Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we talk about Bruce Willis, one of our great American movie stars. A man with perfect angles and a perfectly imperfect hairline. The man who spoke up for Seagram’s Golden when nobody else would. It’s wet and it’s dry. Play that harmonica, Bruno!

Our guest today is the great Jen Johans, host of the Watch With Jen podcast. Our B-Sides include In Country, Mortal Thoughts, Disney’s The Kid, and Richard Donner's final film, 16 Blocks.

We discuss Willis’ early career, his propensity to try new things, and the sad and unfair dismissal of Hudson Hawk. We examine how his acting chops evolved throughout a very turbulent ‘90s decade, culminating in an incredible run of success birthed from a controversial, canceled movie called Broadway Brawler.

There’s a lot of love for the underrated crime comedy Bandits, that song he did with June Pointer (seek out the album The Return of Bruno and the companion “documentary” if you get a few free minutes today), and the lovely Robert Benton picture Nobody’s Fool. And then there’s that opening car chase in Striking Distance. Incredible work there. Oh, and that cameo in The Player.

And finally, in honor of our subject, please go to https://aphasia.org/ and donate if you are so inclined. Here’s to you Bruce, you’re one of one.

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