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 versatile actor plays comedy and drama equally well. His movie choices have been diverse, sometimes even quirky.  He was unforgettable as the boxer in Quentin Tarantino's classic 1994 film Pulp Fiction.

"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) and with Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys (1995).

Willis has played so many memorable characters on film. Remember how he surprised us as Dr. Malcolm Crow in the drama The Sixth Sense (1999)?

"When I read the script, I was fooled. And it's hard to fool people today."

Through the years, whether cynical or wisecracking, he has remained strong, heroic, and popular. "I really am just a regular guy who has an incredibly blessed life," Willis said.

A life which he celebrates with passion.

There's no time to be unhappy.