43 Years Ago, He Starred in a Top Legal Film, Now He’s an Action Icon. Guess Who?

Three years ago, the legendary Bruce Willis retired from his acting career due to health reasons, after decades of being one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, especially in action films.

Throughout his illustrious career, he portrayed the unforgettable John McClane in the Die Hard series five times, and also starred in other genre classics like “The Last Boy Scout”, “The Fifth Element”, “Armageddon”, and more recently “The Expendables”.

• Thirty-three years ago, he made his screen debut, and today he is known worldwide. Can you guess this French actor?

Early Days as an Extra

Beyond his action hero persona, Bruce Willis also showcased a diverse range of acting skills, including in M. Night Shyamalan’s films, where he delivered two of his most acclaimed performances (in “The Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable”), and in Terry Gilliam’s brilliant “Twelve Monkeys”.

But 43 years ago, before stepping into the limelight, the future superstar was still climbing the first rungs of the ladder that would lead him to Hollywood stardom. It was as an extra in a prestigious film that he took one of his first steps on the movie set.

A Small Role in a Major Courtroom Drama

After a minor role in the thriller “The First Deadly Sin” (starring Frank Sinatra and Faye Dunaway in 1982), he could be seen—if one looked closely and knew where to look—among the audience in the courtroom in Sidney Lumet’s famous film with Paul Newman: “The Verdict”.

After this brief and almost unnoticeable appearance in a movie that is still regarded as one of the classics of courtroom dramas, Bruce Willis continued his career and soon found success.

In the mid-1980s, thanks to the comedic and romantic TV series “Moonlighting”, he came into the spotlight, before landing the most iconic role of his career in 1988, in John McTiernan’s legendary “Die Hard”.

(Re)discover the trailer for the movie…