For the previous few years, any point out of the all-star actor Bruce Willis has been accompanied by an replace on the celeb’s well being. Die Laborious star Willis introduced his retirement from appearing again in 2022 resulting from a prognosis of aphasia, which has graduated to FTD, a type of dementia. And whereas we proceed to maintain Willis in our ideas, I like to think about him when it comes to his illustrious profession, which had many years value of highs – in addition to a good variety of lows. I spent years writing a e book that analyzed Bruce Willis’ full movie profession, and a variety of my analysis revolved round his flirtation with the Ocean’s franchise, one thing ex-wife Demi Moore used to poke enjoyable of him throughout a star roast.
Demi Moore is at present making the rounds on behalf of her Oscar-nominated efficiency in The Substance. However some time again, she appeared as a star visitor for a roast of Bruce Willis. And through that “assault,” she ripped Willis for passing up the Danny Ocean function in Ocean’s 11. That acquired an enormous chortle out of Willis. However a number of watching this clip may not have even recognized that was a factor. Right here’s Demi Moore on the Bruce Willis Roast:
Let’s discuss what we all know relating to Willis’s doable involvement within the Ocean’s sequence, and the way Clooney made good on it for Willis in the long term.
Bruce Willis would have performed Danny Ocean
So, as legend has it, Bruce Willis turned down the function of Danny Ocean, an element that finally went to George Clooney. After seeing the best way that Clooney occupies the function by means of three films, I can’t think about anybody else within the half. He’s the proper mix of cool sophistication, however soiled on line casino sleaze. He’s supreme as Danny.
That’s to not say Bruce Willis couldn’t play the function. It simply would have been totally different. He nonetheless may have been the calm, cool, collected chief of a staff of thieves that included Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts, and extra. Solely, he turned the half down, as was defined by Clooney in a 2007 interview with Time. Stated the Solaris star:
Bruce Willis turned down the primary one. … He was speculated to be Danny Ocean, and he did find yourself doing the second. I feel he regretted not being within the first.
We’ll get to Ocean’s 12 in a second. Why did Willis flip down the a part of Dany Ocean? We don’t know for positive, however I can let you know that he was lots busy in 1999 and 2000, when this film would have been going by means of negotiations and pre-production. The actor had simply damaged the financial institution by portraying a toddler psychiatrist reverse Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense. He was driving excessive on the success of Armageddon (1998) and the Matthew Perry comedy The Entire 9 Yards (2000). He didn’t want Steven Soderbergh’s on line casino romp.
Ultimately, although, Willis acquired the prospect to play in that exact sandbox, and to me, that’s a profession spotlight.
Bruce Willis stole the present in Ocean’s 12
As a result of Bruce Willis achieved world superstardom in the Die Laborious franchise, he’s all the time been often known as an motion star. However Willis began in comedy, each on the TV present Moonlighting and within the movie Blind Date. And his sharp sense of comedic timing was on show when he joined Soderbergh, Clooney and the solid for the European jaunt, Ocean’s 12.
Within the scene, which I discover fairly good, Matt Damon’s Linus is convincing Julia Roberts’ Tess to go together with a scheme that can have her pretending to be…. Properly, pretending to be Julia Roberts. It will enable the crew the prospect to infiltrate a museum and get shut sufficient to a invaluable treasure to steal it.
Solely, as Tess is “pretending” to be Julia Roberts, she’s noticed by Bruce Willis taking part in the true Bruce Willis. And it results in this high-wire comedy of errors that reveals one of the best of everybody concerned. Press play on this, and luxuriate in.
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As George Clooney notes, it’s doable Willis simply regretted not being in Ocean’s 11, and wished a chunk of the enjoyable. But additionally, on the audio commentary observe for Ocean’s 12, Soderbergh defined that he tasked Julia Roberts with selecting a scene accomplice she already was acquainted with, and she or he and Willis go approach again of their private lives. Therefore all of the jokes about Tallulah’s Spongebob blanket being left in Taos, New Mexico… the place Roberts as soon as lived (and nonetheless owns a ranch).
And that’s the story behind Bruce Willis turning down Ocean’s 11, however nonetheless stepping into the sequence for an excellent cameo. It’s doable we’d get one other Ocean’s film, as there have been rumblings of a script, however no official bulletins from anybody concerned. In order for you a style of that Ocean chemistry, use your AppleTV+ subscription to observe Wolfs, a buddy comedy starring Clooney and Pitt that’s a nice diversion.