The Fifth Element”
In 1997, Willis brings to life ex-special forces agent-turned-cab driver Korben Dallas, who will be embroiled in a fight to save the Earth. The film’s mission, directed by Luc Besson, features the character of a woman who meets Dallas in his cab, played by Milla Jovovich. The Fifth Element has become a cult sci-fi classic.
Harry S. Stamper in “Armageddon”
Bruce Willis (centre) leads an oil rig crew to blow up an asteroid before it hits Earth.
Four years later, in “Armageddon,” Bruce Willis becomes Harry S. Stamper, an oil driller who is asked by NASA to intervene to stop an asteroid that is about to hit Earth in a few days. The lives of millions depend on Stamper’s work at the helm of a team that includes Ben Affleck. The best of Michael Bay, starring today’s most celebrated actors and a film that defined a generation.
Malcolm Crowe in “The Sixth Sense”
(Getty Images)
Another milestone for Willis was the 1999 thriller The Sixth Sense. Bruce Willis plays child psychologist Malcolm Crowe, who follows young Cole Sear, who is traumatized by inexplicable phenomena, until an unexpected truth emerges. One of the biggest twists in film history and a role that showcased Willis’ versatility.
Bonus track: Bruce Willis on “Friends”
Bruce Willis has established himself on the big screen, but his fans and those of the “Friends” series will also fondly remember playing Paul Stevens, Rachel’s friend and Ross’ father-in-law, for which the actor won an Emmy.
With information from Sebastián Jiménez Valencia and Ángela Reyes Haczek.