Bruce Willis carved a huge career for himself in Hollywood before he was forced to retire after he was diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia – but his "favorite job" will always be the role of dad.
But before he welcomed his own family – he shares daughters Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30, with his ex-wife Demi Moore, and daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with his wife Emma Heming – the Die Hard star, 69, was supported by his parents and three siblings, especially when he was bullied as a child because of his stutter.
Bruce was born in Idar-Oberstein, in what was then West Germany, to his German mother Marlene and his father, David, an American soldier.
The family moved to David's hometown of Penns Grove in New Jersey after he was discharged from the military in 1957.
Speaking about his background, Bruce previously said he was surrounded by a "long line of blue-collar people", referring to his mother, who worked in a bank, and his father, who was a welder, master mechanic and factory worker before his death in 2009 at the age of 79.
© InstagramBruce's family has rallied around him since his health diagnosis, which has hit them all hard, particularly his mom.
According to Marlene's cousin, Wilfried Gliem, "She is not sure if her son still recognizes her," she told German newspaper BILD.
© Getty ImagesIt's not just Bruce's blended family and his mother who will be supporting him now, but his siblings too. Meet them below…
David Willis
© Getty ImagesLike his big brother Bruce, David Willis carved a career for himself in the entertainment industry. He is a well-established film producer and has several credits to his name.
He is best known for his work on Bruce's films, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, A Good Day to Die Hard, The Whole Nine Yards, and The Whole Ten Yards.
© Getty ImagesHe also produced the movies Hostage, Hudson Hawk, Bandits, The Kids, Bruno the Kid, Live Wire, the Color of Night, and many more.
While David primarily works behind the scenes, he has one acting credit for his role in the comedy film The Return of Bruno.
Florence Willis
© Stewart Cook/ShutterstockNot much is known about Bruce's younger sister, Florence. She was reportedly born in 1956 which would mean she would be 68 in 2024.
According to her IMDb profile, she appeared as herself in Bruce Willis: Why the Legend Never Dies, a documentary about her brother, and is a narrator in The Dormant Language of Love.
There appear to be no public pictures of Bruce and Florence together, but she did attend his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2006, where she was pictured alongside actor Billy Bob Thornton.
Robert Willis
© Getty ImagesBruce's younger brother Robert was a website designer who died on June 26, 2001, six weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was only 42 years old.
Bruce was in the middle of rehearsing for Showtime's presentation of True West, a dark comedy play about the conflict between two brothers, when he heard the news of Robert's condition.
The retired actor flew back and forth between rehearsals in Idaho and Robert's home in Massachusetts to spend time with his brother in his final weeks.
© Getty ImagesAfter Robert's passing, Bruce fondly remembered his brother's courage and how he had accepted his tragic fate.
''He said, 'Look, this does not scare me. I accept this, and I know that you guys are going to grieve, but don't grieve too hard,'" Bruce recalled to the New York Times.
''It's a good message to people – to live it up, you know,'' he added. ''I remember a saying that was really popular when I was a kid: save for a rainy day. I think it's raining right now. I think you shouldn't postpone happiness at any time."
