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Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show stars Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist. Near the end of the show's run, the couple had a baby daughter, whom they named Mabel.

The series focuses mainly on the newlyweds while they dealt with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles. The show's willingness to find comedy in realistic situations and observational dialogue garnered it comparisons to Seinfeld, another NBC comedy about thirty-somethings in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser were paid $1 million per episode for the last season (with their contracts calling for them to be paid equally). However, ratings fell sharply that year as the series was shuffled away from its Tuesday slot to prop up a fledgling Monday night line-up of comedies on NBC.

The show's theme song, "Final Frontier," was composed by Reiser and Don Was. The theme was originally performed by Andrew Gold, but a version performed by Anita Baker made its debut midway through the 1997 season. Baker's version was used for the rest of the show's run and appears on the show's soundtrack album. Gold's version is available on the collection Thank You For Being A Friend: The Best Of Andrew Gold.

Main characters[link]

Paul Buchman[link]

Buchman (born April 19, 1962) was conceived on the table on which his mother served "mushed" potatoes. After attending the New York University Film School, he struggled for recognition before finally succeeding in filmmaking in New York City. His wife, dog, and daughter reside with him in Union Square.

Jamie Buchman[link]

Jamie Buchman (née Stemple, born February 19, 1963) was the younger daughter of Gus and Theresa Stemple. Her full maiden name is James Eunice Stemple. After seven boyfriends at Yale University, she met Paul Buchman at a New York newsstand by stealing his copy of The New York Times with an implausible excuse. Her difficult relationship with her mother-in-law is an ongoing source of jokes on the show.

Murray[link]

Murray is the Buchmans' border collie mix dog and a fan favorite. He was a puppy when Paul found him, and Paul met Jamie while walking him. He sometimes chases an invisible mouse, and ends up banging his head against something. In a later episode, Jamie does discover the "real" mouse that Murray has been chasing. In the two-part series finale, The Final Frontier, adult Mabel says that Murray died when she was six, but she was not told until she was twelve. Murray is generally portrayed as loyal and affectionate, albeit thick-skulled.

Murray was played by "Maui." Originally found in a Castaic, California, animal shelter by noted Hollywood animal trainer Boone Narr, Maui weighed 58 pounds and was also primarily trained by Betty Linn. His first assignments came in TV commercials and as the backup for the top dog in the feature film "Bingo."^[1]

Fran Devanow[link]

Jamie's best friend, Fran Devanow, was the regional vice president at Farrer-Gantz Public Relations who hired Jamie as her assistant. Near 1989, Fran quit Farrer-Gantz to spend time with her five-year-old son and husband, Mark. Jamie was then promoted to Fran's position. Fran and Mark's relationship lasted 10 years, and their separation shocked Jamie and Paul. The Devanows eventually reconciled.

Lisa Stemple[link]

Three years older than her sister Jamie, Lisa has unfathomable psychological issues. Jamie is referred to as "Stella" in a book written by Lisa's therapist: "It was Stella's overprotectiveness that suffocated her ability to relate to others, and tethered her to a lifetime of insecurity and neurosis." After an envious rage, she blamed Jamie for all of her problems in an interview with her shrink that became a chapter of a book called "Manics." With no place else to go, she does her laundry at Paul and Jamie's apartment while scavenging through her sister's clothes and food. Every visit from her parents triggers her eating disorder. In between bouts of weirdness, she still cares deeply for Paul and Jamie and is often trusted to house sit for them, usually with unfortunate results.

Ira Buchman[link]

A "ubiquitous" individual, Paul's cousin Ira first appeared in Mad About You in "The Wedding Affair" episode. Ira is from the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn. He worked for Paul's father, Burt, at Buchman's Sporting Goods. Paul and Ira have a close friendship, but their hidden rivalry came out when Ira took ownership of Buchman's Sporting Goods upon Burt's retirement. Even so, he frequently appears as loving and supportive towards Paul and Jamie.

Sylvia Buchman[link]

Paul's mother, Sylvia almost always gives Jamie a hard time, but occasionally does show kindness towards her daughter-in-law.

Burt Buchman[link]

Burt ran a sporting goods store until he passed it onto Ira upon retirement. His signature line in the show occurs whenever he visits Paul and Jamie's apartment, exclaiming at the door, "It's me, Burt! Burt Buchman, your father!"

Mabel Buchman[link]

The arrival of Paul and Jamie's daughter was a turning point in the show. She was finally named when Jamie's overbearing mother proclaimed that "Mothers Always Bring Extra Love." The twins Alyssa and Justin Baric played the original role of Mabel, from the beginning of season six when Mabel was brought home from the hospital ("Coming Home"). They continued to play the role of Mabel for numerous episodes. Carter and Madison Gayle played the role of Mabel at a later time. In the series finale, a teen Mabel was played by Cara DeLizia, and an adult Mabel was played by Janeane Garofalo.

Mark Devanow[link]

Fran's ex-husband, with whom she is on good terms. A former obstetrician, Mark left Fran and their young son because he felt smothered and wanted to see the world. After returning to New York, he converted to Buddhism and worked for a grocery store. He eventually was able to win Fran back.

Cast[link]

• Paul Reiser (Paul Buchman)
• Helen Hunt (Jamie Stemple Buchman)
• Anne Ramsay (Lisa Stemple)
• Leila Kenzle (Fran Devanow)
• Richard Kind (Dr. Mark Devanow)
• John Pankow (Ira Buchman)
• Maui (Murray the Dog)
• Cynthia Harris (Sylvia Buchman)
• Louis Zorich (Burt Buchman)
• Robin Bartlett (Debbie Buchman)
• Alyssa and Justin Baric in Season Six; later Carter and Madison Gayle (Mabel Buchman)
• Tommy Hinkley (Jay Selby, Paul's college friend who was a constant visitor at the Buchman apartment in the first episodes and was soon written out)

Regular guests[link]

• Jerry Adler (Mr. Wicker, the apartment building superintendent)
• Judy Geeson (Maggie Conway, British neighbor across the hall)
• George O. Petrie (Sid, Paul's film editor colleague)
• Paxton Whitehead (Maggie's first and third husband Hal)
• Jim Piddock (Maggie's second husband Hal)
• Lisa Kudrow (Ursula Buffay, waitress at Riff's who frequently forgets orders)
• Suzie Plakson (Dr. Joan Golfinos, Debbie Buchman's life partner)
• Hank Azaria (Nat Ostertag, Jamie and Paul's dog walker)
• Mo Gaffney (Dr. Sheila Kleinman, Jamie and Paul's therapist)
• Nancy Dussault (Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother 1992)
• Penny Fuller (Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother 1993-1996)
• Carol Burnett (Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother 1996-1999)
• Paul Dooley (Gus Stemple, Jamie's father 1992)
• Carroll O'Connor (Gus Stemple, Jamie's father 1996-1999)
• Patrick Bristow (Troy, Jamie's scheming office underling)
• Jeff Garlin (Marvin, Ira's employee and semi-pro wrestler)
• Mel Brooks (Uncle Phil, Paul's uncle)
• Cyndi Lauper (Marianne Lugasso, Ira's on and off girlfriend/ex-wife)

Guest stars[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Other[link]

It is being released on DVD and syndicated for reruns on Oxygen Network in the U.S. and on other stations across the globe. It aired on Antenna TV. It now airs on WGN America. It is currently shown on Channel 7TWO, Australia.

Nielsen ratings[link]

• 1992–93: #54 10.18 rating
• 1993–94: #31 12.69 rating
• 1994–95: #11 15.2 rating^[3]
• 1995–96: #37 10.8 rating
• 1996–97: #24 11.0 rating^[4]
• 1997–98: #32 13.4 million viewers^[5]
• 1998–99: #85 9.1 million viewers ^[6]

Awards[link]

Mad About You won a Golden Globe Award, a Peabody Award, a Genesis Award, five Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, and was chosen Best Quality Comedy by the Viewers For Quality Television. Helen Hunt won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series four years in a row (1996–1999).

Soundtrack[link]

In 1997, Atlantic Records released a Mad About You soundtrack. The soundtrack from and inspired by the sitcom, is composed of fun and sentimental songs and clips from the show. The tracks are organized chronologically marking the milestones of the couple's relationship. The album is bookended by the two versions of Paul Reiser's song "Final Frontier"—the first track is the classic version used in the show's opening, and the last track is Anita Baker's jazzy, full-length rendition, with Reiser on keyboard. The 21 tracks are as follows:

1. "Final Frontier (TV Theme)" – Andrew Gold
2. "Who I Am" – Faith Hill
3. "No Pressure" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
4. "I've Been Lonely Too Long" – The Young Rascals
5. "At Last!" – Etta James
6. "That's Marriage?" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
7. "Ice Cream" – Sarah McLachlan
8. "I Love The Way You Love Me" – Eric Martin
9. "Nobody Knows Me" – Lyle Lovett
10. "Sneaky Feelings" – Elvis Costello
11. "A Talk In The Park" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
12. "Love And Forgiveness" – Julia Fordham
13. "A Magic Moment" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
14. "The Things We've Handed Down" – Marc Cohn
15. "Lullaby For You" – BeBe Winans
16. "She Crawls Away" – Hootie & the Blowfish
17. "My First Child" – Nil Lara
18. "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" – John Lennon
19. "Baby Girl" – The Tony Rich Project
20. "Unconditional Love" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
21. "Mad About You – The Final Frontier" – Anita Baker

Episodes[link]

DVD releases[link]

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released the first three seasons of Mad About You on DVD in Region 1 and 4. The first two seasons were also released in Region 2. Due to poor sales, no subsequent seasons were released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

On February 22, 2010, Shout! Factory announced that they had acquired the rights to release the remaining seasons of Mad About You on DVD. They have subsequently released seasons 4 and 5 on DVD.^[7][8]

Season releases[link]

Best-of releases[link]

Crossovers[link]

Mad About You has had numerous connections to other NBC sitcoms set in New York City, as well as various other programs.

Friends (owned by Warner Bros. Television): Lisa Kudrow played the recurring role of Ursula, a flaky waitress at Riff's Bar, a local restaurant that Paul and Jamie frequented. Kudrow went on to star in the NBC sitcom Friends, playing the also somewhat flaky character of Phoebe Buffay, and for a time both series shared the same Thursday night line-up. While not originally intended, the characters of Ursula and Phoebe were later found to be identical twin sisters. In a Friends episode ("The One With The Two Parts", 1st Season), as part of a night of NBC sitcom crossovers, Jamie and Fran walk into Central Perk and mistake Phoebe for Ursula. Possibly for legal reasons (Mad About You was produced by TriStar Television, Friends by Warner Bros. Television), Hunt and Kenzle were not identified on screen as Jamie and Fran. In the 3rd season episode, "Pandora's Box," Jamie causes a city-wide power blackout in New York City, and the effects of the blackout are seen in the Friends episode, "The One with the Blackout," and there was also a blackout in the episode "Birthday in the Big House" of the short-lived NBC sitcom Madman of the People, which leaves open the possibility that the characters from this program may exist in the same universe as the characters of Mad About You also. All 3 episodes originally aired during the evening of November 3, 1994, alongside a Seinfeld episode which did not incorporate the blackout premise.

Seinfeld: In one episode ("The Apartment", 1st Season), Paul, pressured by Jamie, decides to sign over the lease of his old "bachelor pad" to the current tenant who is subleasing. This tenant is revealed to be Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) of Seinfeld. Seinfeld, however, twice contradicted this connection, once even featuring a running joke about George's distaste for his fiancee Susan's fondness for watching Mad About You. In the Mad About You seventh season episode "Season Opener", Paul, under the effects of Viagra, ran into Jerry Seinfeld in the street, who tells Paul to go away. At this point in Seinfeld's chronology, Jerry Seinfeld was supposed to be in prison.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Carl Reiner reprised the role of Alan Brady from the 1960s sitcom (a series acknowledged as an inspiration for Mad About You). The episode made several references to the older show, such as Jamie at one point crying and whining "Oh, Paul!!!" - a signature move by Mary Tyler Moore's character Laura Petrie. Ten episodes earlier, Paul almost trips over a box and says, "Get me, I'm Dick Van Dyke."

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mad About You at faqs.org site
• Mad About You at the Internet Movie Database
• Mad About You at TV.com

"About You Now" is a 2007 single by English girl group Sugababes, written by Cathy Dennis and producer Dr. Luke for the group's fifth studio album, Change (see 2007 in music). The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its leading single between September and October 2007.

Upon its release, the song became the group's highest-charting single since 2005's "Push the Button", reaching the top of the charts in Hungary and the UK, as well as the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Belgium. An acoustic version of the song appears as a bonus track on the group's sixth studio album Catfights and Spotlights (2008). In December 2009, it was revealed by BBC that "About You Now" was the UK's fifth most-played song of the decade (2000–09).^[1]

Background[link]

The song itself combines "pop," "rock" and "electro," much like other songs produced by Dr. Luke. The album version, which is used in the music video, is longer than the radio version and includes an extra verse by Berrabah and an extra bridge by Buchanan.

Reception[link]

"About You Now" received generally favorable reviews from both music critics and fans alike. PopJustice reviewer Peter Robinson described the song as a "pop-electro-rock masterpiece," calling it "the best Sugababes single since Round Round." Though he noted a similarity to Kelly Clarkson's 2002 single "Since U Been Gone", Robinson praised the song's unselfconsciousness, "very pleased-to-be-exactly-what-it-is" attitude, also writing that "it doesn't sound anything like what the Sugababes have done before but it is instantly recognisable as a Sugababes song."^[2] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy awarded the song four stars out of five and summed it as "a pop dish fit for a king [...] the lyrics are Waterman-esque perfect pop with the added spice of Sugababes kinkiness."^[3] He remarked that while "About You Now" lacked "the sauciness of a "Push the Button" or spiky attitude of "Hole in the Head", it makes up for it with robot voice effects, a pulsating electronic backbeat and a chorus so addictive that it should probably be taken away and labelled a Class A drug."

Adam Webb, writing for Yahoo! Music, called the song a "classic Sugababes: ballsy, tuneful, sassy, slightly amateurish around the edges and generally better than 99.9 per cent of whatever else masquerades under the title of pop music in 2007." Though he noted a lack of edge, blunted by the departure of former band member Mutya Buena, Webb went on declaring it "a short, sharp jolt of classic, perfect pop," giving it seven stars out of ten.^[4] By contrast, IndieLondon gave a mixed reception to the song, writing that "it taps into a breezier sound that’s designed to fizz with synths, guitars and perky beats. But it doesn’t work as well as past hits and lacks the same crossover appeal of earlier cuts "Round, Round" or, most notably, "Freak like Me."^[5] Tom Young of BBC called "About You Now" a "fierce opening shot. It’s one of their strongest tunes to date, and no surprise [...] number one."^[6] In 2008, "About You Now" was nominated for a BRIT Award for Best British Single, eventually losing to Take That's "Shine."^[7]

Chart performance[link]

"About You Now" would make its first chart appearance in the United Kingdom, in the week beginning 17 February 2011. It debuted at number thirty five on the UK Singles Chart after the release of a remix package for legal download.^[8] A week later, a major boost in downloads, induced by the official release of the digital single, helped catapulting the song to the top of the UK chart.^[8] This feat made the Sugababes only the fourth act and second British act to chart at number-one on download sales alone.^[8] "About You Now" became the band's fourth collective chart-topper following "Freak like Me" (2002), "Round Round" (2002), "Hole in the head" (2003) and "Push the Button" (2005) and spent four weeks at number-one, surpassing the chart run of latter single. According to The Official Charts Company, it was ranked both the sixth most-downloaded and sixth best-selling single in the UK in the year of 2007.^[9] Having sold more than 485,000 copies on the UK alone as of 2011, it ranks as their best-selling single.^[10]

In Ireland, "About You Now" debuted at number ten on the Irish Singles Chart on downloads alone. A week later, it climbed to number five with the physical release, and later peaked at number two for two weeks, becoming the Sugababes' fourth single to peak on particular position.^[8] In Austria, it debuted at number 13 on the Austrian Singles Chart where it peaked at number 4 in its third week, becoming the band's third biggest hit there after "Push the Button" and "Overload".^[8] "About You Now" saw similar success in Germany where it also peaked at number four on German Singles Chart, eventually becoming the Sugababes' third biggest hit there, again behind "Push the Button" and "Overload".^[8] On the Australian ARIA chart, the song peaked at number 57.^[8] In New Zealand despite spending 21 weeks on the charts, it only managed to peak at 18. This song peaked at MTV Adria Top 20 Chart At Number 2. In Serbia, song was two weeks number one on KG9 flash list. It was revealed on 30 December 2009 that "About You Now" is the 98th best-selling song of the decade on Nihal's Radio 1 show. As well as this, PPL’s music reporting department compiled the top 50 tracks of the decade based on the number of plays on UK radio, television, online and in public, where "About You Now" was placed 5th.

On 13 July 2008, "About You Now" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 48, moving to No. 34 the next week after being prominently featured in an episode of Hollyoaks. This version, recorded for Radio 1's Live Lounge, was used for the funeral of Max Cunningham.

Music video[link]

The music video for "About You Now" was directed by Marcus Adams and shot on 24 August 2007 at the Festival Hall in Waterloo in London, England.^[11] Although various pictures of the clip were leaked on the net the following days, it was not until 6 September the full video made its world premiere via internet. By 7 September 2007 the video had also debuted on music channels. The video is dedicated to the late Tim Royes, who directed the videos for the Sugababes's 2006 singles "Red Dress" and "Easy". The Nokia 7500 Mobile Phone is used by the two actors in the video, The male actor has the black model whereas the female actor has the white model.

Track listing[link]

Charts[link]

Chart precession and succession[link]

Release history[link]

Miranda Cosgrove version[link]

Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove covered "About You Now" on the About You Now. It was released as the fourth and final single from the soundtrack on February 5, 2009. The original lyrics were slightly altered to be made more suitable due to Cosgrove's younger audience. Cosgrove's version was promoted heavily on Nickelodeon, where the music video was played during commercial breaks. "About You Now" was featured on the hit compilation album, Now That's What I Call Music! 30.^[41] It is her favorite song from the soundtrack.

Reception[link]

"About You Now" was met with generally positive reception, critically and commercially. In the US, the single has become her highest peaking song to date, reaching a height of 47 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. It is also her first single to chart in the United Kingdom, where it debuted and peaked at number 79 on the official singles chart. The song was heavily promoted by Cosgrove. During her first ever live performance, Cosgrove performed the song at the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade^[42] In another promotional attempt, on 5 February 2009, Cosgrove released a promotional extended play, titled after the song. The EP, which released exclusively onto iTunes, featured remixes of "About You Now" and "Stay My Baby", "F.Y.I." and "Party Girl". Aside from this performance, Cosgrove also performed the song on The Today Show on 6 September 2010, along with future single "Kissin U", and an unreleased track, "BAM", both off of her debut studio album Sparks Fly released on 27 April 2010.

Music video[link]

The music video, directed by Bille Woodruff premiered on Nickelodeon on 5 December 2008, following the premiere of Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh.^[43] It features Mexican singer Diego González as her love interest. In the music video, Miranda is with her friends at the mall where, simultaneously, so is her ex-boyfriend. The best friends look at a neckelace then go to a photo booth to take pictures. The pictures of two girls acting like they are dating remind Miranda about her break up with her old boyfriend. They then go on an esculator and Miranda spots her ex. She then textes him that she got it all wrong with him and her love interest locates her and gives her the neckelace that Miranda saw in the beginning of the video that she likes. They end up being back together at the end of the video. .^[43]

Chart performance[link]

Cosgrove's version of "About You Now" peaked at number forty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 79 in the United Kingdom. | Cover = About_you_now_ep_cover.jpg

Charts[link]

Other versions[link]

	"About You Now" noicon The Saw Doctors version (2008)
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The original version performed by the Sugababes was a massive hit throughout the UK and Europe. The popularity of the song compelled many artists from all different genres from all over Europe to do their own versions. Below is a list of some of the most notable covers.

• An acoustic, slower composition was first covered by YouTube musician Martina (a.k.a. giftofmelody);^[45] this inspired the subsequent Radio 1 Live Lounge version found on the commercial CD single, "Changes".^[46]
• Rachel Tucker performed this song on the first week of live shows, on BBC1's I'd Do Anything.
• The Saw Doctors covered this song on The Podge and Rodge Show on 12 February 2008. Released as a charity single, with proceeds donated to cystic fibrosis charities, it reached the top of the Irish Singles Chart in October 2008.
• The Courteeners performed an acoustic cover version during a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session. The song was later released on the commercial CD single for their song "No You Didn't, No You Don't".
• A cover of this song is the first single from Timo Räisänen's album ...And Then There Was Timo in 2008.
• Snow Patrol have performed a cover of this song at Mencap's Little Noise Sessions, live at the Union Chapel on 25 November 2007.^[47] The recording was officially released on the 2009 compilation Up to Now.
• N-Dubz did a cover of the song on their Uncle B Tour. It was in a medley with "With You" by Chris Brown.
• The Twins, Nicola & Francine did a cover of the song during the semi-final round of Your Country Needs You, while competing to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Subsequently, Jade Ewen who rose to stardom from the same show would go to join the Sugababes in late 2009.^[48]
• In 2011 Kim Wilde covered the song for her new album Snapshots.

References[link]

Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Belinda Jo Carlisle
Also known as	Belinda, Dottie Danger, Belinda Jo Kurczeski
Born	(1958-08-17) August 17, 1958 (age 53)
Origin	Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Genres	Pop rock, pop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, author
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1978–present
Labels	I.R.S. (1986) MCA (1987–1991) Virgin (1987–1999) Chrysalis (1996) Rykodisc (2007–present)
Associated acts	The Go-Go's The Germs Black Randy and the Metrosquad
Website	www.belindacarlisle.tv

Belinda Jo Carlisle (born August 17, 1958) is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands of all time and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments.^[1] Topping the Billboard charts with the Go-Go's, she sold more than seven million albums^[2] in just three years and later went on to a successful solo career with hits "Mad About You", "Summer Rain", "I Get Weak", "Circle in the Sand", "Leave a Light On" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" among others, which were major successes in the United States and United Kingdom as well as internationally. Her autobiography, Lips Unsealed, published in June 2010, reached No. 27 on the The New York Times Best Seller list and received favorable reviews.^[3] On August 11, 2011, she received, as a member of the Go-Go's, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life[link]

Belinda Carlisle was born in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles to Harold, a travelling salesman (he sold vacuum cleaners) and his wife Joanne, who raised the children at home. The first of seven siblings, with three brothers and three sisters, she was five years old when her father abandoned the family and upon her mother's second marriage, did not have a close relationship with her stepfather, Duke Kurczeski. Growing up in Ventura County's Thousand Oaks, a part of the Greater Los Angeles Area, she was a cheerleader at Newbury Park High School and, at the age of 19, left home.^[4][5]

Early career and The Go-Gos[link]

Carlisle live with The Go-Go's in 2008

Carlisle's first venture into music was a brief stint as drummer for the punk band The Germs, under the name Dottie Danger. Around this time Carlisle did some back-up singing for the Black Randy and the Metrosquad. Soon after leaving The Germs, she co-founded The Go-Gos (originally named The Misfits), with friends and fellow musicians Margot Olaverria, Elissa Bello, and Jane Wiedlin. Olaverria and Bello were soon out of the group and the new line-up included bassist-turned-guitarist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock. The Go-Go's became one of the most successful American bands of the 1980s, helping usher New Wave music into popular American radio, and becoming the first all-female band, who wrote their own music and played their own instruments, to ever achieve a #1 album. The Go-Gos recorded two more studio albums on I.R.S. Records, including 1982 Vacation, which went gold. "Head over Heels", from their 1984 album Talk Show, made it to #11, but they never repeated the success of their 1981 multi-platinum debut, Beauty and the Beat, which featured the hits "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed".

In 1984, Carlisle made a foray into acting in the movie Swing Shift starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and performed backing vocals for the Don Henley recording of "She's on the Zoom" from the Vision Quest soundtrack.

Solo career[link]

The Go-Go's disbanded in 1985 and Carlisle embarked on a solo career, although she continued to work with fellow Go-Go Charlotte Caffey.

[edit] 1986–1987: Belinda

Carlisle's first solo album Belinda was released in 1986, also on I.R.S. Records. This album was successful in North America and was certified Gold in the US and Platinum in Canada. Her summer hit "Mad About You" peaked at No. 3 in the US, topped the Canadian Singles Chart, and charted in the top 10 in Australia. "Mad About You" was followed by the Motown-influenced single "I Feel the Magic", and by a cover version of the Freda Payne song "Band of Gold". All three songs were included on her debut album. The single "Since You've Gone", co-written by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, was used only for promotion. Susanna Hoffs co-wrote the single "I Need a Disguise". Duran Duran's Andy Taylor played guitar on some album tracks and appeared in her "Mad About You" video clip.

During this time, Carlisle also had songs featured on movie soundtracks, notably "In My Wildest Dreams" from the movie Mannequin "Shot in the Dark" from the Anthony Michael Hall thriller, Out of Bounds, as well as "Dancing in the City" from the Whoopi Goldberg movie Burglar.

[edit] 1987–1989: Heaven on Earth

Carlisle changed again her hairstyle significantly for her second solo album, giving up her California Girl blonde bob for a long auburn style for 1987's Heaven on Earth. The musical style eschewed the 1960s-influenced pop of Carlisle's first album in favor of slickly produced 1980s power-pop, and was released in the United States through MCA, and in the United Kingdom through Virgin. The album became a Top 5 bestseller in the UK and Australia, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. The album's producer, Rick Nowels, previously worked with Stevie Nicks, and would later collaborate with Kim Wilde, Jennifer Rush and Madonna. Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, Chynna Phillips and Carnie Wilson sang backup for the album. Thomas Dolby played the keyboards on some album tracks.

The first release from Heaven on Earth was "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", which topped the single charts, not only in the US, but also in the UK and in several other countries (the dance mix of the song also topped the dance chart). The radio-ready song was further propelled by a video, directed by Academy Award-winning American actress Diane Keaton. The second single from the album was the Diane Warren-penned "I Get Weak", which peaked at #2 in the US and #10 in the UK. The third single from the album was "Circle in the Sand", another Top 10 hit in the US, the UK, and Germany. "World Without You" was another British hit, followed by 1988 low-charting ballad "Love Never Dies", making this her fifth single from the album in the UK. In the US, the fourth and last single, "I Feel Free", a cover of the Cream classic, failed to reach the Top 40.

After the release of the Heaven on Earth album, Carlisle embarked on the 'Good Heavens' world tour during which she sold out Wembley Arena in London.

In 2009, a remastered edition of the album was released with extra tracks, remixes, and a bonus DVD containing a complete live concert from 1988 (available for the first time on DVD).

[edit] 1989–1991: Runaway Horses

Carlisle's follow-up to the success of Heaven on Earth was Runaway Horses, released on October 23, 1989. The album hit the Top 5 in both Australia and the UK, certified double platinum in Australia and platinum in the UK and in Canada, but failed to reach similar success in the US The first release, "Leave a Light On", peaked at #11 in the US, and became another Top 5 smash in the UK, Australia and Canada. The song features a slide guitar solo by George Harrison; he also played on the song Deep Deep Ocean. The second US single, "Summer Rain", reached #30 in early 1990. The song, which Carlisle noted was the most difficult song she had ever sung up to that point,^{[citation needed]} peaked successfully at #6 in Australia, where it has maintained popularity, and the tune saw a cover version, in 2004, by the Australian group Slinkee Minx. It was the final release from Runaway Horses in the UK where it was released as the album's sixth single in December 1990, peaking at #23 in January 1991. Whereas in the US Carlisle's success was decreasing, her popularity remained big in Europe and Australia. In 1990, further singles from the Runaway Horses album were successful as well: the title track, the summer mood influenced "La Luna", a Top 10 in Switzerland and top 20 hit in Germany and Australia, and "(We Want) The Same Thing", remixed from a country-styled release into a massive Pop hit, reaching #6 in the UK. Bryan Adams contributed backup vocals for the track "Whatever It Takes".

In the late autumn of 1990, the Go-Go's reunited for a tour to support their first best-of album, Greatest, including a new recording of the cover song "Cool Jerk" (Go-Go's original cover was featured on their 1980 European EP, with a second version being released in 1982). A notable feature of the tour was an anti-fur campaign, where the band members supported People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA, an animal rights organization. That same year, Carlisle joined with The Smithereens lead singer Pat Dinizio on his group's ballad "Blue Period" and also performed backing vocals on Then Jerico's album The Big Area on the track "What Does It Take?".

[edit] 1991–1992: Live Your Life Be Free

In 1991, Carlisle released her fourth solo album, Live Your Life Be Free. The album marked somewhat of a return to 1960s-influenced music for Carlisle and included songs mainly written and produced by Rick Nowels but also two songs co-written by Carlisle. The single "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek video, inspired by the B-movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. The title track, "Live Your Life Be Free", released as first single outside the US, was a Top 20 hit single in many countries reaching number 12 in the UK and #13 in Australia. Subsequent releases "Half the World" and "Little Black Book" (co-written by Marcella Detroit of the Shakespears Sister under her real name Marcy Levy) were also hits outside the US, and although Live Your Life Be Free as an album flopped in the US, it was a success in Europe (Top 10 in the UK and Gold certification). To date, "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" is Carlisle's final single to enter in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #73.

[edit] 1992: The Best of Belinda, Volume 1

Still active in Europe and Australia with a record contract at Virgin Records, her 1992 greatest hits album The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 reached #1, and was certified double platinum in the UK and platinum in Australia. This first greatest hits album included all the hits taken from the Heaven on Earth, Runaway Horses, and Live Your Life Be Free albums. It neglected the ballad "Love Never Dies", and the three I.R.S. singles from her first album Belinda, as this only received a limited UK release and produced no hit singles there. Also, no movie-soundtrack songs appear on the collection. The US version of the album was named Her Greatest Hits and also included songs from the first album Belinda.

[edit] 1993–1994: Real

Carlisle's fifth solo album, Real, was released in 1993 on the Virgin label in the US and in Europe. Produced without Nowels, the disc was a departure from Carlisle's polished pop music formula. Even the album's cover photograph featured her with little or no make-up. Carlisle co-produced and co-wrote much of the disc, collaborating heavily with friend and ex-Go-Go Charlotte Caffey. The album was Carlisle's fifth consecutive to reach the UK Top 10 peaking at number #9. Real peaked also at number #23 in Sweden. Its first single, "Big Scary Animal", peaked at #12 in the UK. The second single from Real was "Lay Down Your Arms", which made the Top 30 in the UK. Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals co-wrote the single "Here Comes My Baby".

At this time, Carlisle also recorded "One by One", on the soundtrack for the 1993 movie The Harvest and sang on The Lemonheads' Come On Feel The Lemonheads album on the track "I'll Do It Anyway".

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Carlisle and her family moved to Europe. The Go-Gos reunited again later that year to support the retrospective double-CD Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's, their second collection, which featured three new songs, including the single "The Whole World Lost Its Head". However, the band broke up again, soon after the promotional tour. Carlisle has since lived in France and England.

[edit] 1996–1997: A Woman and a Man

Carlisle returned to the recording studio, and resumed working again with Rick Nowels. In 1996 she released in the UK and Australia her sixth solo album, A Woman and a Man, on the Chrysalis Records label. This album, consisting of mostly relaxed adult pop, revitalized her solo career in Europe, and included several hits. The leadoff single, "In Too Deep", returned Carlisle to the UK Top 10, for the first time in six years, reaching #6. "Always Breaking My Heart", written and produced by Roxette's Per Gessle, also made the UK Top 10, peaking at #8. The album spawned two more smaller hits in UK: "Love in the Key of C", and "California", which featured arrangement and back-up vocals by Brian Wilson. The album reached #12 in the UK, and was certified gold. As a result of A Woman and A Man's UK success, the album was released in the US during the summer of 1997 on the small Ark21 label. Despite the recent successful comeback in Europe, and the promotional appearances Carlisle made on American television and radio, the album did not enjoy similar success in North America selling only 17,000 copies.

In 1996, Carlisle recorded "I Wouldn't Be Here (If I Didn't Love You)" for the Two If by Sea official movie soundtrack. In 1997, she recorded "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" from Walt Disney Animation Studios's Hercules as part of that movie's standard distribution in Europe, and was released as a single exclusively in France and Germany. Neither of these tracks has been released on compilation albums.

[edit] 1999–2000: A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits

In 1999, Carlisle released a greatest hits album in the UK, a double-disc on the Virgin label, collectively entitled A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits. Carlisle recorded three new tracks for the album's first disc, properly called The Greatest Hits, including the single "All God's Children", and the songs "A Prayer for Everyone" and "Feels Like I've Known You Forever". The second disc of the album entitled A Place on Earth, contained previously released remixes of some of her hits, plus a couple of B-sides which were previously unreleased. Some of the remixes were by William Orbit, who also worked with Madonna on her 1998 Ray of Light album. A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits was certified Gold in the UK and went on to sell an excess of one million copies worldwide.

[edit] 2001: Go-Go's Reunion

In 2001, the Go-Go's reunited again and released an album of new material, God Bless The Go-Go's. Green Day's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong co-wrote the only released single "Unforgiven". God Bless The Go-Go's received mixed reviews from critics. Rolling Stone wrote "Every bit as Go-Go's, that is, as their non-hits and less remarkable material. While the Go-Go's sound is intact, there is not a "We Got the Beat" or a "Head Over Heels" to be found. It is feasible that in this age of pop rebirth, the Go-Go's decided it was now or never". Allmusic wrote "The album doesn't attempt to update the band's sound with hip-hop moves or electronic frippery, for which God should bless 'em, indeed. The girls' hold on the current pop world remains so strong that Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong co-writes a song ("Unforgiven") in impeccable Go-Go's drag".

The album sold fewer copies than the previous Go-Go's studio albums but still managed to chart in the US Billboard 200, peaking at number #57.

Around the time of the Go-Go's definitive reunion tour, Carlisle appeared nude for the cover feature and a full pictorial of the August 2001 edition of Playboy.^[6]

[edit] 2007: Voila

In 2007, the singer released her seventh album Voila, which was her first full-length, solo studio album in more than ten years. The album was produced by John Reynolds and included Brian Eno on the keyboard. Consisting of a mix of French pop tunes and chanson standards, including covers of Françoise Hardy and Édith Piaf classics. Voila was released via Rykodisc in the UK on February 5, and in the US the following day, February 6, 2007. Carlisle was originally approached to make another pop rock album, but she declined immediately, in favor of recording this collection of songs, the style of which, she'd "absolutely fallen in love with",^{[citation needed]} since moving to France in the early 1990s.

2008–2010[link]

She recently toured as part of the Regeneration tour in the US, and the Here and Now tour in the UK and Ireland in 2008 and summer of 2009. The line up included Carlisle, as well as other acts such as The Human League, Bananarama, Boy George, Howard Jones, Paul Young, Naked Eyes, ABC, T'Pau, and Cutting Crew.

She took over the role of Velma Von Tussle in London's West End production of Hairspray on October 28, 2009 at the Shaftesbury Theatre.^[7] She remained with the show till late January 2010 and was replaced by Siobhan McCarthy.

Carlisle announced a Go-Go's farewell tour planned for July 2010, which was then cancelled due to a leg injury suffered by guitarist Jane Wiedlin.^[8]

Belinda Carlisle performed at Manchester Pride on August 27, 2010. This being her second appearance at this event, with the first being in 2007.

In October 2010, tickets went on sale for a concert tour of Germany in January 2011.

2011-2012[link]

Carlisle played dates around Australia, commencing on February 4, 2011 in Melbourne. She appeared as part of the "Here and Now, 10th Anniversary Tour" at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on the 7th of April 2011. Carlisle also toured the US with The Go-Go's, including playing to a packed house at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in August 2011. On October 10, 2011, Carlisle performed at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines together with The Human League and Howard Jones. In February 2012

Television appearances[link]

Outside of appearances on tour with The Go-Go's, Carlisle continued her string of TV appearances.

In 2004, Carlisle was the first star to be voted off the UK reality TV show Hell's Kitchen.^[9]

In 2005, Belinda appeared on both UK and USA versions of Hit Me Baby One More Time in which participants had to perform their biggest hit as well as a contemporary cover. Belinda sang Heaven is a place on Earth and Coldplay's The Scientist. She lost out in her show to Shakin' Stevens who went on to win the final.

In 2006, she appeared on the Simon Cowell-produced Celebrity Duets, a Fox network reality competition, pairing celebrities not famous for singing (like Lucy Lawless and Cheech Marin) with actual singers like Carlisle, Michael Bolton, Jon Secada, Taylor Dayne and Macy Gray. Carlisle sang "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak" with Lea Thompson on the September 7 episode.

In 2008 she appeared as a judge on the MTV reality show Rock the Cradle, a competition reality show featuring aspiring musicians who were also the children of famous musicians.

In 2009 Carlisle was on the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Jonathan Roberts. She was the first star to be eliminated from the competition, on March 17.^[10]

In 2011 Carlisle performed on "Good Morning America", Friday June 3 in an appearance for the show's "Summer Concert Series", in New York City's Central Park.

Personal life[link]

In 1986, Carlisle married Morgan Mason, film producer and former Special Assistant to the President of the United States, as well as the son of British actor James Mason. Mason made appearances in Carlisle's videos "Mad About You" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". They have a son, James Duke Mason, born on April 27, 1992.

She has been reported as being "deeply into Buddhism" and chants Nam Myoho Renge Kyo daily.^[11] In an interview, printed on March 7, 2007, the singer stated that: "I was wondering about happiness and started reading a lot of books by the Dalai Lama, and slowly embraced Buddhism" (published by Newindpress, India). She told the Sydney Morning Herald: "I don't smoke any more, I don't drink any more and I don't do drugs any more. I am very much into my Buddhism. I found turning 40 a real passage in time for me."

In January 2009, it was announced that Carlisle was appointed the new spokesperson for NutriSystem.^[12]

Discography[link]

See also[link]

• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
• List of RPM number-one singles of 1986

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Belinda Carlisle

• Official website
• Carlisle-Mason Website
• A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle Website
• The Go-Go's Official Site
• Belinda Carlisle at the Internet Movie Database
• Music Videos
• Belinda Carlisle at Tv.com

Articles[link]

• Audio interview with SYN 907 Melbourne

v t e The Go-Go's Charlotte Caffey Belinda Carlisle Gina Schock Kathy Valentine Jane Wiedlin Elissa Bello Paula Jean Brown Margot Olaverra Vicki Peterson Albums Beauty and the Beat Vacation Talk Show God Bless The Go-Go's Compilation albums Greatest Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's VH1 Behind the Music: Go-Go's Collection Singles "Our Lips Are Sealed" "We Got the Beat" "Vacation" "Get Up and Go" "He's So Strange" "Head over Heels" "Turn to You" "Yes or No" "Cool Jerk" "The Whole World Lost Its Head" "Unforgiven" Related articles Discography Book:The Go-Go's

Bruce Willis
Willis at the San Diego Comic-Con International, July 2010
Born	Walter Bruce Willis (1955-03-19) March 19, 1955 (age 57) Idar-Oberstein, State of Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany
Other names	W.B. Willis Bruno
Occupation	Actor, producer, musician
Years active	1980–present
Notable work(s)	Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, 12 monkeys, Armageddon, The Jackal, The Sixth Sense, Over the Hedge
Spouse	Demi Moore (1987–2000) Emma Heming (2009–present)
Children	Rumer Willis, Scout Willis, Tallulah Willis, Mabel Willis

Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a German-born American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard series, which were mostly critical and uniformly financial successes. He has also appeared in over sixty films, including box office successes like Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Sin City (2005), Over the Hedge (2006) and Red (2010).

Motion pictures featuring Willis have grossed US$2.64 billion to 3.05 billion at North American box offices, making him the ninth highest-grossing actor in a leading role and twelfth highest including supporting roles.^[1][2] He is a two-time Emmy Award–winning, Golden Globe Award–winning and four-time Saturn Award–nominated actor. Willis was married to actress Demi Moore and they had three daughters before their divorce in 2000, following thirteen years of marriage. He is currently married to model Emma Heming, with whom he has one daughter.

Early life[link]

Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany. His mother, Marlene K., was German and born in Kaufungen near Kassel, and his father, David Willis, was an American soldier from Southeastern Idaho of English ancestry.^[3][4][5] Willis is the oldest of four children: he has a sister, Florence, and a brother, David. His brother Robert died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, aged 42.^[6] After being discharged from the military in 1957, Willis's father took his family back to Carneys Point, New Jersey.^[7] Willis has described himself as having come from a "long line of blue collar people";^[7] his mother worked in a bank and his father was a welder, master mechanic, and factory worker.^[8] Willis attended Penns Grove High School in his hometown, where he encountered issues with a stutter.^[7] He was nicknamed Buck-Buck by his schoolmates.^[8][9][10] Finding it easy to express himself on stage and losing his stutter in the process, Willis began performing on stage and his high school activities were marked by such things as the drama club and student council president.^[8]

After high school, Willis took a job as a security guard at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant^[11][12] and also transported work crews at the DuPont Chambers Works factory in Deepwater, New Jersey.^[12]

After working as a private investigator (a role he would play in the television series Moonlighting as well as in the 1991 film, The Last Boy Scout), Willis returned to acting. He enrolled in the drama program at Montclair State University, where he was cast in the class production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Willis left school in his junior year and moved to New York City.^[4]

After multiple auditions, Willis made his theater debut in the off-Broadway production of Heaven and Earth. He gained more experience and exposure in Fool for Love, and in a Levi's commercial. Willis also played a lead role in the off-Broadway production Bullpen for four years which was written and directed by Dennis Watlington that was also presented at Joseph Papp's Public Theater.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Willis at the 61st Academy Awards, 1989

Willis left New York City and headed to California to audition for several television shows.^[4] In 1984, he appeared in an episode of the TV series Miami Vice, titled "No Exit".^[13] He auditioned for the role of David Addison Jr. of the television series Moonlighting (1985–89), competing against 3,000 other actors for the position.^[14] The starring role, opposite Cybill Shepherd, helped to establish him as a comedic actor, with the show lasting five seasons.^[7] During the height of the show's success, beverage maker Seagram hired Willis as the pitchman for their Golden Wine Cooler products.^[15] The advertising campaign paid the rising star between $5–7 million over two years. In spite of that, Willis chose not to renew his contract with the company when he decided to stop drinking alcohol in 1988.^[16]

One of his first major film roles was in the 1987 Blake Edwards film Blind Date, with Kim Basinger and John Larroquette.^[7] Edwards cast him again to play the real-life cowboy actor Tom Mix in Sunset (1988). However, it was his then-unexpected turn in the film Die Hard (1988) that catapulted him to movie star status.^[7] He performed most of his own stunts in the film,^[17] and the film grossed $138,708,852 worldwide.^[18] Following his success with Die Hard, he had a supporting role in the drama In Country as Vietnam veteran Emmett Smith and also provided the voice for a talking baby in Look Who's Talking, as well as its sequel Look Who's Talking Too.

In the late 1980s, Willis enjoyed moderate success as a recording artist, recording an album of pop-blues titled The Return of Bruno, which included the hit single "Respect Yourself",^[19] promoted by a Spinal Tap–like rockumentary parody featuring scenes of him performing at famous events including Woodstock. Follow-up recordings were not as successful, though Willis has returned to the recording studio several times. (See Discography below.)

1990s[link]

Willis acquired major personal success and pop culture influence playing John McClane in 1988's Die Hard. This film was followed up by Die Hard 2: Die Harder in 1990 and Die Hard with a Vengeance in 1995.^[7] These first three installments in the Die Hard series grossed over US$700 million internationally and propelled Willis to the first rank of Hollywood action stars.

In the early 1990s, Willis's career suffered a moderate slump starring in flops such as The Bonfire of the Vanities, Striking Distance, and a film he co-wrote titled Hudson Hawk, among others. He starred in a leading role in the highly sexualized erotic thriller Color of Night (1994), which was very poorly received by critics, but did well in the home video market and became one of the Top 20 most-rented films in the United States in 1995.^[20] In 1994, he had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's acclaimed Pulp Fiction,^[7] which gave a new boost to his career. In 1996, he was the executive producer of the cartoon Bruno the Kid which featured a CGI representation of himself.^[21]

He went on to play the lead roles in Twelve Monkeys (1995) and The Fifth Element (1997). However, by the end of the 1990s, his career had fallen into another slump with critically panned films like The Jackal, Mercury Rising, and Breakfast of Champions, saved only by the success of the Michael Bay-directed Armageddon which was the highest grossing film of 1998 worldwide.^[22] The same year his voice and likeness were featured in the PlayStation video game Apocalypse.^[23] In 1999, Willis then went on to the starring role in M. Night Shyamalan's film, The Sixth Sense. The film was both a commercial and critical success^[7] and helped to increase interest in his acting career.

2000s–2010s[link]

Willis after a ceremony where he was named Hasty Pudding Theatrical's Man of the Year in 2002

In 2000, Willis won an Emmy^[24] for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Friends (in which he played the father of Ross Geller's much-younger girlfriend).^[25] He was also nominated for a 2001 American Comedy Award (in the Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series category) for his work on Friends. Also in 2000, Willis played Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski in The Whole Nine Yards alongside Matthew Perry. Willis was originally cast as Terry Benedict in Ocean's Eleven (2001) but dropped out to work on recording an album.^[26] In Ocean's Twelve (2004), he makes a cameo appearance as himself. In 2007, he appeared in the Planet Terror half of the double feature Grindhouse as the villain, a mutant soldier. This marks Willis's second collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez, following Sin City.

Willis has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman several times throughout his career. He filled in for an ill David Letterman on his show February 26, 2003, when he was supposed to be a guest.^[27] On many of his appearances on the show, Willis stages elaborate jokes, such as wearing a day-glo orange suit in honor of the Central Park gates, having one side of his face made up with simulated buckshot wounds after the Harry Whittington shooting, or trying to break a record (parody of David Blaine) of staying underwater for only twenty seconds.

Willis at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.

On April 12, 2007, he appeared again, this time wearing a Sanjaya Malakar wig.^[28] His most recent appearance was on June 25, 2007 when he appeared wearing a mini-turbine strapped to his head to accompany a joke about his own fictional documentary titled An Unappealing Hunch (a wordplay of An Inconvenient Truth).^[29] Willis also appeared on Japanese Subaru Legacy television commercials.^[30] Tying in with this, Subaru did a limited run of Legacys, badged "Subaru Legacy Touring Bruce", in honor of Willis.

Willis has appeared in four films with Samuel L. Jackson (National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and Unbreakable) and both actors were slated to work together in Black Water Transit, before dropping out. Willis also worked with his eldest daughter, Rumer, in the 2005 film Hostage. In 2007, he appeared in the thriller Perfect Stranger, opposite Halle Berry, the crime/drama film Alpha Dog, opposite Sharon Stone, and marked his return to the role of John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard. Recently he appeared in the films What Just Happened and Surrogates, based on the comic book of the same name.^[31]

Willis was slated to play U.S. Army general William R. Peers in director Oliver Stone's Pinkville, a drama about the investigation of the 1968 My Lai Massacre.^[32] However, due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, the film was cancelled. Willis appeared on the 2008 Blues Traveler album North Hollywood Shootout, giving a spoken word performance over an instrumental blues-rock jam on the track "Free Willis (Ruminations from Behind Uncle Bob's Machine Shop)". In early 2009, he appeared in an advertising campaign to publicize the insurance company Norwich Union's change of name to Aviva.^[33]

Willis at a Live Free or Die Hard premiere in June 2007

Willis starred with Tracy Morgan in the comedy Cop Out, directed by Kevin Smith and about two police detectives investigating the theft of a baseball card.^[34] The film was released in February 2010. Willis appeared in the music video for the song "Stylo" by Gorillaz.^[35] Also in 2010, he appeared in a cameo with former Planet Hollywood co-owners and '80s action stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film The Expendables. Bruce Willis played the role of "Mr. Church". This was the first time these three legendary action stars appeared on screen together. Although the scene featuring the three was short, it was one of the most highly anticipated scenes in the film. The trio filmed their scene in an empty church on October 24, 2009.^[36] His most recent project was Red, an adaptation of the comic book mini-series of the same name, in which he portrayed Frank Moses. The film was released on October 15, 2010.^[37]

Upcoming films[link]

Willis will star in the movie adaptation of the video game Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, named Kane & Lynch.^[38] He will also star in the upcoming movie Looper.

On October 12, 2011, it was announced that A Good Day to Die Hard would see a February 14, 2013 (Valentine's Day) release, with Willis reprising his most famous role of John McClane for a fifth time.^[39]

Sylvester Stallone revealed that he is talking to Willis about returning for The Expendables 2. Stallone has said that he wants to expand Willis' role and that he wants Willis to play the villain in the next Expendables. Willis will be starring in the sequel on a more expanded role.^[40] They have talked about Willis' schedule and possible actors that could join the sequel.

Filming for a new movie, Moonrise Kingdom, starring Bruce Willis alongside Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand, is expected to begin in the first half of 2011. Filming will take place in Rhode Island under the direction of Wes Anderson.^[41]

Willis will team up with 50 Cent in a new film directed by David Barrett called Fire with Fire, starring opposite Josh Duhamel about a fireman who must save the love of his life.^[42] Willis will also join Vince Vaughn and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Lay the Favorite, directed by Stephen Frears, about a Las Vegas cocktail waitress who becomes an elite professional gambler.^[43] The two films will be distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment.

Business activities[link]

Willis owns property in Los Angeles, rents an apartment in the Trump Tower in New York City,^[44] and Trump Place,^[45] as well as a home in Malibu, California, a ranch in Montana, a beach home on Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos, and multiple properties in Sun Valley, Idaho.^[4]

Willis started his own motion picture production company called Cheyenne Enterprises, which he started with his business partner Arnold Rifkin in 2000. He left the company to be run solely by Rifkin in 2007 after Live Free or Die Hard.^[46] He also owns several small businesses in Hailey, Idaho, including The Mint Bar and The Liberty Theater and is a co-founder of Planet Hollywood, with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.^[47] In 2009 Willis signed a contract to become the international face of Belvedere SA's Sobieski Vodka in exchange for 3.3% ownership in the company.^[48]

Personal life[link]

Willis' acting role models are Gary Cooper, Robert De Niro, Steve McQueen, and John Wayne.^[49]

Marriages and family[link]

Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, 61st Annual Academy Awards, 1989

At the premiere for the film Stakeout, Willis met actress Demi Moore. Willis married Moore on November 21, 1987 and had three daughters: Rumer Willis (b. August 16, 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (b. July 20, 1991) and Tallulah Belle Willis (b. February 3, 1994) before the couple divorced on October 18, 2000. The couple gave no public reason for their breakup. Regarding the divorce, Willis stated, "I felt I had failed as a father and a husband by not being able to make it work." He credited actor Will Smith for helping him cope with the situation.^[4][15] After their breakup, rumors persisted that the couple planned to re-marry, until Moore married the actor Ashton Kutcher. Willis has maintained a close relationship with both Moore and Kutcher, even attending their wedding.

Willis was engaged to Brooke Burns until they broke up in 2004 after ten months together.^[14] He married Emma Heming in Turks and Caicos on March 21, 2009;^[50] guests included his three daughters, Moore, and Kutcher. The ceremony was not legally binding, so the couple wed again in a civil ceremony in Beverly Hills six days later.^[51] The couple have one daughter, Mabel Ray Willis (b. April 1, 2012).^[52]

Religion[link]

Willis at the German premiere of Over the Hedge on June 28, 2006

Bruce Willis was, at one point, Lutheran (specifically Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod),^[53] but no longer practices, after clarifying in a July 1998 interview with George magazine:

Political views[link]

In 1988, he and Moore openly campaigned for Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis's Presidential bid. Four years later, he supported President George H. W. Bush for reelection and he was an outspoken critic of Bill Clinton. However, in 1996, he declined to endorse Clinton's Republican opponent Bob Dole, because Dole had criticized Moore for her role in the film Striptease.^[55] Willis was an invited speaker at the 2000 Republican National Convention,^[56] and openly supported George W. Bush that year. He did not make any contributions or public endorsements in the 2008 presidential campaign. In several June 2007 interviews, he declared that he still maintains some Republican ideologies.^[4][15]

In 2006, he said that the United States should invade Colombia, in order to end the drug trafficking.^[57] In several interviews Willis has said that he supports large salaries for teachers and police officers, and says that he is disappointed in the United States' foster care and treatment of Native Americans.^[55][58] Willis also stated that he is a big supporter of gun rights:

In February 2006, Willis appeared in Manhattan to talk about 16 Blocks with reporters. One reporter attempted to ask Willis about his opinion on the current government, but was interrupted by Willis in mid-sentence: "I'm sick of answering this fucking question. I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government, I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop shitting on my money and your money and tax dollars that we give 50 percent of... every year. I want them to be fiscally responsible and I want these goddamn lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm a Republican... I hate the government, OK? I'm apolitical. Write that down. I'm not a Republican."^[60]

Willis's name was in an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times on August 17, 2006, that condemned Hamas and Hezbollah and supported Israel in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.^[61]

Military interests[link]

Willis meets with Brigadier General Albert Bryant, Jr and deployed soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division, in Tikrit, Iraq, during his 2003 USO tour.

Throughout his film career, Willis has depicted several military characters in films such as The Siege, Hart's War, Tears of the Sun, and Grindhouse. Growing up in a military family, Willis has publicly sold Girl Scout cookies for the United States armed forces. In 2002, Willis's youngest daughter, Tallulah, suggested that he purchase Girl Scout cookies to send to troops. Willis purchased 12,000 boxes of cookies, and they were distributed to sailors aboard USS John F. Kennedy and other troops stationed throughout the Middle East at the time.^[62] In 2003, Willis visited Iraq as part of the USO tour, singing to the troops with his band, The Accelerators.^[63] Willis considered joining the military to help fight the second Iraq war, but was deterred by his age.^[64] It was believed he offered US$1 million to any non combatant who turns in terrorist leaders Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi; in the June 2007 issue of Vanity Fair, however, he clarified that the statement was made hypothetically and not meant to be taken literally.

Willis has also criticized the media for its coverage of the war, complaining that the press were more likely to focus on the negative aspects of the war:

Willis stated in 2005 that he wanted to "make a pro-war film in which American soldiers will be depicted as brave fighters for freedom and democracy."^[66] The film would follow members of Deuce Four, the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry, who spent considerable time in Mosul and were decorated heavily for it. The film is to be based on the writings of blogger Michael Yon, a former United States Army Special Forces soldier who was embedded with Deuce Four and sent regular dispatches about their activities. Willis described the plot of the film as "these guys who do what they are asked for very little money to defend and fight for what they consider to be freedom."^[67]

Controversy[link]

Comments at playoffs[link]

Willis, an avid New Jersey Nets fan, made controversial comments on April 29, 2007 during a live broadcast of a Nets home playoff game on TSN by saying a catch phrase from his Die Hard films, "Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherfucker", at the end of the interview.^[68][69] Reacting to the backlash, he later blamed his actions on jet lag, stating: "Sometimes I overestimate my ability to function under duress with less than enough sleep".^[15]

"Walter_B"[link]

On May 5, 2007, someone using the screen name "Walter_B" started posting detailed responses onto Ain't it Cool News, where people were discussing the fact that Live Free or Die Hard received a PG-13 rating, instead of an R rating like the earlier three Die Hard films.^[70] The responses included detailed information on Live Free or Die Hard, which was yet to be released; the theme of the Die Hard film series, direct criticisms of other film crews and casts, and many film trivia answers. Many people were skeptical that "Walter_B" was indeed Willis, but on May 9, Willis revealed his identity on a video chat session (using iChat).^[71][72]

Cultural references[link]

In 1996, Roger Director, a writer and producer from Moonlighting wrote a roman à clef on Willis titled A Place to Fall.^[73] Cybill Shepherd wrote in her 2000 autobiography, Cybill Disobedience, that Willis was angry at Director, because the character was written as a "neurotic, petulant actor."

In 1998, Willis participated in Apocalypse, a PlayStation video game. The game was originally announced to feature Willis as a sidekick, not as the main character. The company reworked the game using Willis's likeness and voice and changed the game to use him as the main character.^[23]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Solo albums

• The Return of Bruno, 1987, Motown, OCLC 15508727
• If It Don't Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger, 1989, Motown / Pgd, OCLC 21322754.
• Classic Bruce Willis: The Universal Masters Collection, 2001, Polygram Int'l, OCLC 71124889.

Compilations/Guest appearances

• Moonlighting soundtrack, 1986; track "Good Lovin'"
• Hudson Hawk soundtrack, 1991; tracks "Swinging on a Star" and "Side by Side", both duets with Danny Aiello
• Rugrats Go Wild soundtrack, 2003; "Big Bad Cat" with Chrissie Hynde and "Lust for Life"
• Blues Traveler, North Hollywood Shootout, 2008; track "Free Willis (Ruminations from Behind Uncle Bob's Machine Shop)"

Singles chart

In 1987, Bruce Willis released sang a number of tracks on the soundtrack of the film "The Return of Bruno" including:

• Respect Yourself, reached number 5 in the US and number 7 in the UK
• Under The Boardwalk, reached number 59 in the US and number 2 in the UK
• Young Blood, reached number 62 in the US

In the UK the following singles also charted:

• "Secret Agent Man – James Bond is Back", number 43 (September 1987)
• "Comin' Right Up", number 73 (January 1988)

Awards and honors[link]

Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Willis has won a variety of awards and has received various honors throughout his career in television and film.

• For his work on the television show Moonlighting he won an Emmy ("Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series") and a Golden Globe ("Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical") plus received additional nominations for the show.^[74]
• He was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in the film In Country
• Maxim magazine had named his sex scenes in Color of Night (1994) as the best sex scenes ever in film history.^[75]
• In the 1999 drama/thriller film, The Sixth Sense, Willis won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award ("Favorite Actor — Suspense") and the People's Choice Award ("Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Drama"). He was also nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actor and received two nominations for the MTV Movie Awards for "Best Male Performance" and "Best On-Screen Duo".^[74]
• In 2000, Willis won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Friends.
• In February 2002, Willis was awarded the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. According to the organization, the award is given to performers who give a lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment.^[76]
• Also in 2002, Willis was appointed as national spokesman for Children in Foster Care by President George W. Bush.^[77] Willis wrote online: "I saw Foster Care as a way for me to serve my country in a system by which shining a little bit of light could benefit a great deal by helping kids who were literally wards of the government."
• In April 2006, he was honored by French government for his contributions to the film industry. Willis was named "Officier Dans L'ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres" (Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters) in a ceremony in Paris. The French Prime Minister stated "This is France's way of paying tribute to an actor who epitomizes the strength of American cinema, the power of the emotions that he invites us to share on the world's screens and the sturdy personalities of his legendary characters."^[78]
• On October 16, 2006, Willis was honored with a star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard and it was the 2,321st star awarded in its history. Willis, reacting to his reception of the star, stated "I used to come down here and look at these stars and I could never quite figure out what you were supposed to do to get one...time has passed and now here I am doing this, and I'm still excited. I'm still excited to be an actor."^[79]
• In 2011, Willis was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.^[80]

References[link]