Celebrate the legacy of Bruce Williss career in a book the Los Angeles Times calls "a thoughtful guide."
On a nondescript Wednesday morning in the waning days of March 2023, one of the biggest movie stars on the planet called it quits. No press conference had been organized, the Hollywood trades received no advance notice, and there was a conspicuous lack of the fanfare that usually accompanies such bombshell announcements. Instead, the news that Bruce Willis was retiring from acting came in a simple statement on his ex-wife Demi Moore’s Instagram page—along with the tragic news that Willis was suffering from aphasia, a cognitive disorder that subsequently worsened to become frontotemporal dementia.
It was a sad conclusion to the storied career of a man who had at one point been the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. That career is the subject of Sean O’Connell’s definitive survey of Bruce Willis the actor, the cultural icon, and the man. Here, O’Connell compiles exclusive, original interviews with directors who have worked with Willis, as well as film critics and journalists who have analyzed his career, into a celebratory compendium. It also features the author’s analysis of Willis’s films, his career arc, and the industry that made him a star. And it includes capsule reviews of every Bruce Willis film, making this a complete handbook to a true American original.
Sean OConnell is the author of two books with Applause: Release the Snyder Cut (2021), which documents the three-year fight by DC Comics fans to getZack Snyders lost cut of Justice League released, and With Great Power, whichtraces Spider-Mans complete journey through Hollywood, culminating with therecord-setting blockbuster film Spider-Man: No Way Home. OConnell also servesas the Managing Director of CinemaBlend, a globally recognized entertainmentnews website. He has been covering the film industry since 1999, both in printand online, with bylines in outlets such as USA Today, The Washington Post, andFandango. He lives in Charlotte, NC.
It’s hard not to read O’Connell’s book as a valediction of sorts, though it is also, as the title suggests, a celebration…. O’Connell, a veteran journalist and author, proves a thoughtful guide…. we ride along on a fascinating career that encompassed both stardom and acting as its own reward. — The Los Angeles Times
Bruce Willis: Celebrating the Cinematic Legacy of an Unbreakable Hollywood Icon is another outstanding book written by Sean O’Connell. It is a comprehensive and engaging tribute to one of Hollywood’s most popular and beloved stars. Sean O’Connell perfectly detailed and analyzed each important movie in Bruce Willis’ career and made it so easy to read.... [It’s] the ultimate compendium of knowledge that you can find about Bruce Willis’ performances in film and television. — Cosmic Circus
