The six greatest Bruce Willis movies ranked in order

The 6 greatest Bruce Willis movies, ranked

WORDS: DAVID MICHAEL BROWN PRODUCER: SASKIA TILLERS In partnership with

In a heartfelt and emotional reveal, Bruce Willis’s family made the announcement on Instagram that the actor will be imminently stepping away from the movie set permanently due to a diagnosis of Aphasia.

Now, with Willis officially stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him, and us, here are 6 defining performances (from the 125+ that he put in) that made the legend.

The Fifth Element (1997)

6 Resplendent in a Jean Paul Gaultier designed wardrobe, Willis plays Korben Dallas, a 23rd-century marine turned New York City cab driver who ends up saving the earth when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) literally drops into his flying car. An eye-popping delight.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

5 The film that announced writer-director M. Night Shyamalan as the master of the twist ending, a subdued sombre Willis starred as a disheartened child psychologist working with a nine-year-old boy who can see dead people.

The Last Boy Scout (1991)

4 This foul-mouthed buddy cop movie teams up Willis’s disgraced ex-secret service agent turned seedy private detective Joe with Damon Wayans as shamed gridiron player Jimmy. Willis, whether scavenging a cigarette off the ground or taking out henchmen with a gun hidden in a cat hand puppet, has a ball playing a down and out loser.

Twelve Monkeys (1995)

3 Set in a post-apocalyptic future world devastated by disease, Willis plays a convict sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the population. Willis is a twitchy, neurotic delight, a damaged soul and unwilling hero at odds with the blue-collar talisman that had forged his career.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

2 The Oscar-winning crime caper reminds us why Willis in the ‘90s, was the coolest actor on the planet. As Butch the boxer Willis throws a match, does battle with Ving Rhames’s pissed-off gangster Marsellus Wallace, dispatches the Gimp with a Katana sword and gets some of Quentin Tarantino’s best lines.

Die Hard (1988)

1 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jean Claude Van Damme were the muscular stars of ‘80s action until a dishevelled down-on-his-luck cop took on a Teutonic party crasher and rewrote the action film copybook. It’s bloody, explosive, entertaining and introduced the world to Bruce Willis, the movie star.

Bruce’s best work.

In partnership with Read more on GQ