Bruce Willis fans shocked to learn actor's real name

Fans of Bruce Willis will likely be able to recognize the star by all sorts of names thanks to his various roles - with John McClane, Malcolm Crowe and Butch Coolidge being just a few that spring to mind.

But despite having known the actor for years now, do you actually know his real name?

Willis, who is now 70 years old, had been in the spotlight for almost 40 years before he announced his retirement in March 2022 after receiving a diagnosis of aphasia.

The actor's condition has since progressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), with his wife, Emma Heming Willis, being open about the changes to Willis' personality and why he no longer lives with her and their daughters in the family home.

But while Willis has sadly had to step away from the big screen, his legacy lives on and fans are always keen to learn something new about him, so his name seems like a logical place to start.

Willis has been a Hollywood star for almost 40 years (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Long before he took on his first credited roles in titles like Miami Vice and The Twilight Zone, Willis was born in March 1955 in Germany to his mom, Marlene, and his dad, David.

Marlene and David did use 'Bruce Willis' to form part of their son's name, but not as his first name.

In actuality, Willis was given the first name 'Walter'.

Learning this fact has surprised fans, with some noting that 'Walter Willis' isn't too far off from Byran Cranston's Breaking Bad character, Walter White.

One person joked: "Him and Walter White should start a club and call it the bald walters...."

Another questioned why Willis had chosen to go by the name 'Bruce', writing: "I'd have to say going from Walter to Bruce is really a horizontal move at best. If you're going to change it, go big!"

Die Hard is one of Willis' best known roles (Twentieth Century Fox)

While going from Walter to Bruce might not be the most exciting name change, the actor is far from the first to present themselves with a new name.

Emma Stone, whose real name is Emily, and Natalie Portman, who was born Neta-Lee Hershlag, are just a few examples of other stars following suit.

Willis initially took on jobs as a security guard and a private investigator in his earlier career, before he moved to New York and worked as a bartender while also laying the foundations for his acting career.

Speaking to Vanity Fair this month, Heming Willis said the actor 'loved what he did', adding: “I’m happy that he was able to do it for as long as he was able to do it."