From ‘The Sixth Sense’ to ‘Glass’: Here’s all the movies Bruce Willis made in Philly
Bruce Willis starred in dozens of movies throughout his career — including a few filmed here in Philly.
Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, capping a 40-plus-year career on screen, the actor’s family announced this week.
“Our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” a statement, which was signed by Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore, and children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn, posted to Willis’ Instagram page on Wednesday read. “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
Aphasia is a communication disorder that impacts a person’s ability express or understand speech, and can also effect how the ability to read or write.
Willis, 67, grew up in Penns Grove in Salem County, N.J., and throughout his career has starred in dozens of films — several of which were filmed here in Philadelphia. He developed a relationship with the Philly’s own M. Night Shyamalan, and went on to star in several of that director’s movies, but Willis first started filming in town years before that.
So, with the announcement of Willis’ retirement from acting, we’ve decided to run down all of the star’s Philly-filmed movies, and where you can watch them now. Check out the list below:
12 Monkeys
Willis first filmed in Philly in this 1995, Terry Gilliam-directed sci-fi classic. He stars opposite Brad Pitt as James Cole, a prisoner living in a compound beneath the streets of Philadelphia who is sent back in time to stop the spread of a virus that is wiping out humanity. Filmed in Philly and Baltimore, 12 Monkeys was shot in locations including Eastern State Penitentiary, Girard College, and the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “We went to Philadelphia looking for rotting America, It turned out to be the perfect place,” Gilliam told Entertainment Weekly. Yikes, Terry.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), Google Play ($3.99), Peacock (free with ads) Vudu ($3.99), YouTube ($3.99).
The Sixth Sense
A few years later, Willis returned to Philadelphia to star in his first M. Night Shyamalan movie, the 1999 supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense. Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who works with Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a young child who claims to see dead people (no spoilers, in the case you somehow haven’t seen this classic more than 20 years after its release). Willis went on to win a People’s Choice Award in 2000 for Favorite Motion Picture Actor for his role.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), Google Play ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), YouTube ($3.99).
Unbreakable
In 2000, Willis again worked with Shyamalan to appear in this superhero-based thriller as David Dunn, an apparently invincible security guard who works at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field. In the movie, which shot everywhere from Immaculate Conception Church to Ontario Street Comics, Willis squares off against Samuel L. Jackson’s Elijah Price, a comic book expert who becomes Dunn’s archenemy.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), Vudu ($4.99), YouTube ($3.99).
Split
Willis makes a very brief cameo in this 2017 Shyamalan flick, but it’s an important one because — along with an appearance from Jackson as Price, a.k.a. Mr. Glass — it makes the movie a secret sequel to Unbreakable. Willis appears at the end of film as Dunn, which he did as “a favor” to Shyamalan, the director told Entertainment Weekly in 2018. That sets up star James McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb — a.k.a. “The Horde” — to be the big bad in Glass, the third installment of what came to be known as the Eastrail 177 Trilogy.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), Google Play ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), YouTube ($3.99).
Glass
Willis made his final appearance as Dunn in the conclusion to the Unbreakable series, Glass, in 2019. Here, he takes on McAvoy’s Horde and Jackson’s Price, but (spoiler alert!) ultimately dies after being drowned facedown in a puddle, as water is his only weakness. The character’s death was a controversial one, with fans finding it unbelievable that such a powerful hero could be killed in such a mundane way. Shyamalan, however, defended that decision as recently as last year, telling Uproxx that “the simplest thing can take the strongest person down.”
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), Google Play ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), YouTube ($3.99).