Bruce Willis receives prestigious arts award in France
Posted February 12, 2013 7:05 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
He may be best known for his tough man roles, but a softly-spoken Bruce Willis seemed humbled as he received the prestigious Commander of Arts and Literature award in Paris on Monday.
With his wife model and actress Emma Heming looking on, Willis expressed his fondness for the country celebrating his work.
“I always feel at home in Paris and when I’m in France. I feel very comfortable here and I always look forward to coming back. It is an honour, a real honour to be here for the second time and to get this very high honour for the commanders. And I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said, wiping away a tear.
Previously an Officer of Arts and Literature in France, and Willis’ new role as Commander puts him in the same league as David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Michael Caine.
French Culture Minister Aurelie Filipetti praised Willis’ diverse roles from Pulp Fiction to his iconic portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard films, currently on their fifth installment.
Asked why he thought his work resonated so much with French audiences, Willis said the feminine power behind his tough guy characters was key.
“I like the idea that it would possibly be that I don’t take myself very seriously, that the characters I play always try as hard as they can to think that they’re in charge but in truth, women are in charge. Women should be in charge of everything,” he said.
Willis’ latest outing as McClane, A Good Day to Die Hard, will hit cinemas worldwide on Feb. 14.
