Appealing actor Bruce Willis (1955-) knows how to celebrate life! Born on this day in West Germany and raised in New Jersey, Willis was an Army brat who overcame a childhood stutter by singing and acting.

"When I acted I was being a different person," he said.  "The emotional trigger that caused me to stutter... stopped when I could act."

A nightclub bartender, his big break came in 1985 when he snagged the role as David Addison, sidekick to Cybill Shepherd on the television hit, Moonlighting (1985-89). "The show was about attitude," Willis said. "And great writing."

"The voice I have always listened to is my own, for good or bad," he said. "I've always had confidence. Before I was famous, that confidence got me into trouble. After I got famous, it just got me into more trouble."

In 1988, Willis made the giant leap to superstardom with the box-office hit, Die Hard, a first-rate action thriller that made him one of Hollywood's most sought after actors.

"I like having the dough to come and go as I please," he said, the hero to bald men worldwide since choosing his highly-flattering skinhead look.

The versatile actor plays comedy and drama equally well. His movie choices have been diverse, sometimes even quirky.  He was unforgettable as the boxer in Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, John Travolta, 1994). 

"I like film roles that scare me where I don't quite know what I'm going to do with each scene," explained Willis who held his own with Paul Newman in Nobody's Fool (1995), with Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys (1995), and dazzled as Dr. Malcolm Crow in the drama The Sixth Sense (1999). "When I read the script, I was fooled," Willis admitted. "And it's hard to fool people today."

By 2005, Willis had made over 50 films. Through it all, whether cynical or wisecracking, he's remained popular. "I really am just a regular guy who has an incredibly blessed life," Willis said.

There's no time to be unhappy.