Bruce resets the action bar

MANILA, Philippines - Bruce Willis has demonstrated versatility in a career that has included such diverse characterizations as the prized-fighter in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994 Palme D’Or winner at Cannes), the philandering contractor in Robert Benton’s Nobody’s Fool, the heroic time traveler in Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, the traumatized Vietnam veteran in Norman Jewison’s In Country, the compassionate child psychologist in M. Night Shyamalan’s Oscar-nominated The Sixth Sense (for which he won the People’s Choice Award) and his signature role, Detective John McClane, in the Die Hard films.

John McClane — the hard-talking detective who always seems to be in the wrong place but doing the right thing — has become one of Hollywood’s iconic characters and Willis has enjoyed the role, reprising it in four sequels. The latest Die Hard movie, A Good Day To Die Hard sees McClane in Moscow, searching for his estranged son, Jack (rising Australian star Jai Courtney).

A Good Day to Die Hard is set against the backdrop of deadly corruption and political vendetta in Russia. McClane arrives in Moscow to track down Jack, and is stunned to discover he’s working undercover to protect a government whistleblower, Komarov (Sebastian Koch). With their own necks on the line, the McClanes are forced to overcome their differences in order to get Komarov to safety and thwart a potentially disastrous crime in the most desolate place on Earth — Chernobyl.

Willis embraced the opportunity to pay another visit to the beloved character that has a habit of finding himself in the wrong place at the right time. Does trouble find McClane or does McClane seek it out? â€œWell, he’s certainly attracted to trouble,” says the actor, “but yes, trouble also seems determined to find him.”

“I find it an interesting exercise to reach for the bar we set with the series, and I enjoy checking in with McClane at different stages in his life,” Willis continues. “In this story, he’s at a point where men tend to reflect on their past. For McClane, it’s the estranged relationship with his son. They haven’t spoken in some time, and the first news he’s received of him is about his arrest in Moscow.”

 A Good Day To Die Hard opens tomorrow, Feb. 13 in more than 200 screens nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.