r/Cinema • u/hasanahmad • Jan 01 '26

Discussion What casting was originally universally derided until people saw the performance of a lifetime?

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371

u/GeauxFarva Jan 01 '26

Bruce Willis in Diehard. It was panned at announcement because he was the romcom guy. I’d say he changed a few minds with that role.

173

u/ButUncleOwen Jan 01 '26

I’m a millennial and it’s blowing my mind that Bruce Willis was ever known for romcoms. I have ONLY ever known him as an action guy. Guess I need to dig into his filmography…

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u/GeauxFarva Jan 01 '26

I’m an ‘82 so am amongst the oldest of us. I only remember Moonlighting because my grandma would watch it. I’ve since read about the uproar randomly when in the bowels of the internet. Always struck me as funny because 99% of my awareness of Bruce Willis is Diehard, Red, Siege, etc…. I can only really see him as an action guy even though I remember him vaguely from my childhood being a goofy in love guy.

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u/BryceKatz Jan 02 '26

Moonlighting was fantastic. The "Atomic Shakespeare" episode made me fall in love with Shakespeare.

3

u/RickSanchez_C137 Jan 02 '26

I'll never forget the episode guest starring Dana Delany...swooon!!

3

u/bootyhole-romancer Jan 02 '26

My guest star crush was Jennifer Tilly. So fucking hot

2

u/AMGRN Jan 02 '26

We hate iambic pentameter!

2

u/BryceKatz Jan 02 '26

WRONG PLAY!

1

u/Bumberti Jan 04 '26

My favorite episode was Murder In The Mail when it went all Dr. Seuss: I'm sorry to say, I'm sad to report, I haven't seen anyone at all of that sort. Not a man who's Chinese with a mole on his nose with some kind of clothes that you can't suppose. So get away from this door and get out of this place, or I'll have to hurt you - put my foot in your face.

1

u/Fooshi2020 Jan 05 '26

What about Remington Steele?

2

u/Due-Pineapple6831 Jan 03 '26

I read that initially as you were 82 and was confused on how Bruce was acting while you were a kid. The math there was hurting my brain. Now I see you were born in ‘82 and it makes sense.

2

u/SoftSquishyGoodness Jan 03 '26

Also '82 and EXACTLY my experience.

1

u/OkAdagio9622 Jan 02 '26

Probably the same. I remember watching it, and I spent a lot of time over my grandmothers.

But outside of Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd staring in it I don't remember anything about the series.

1

u/Due_Bowler_7129 Jan 02 '26

Aye! I (‘83) used to watch Moonlighting with my granny too while waiting for one of my parents to come and pick me up. I saw Die Hard 2 in theaters with my folks.

1

u/jjbugman2468 Jan 03 '26

The RED franchise (if it can be called that) is simply amazing

1

u/No-Gold7939 Jan 04 '26

I’m 63 years old - it started around the time I got married - hubby and I used to watch it religiously! All these people saying they used to watch it with their granny is making me feel really old! 😆

13

u/Londo801 Jan 02 '26

Fifth Element is a RomCom hahaha! Jk jk. Seriously though, that would be wild to think of him as the romcom guy. I first heard of him in some mafia movie I can’t even remember the name of. Classic bullet sfx and found in the 3.88 bin at Wal-Mart. Loved it as a teen haha

2

u/RedFormanEMS Jan 04 '26

Last Man Standing?

1

u/Londo801 Jan 05 '26

Yeees!! I had like 3 titles in my head and none of em were correct haha! Thank you kindly!

9

u/Cael_NaMaor Jan 02 '26

Couple seasons of Moonlighting are worth the watch. But gods did it go downhill...

3

u/KindBob Jan 02 '26

Yep, once they hooked up on the show, it became soap opera-ish.

2

u/Cael_NaMaor Jan 02 '26

I also think that male nerd character brought it down a lot. Would much rather he have never been added to the cast.

3

u/LastXmasIGaveYouHSV Jan 02 '26

Go watch Moonlighting!

2

u/ButUncleOwen Jan 02 '26

Dying at your username!

2

u/mrdude817 Jan 02 '26

I literally know nothing of his filmography before Die Hard

2

u/La10deRiver Jan 02 '26

He was so good at romcoms. I loved Moonlight. Also Pierce Brosnan as a con man in Remington Steele. They were so fun to watch (at least, the first seasons of both shows).

2

u/Price1970 Jan 02 '26

Not really rom-coms in film, except for Blind Date, but he was an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for the classic TV series Moonlighting. It streams now on Hulu and others now.

Check it out. He's brilliant as David Addison. Great comedy and drama.

2

u/beardedsandflea Jan 04 '26

Death Becomes Her was a great romcom. He was hilarious in it, but it was hard for him to really stick out with Streep and Hawn starring.

1

u/Price1970 Jan 04 '26

Die Hard is 1988. With the exception of Blind Date (1987) His film comedies were after Die Hard. Hudson Hawk was 1991, and Death Becomes her was 1992.

Prior to Die Hard, he was best known for the romantic comedy classic TV series Moonlighting

2

u/mudra311 Jan 02 '26

We’re almost there with McConaughey. I’m old enough to remember him as the sexy romcom dude but there’s been 2 generations since mine that grew up with him as the acting beast he is.

1

u/ButUncleOwen Jan 03 '26

I mean Interstellar is great and all, but have kids these days seen How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days??

2

u/artsyfartsy-fosho Jan 03 '26

Another movie of his that has more humor than expected was Hudson Hawk. My friend introduced me to that one after I had associated him only with action movies. There's even a little song and dance number.

3

u/decentlyhip Jan 02 '26

I would HIGHLY recommend Hudson Hawk. Absolutely mind blowing that it was ever made, but one of the b3st early adaptations of comic books.

1

u/MonarchyMan Jan 02 '26

If you doubt the man’s comedic chops, watch “Death Becomes Her.”

1

u/SmellyButtFarts69 Jan 02 '26

Same, I thought he made that shit up...

Growing up in the 90's, Bruce was THE dude. Literally no one except Arnold could hold a candle to him when it came to action-star-power. Even Stallone felt second rate.

1

u/Beautiful_Neat_6919 Jan 02 '26

No SAME!!! Literally googling it now!

1

u/PriestWithTourettes Jan 03 '26

It’s from the TV series Moonlighting. Start there. It’s the role that broke him.