Over a very successful career, Bruce Willis has created a lot of fans. In addition to the iconic Die Hard series, one of the greatest movie franchises of all time, Willis was part of some major blockbuster films, including the Michael Bay disaster movie Armageddon. While the over-the-top sci-fi adventure is a big hit with fans, it was also apparently a great movie to be working on behind the scenes, thanks to a very generous Bruce Willis.
Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced Armageddon, recently spoke with People about the film and its star Bruce Willis. He says that the crew on the film had put together drawings that would allow winners to take home some extra money, and apparently, Willis was quite generous in his donations to the cause, which helped a few people put a bit more money in their pockets. Bruckheimer explained…
Bruce is such a good guy. He was so generous to the crew. They’d have drawings, and he’d throw a lot of money in the hat, and the crew members would always take away some nice extra cash at the end of the week, whoever won.
The more we learn about the making of Armageddon the more it sounds like it was one of the most fun film shoots ever. In addition to Bruce Willis giving money away so the crew could benefit, the actor also had plenty of his own fun. Michael Bay has said Willis tried to break into a space shuttle while filming at NASA because he just wanted to be inside the real thing.
Armageddon is in the Criterion Collection, if you were at all curious just what a cultural impact the movie had. It may have a plot so gonzo that even Ben Affleck had questions on set, but it’s hard not to love it despite it being so crazy.
Bruce Willis would have been commanding salaries in the multiple millions of dollars by the time he starred in Armageddon. The various crew members behind the camera certainly weren’t making as much. It’s truly wonderful to hear that Bruce Willis, in addition to being a movie star we love to see, was also a great person when the cameras weren’t rolling.
It was two years ago that it was announced Bruce Willis was retiring from acting. He was dealing with an aphasia diagnosis at the time and has since been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be seen in public again. The Pulp Fiction cast recently reunited to celebrate the iconic film’s anniversary, and Willis’ absence was felt by those who were there.
While Willis’ wife has said the situation has brought the family closer together, it’s clear the former headliner is fading and isn’t likely to be with us much longer. There will be millions of fans who feel the loss of Bruce Willis when that day comes.