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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Bruce Willis: 'This Is the Happiest Time In My Life'



Bruce Willis rejoins the NYPD in Cop Out, but he's not reprising his role as John McClane, the detective who made him an international star in the blockbuster Die Hard films. This time out, Willis is going for laughs with 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan as a cop trying to find a way to pay for his daughter's very expensive walk down the aisle.

Willis talks about how he connected with the character and why he isn't apologizing for how far he'll go to be funny.

Understanding a dad who just can't say no.
"The one thing I didn't have to do any research on is what I would do for one of my daughters if she wanted something badly. That part came pretty easy. In real life, my daughters really rule my emotions, and I would do anything for them. I'm not worrying about their weddings yet. I have a little time. But when it happens it happens. Marriage is just one more rite of passage."



As for the second time around.
"I got re-married again last year to a really wonderful woman [Emma Hemming]. That makes me happy all the time. This is the happiest time in my life. It just really is. I've never been happier than I am right now."


Not your traditional cop movie.
"I'm sick of playing cops, that's why I wanted to do Cop Out that was just about funny cops. There's only so many times you can do a scene running down the road with two guns in your hand, screaming and take it seriously. You just start laughing in the middle of the take. This is a buddy comedy and that concept has been around since they've been making films. It's always about a couple of guys that stand between the good guys and the bad guys, but the story is really secondary to just trying to make you laugh."

Anything for a laugh.
"I thought, 'Wouldn't it be kind of goofy if I just fell down the stairs?' so I did. No stone was left unturned. We looked for every stupid thing that we could possibly do. We stole from the Three Stooges. We stole from Abbott and Costello, Art Carney and Jackie Gleason. There were very few rules except the scene can't go on too long and there had to be some surprises in there."


Hopefully, the real men in blue will appreciate the humor.
"I think cops need to laugh more than anybody else in the world. I can't think of another group of people who work at really hard jobs and who get shot at every night for their jobs, who couldn't use an opportunity to go out and have a good laugh."

It's not easy doing comedy.
"To be funny, I think you have to commit to the truth of whatever story you're telling. Even if it's the craziest story, you have to commit to it like it really happened, which sort of leads you into doing drama. Comedy is a very serious thing. It's the hardest thing in the world."

His tip on how to be the life of the party.
"Everybody likes to laugh. It makes you feel good and it makes you healthier. I can teach you, if you never told a joke before, how to get a laugh with that joke. Spit water out of your mouth while you are telling it. That is guaranteed to get a laugh. If you think I'm kidding, just try it."

Still trying to host SNL.
"If I ever have the time, I'll do it. They were trying to get me down there to hook up and do it with Tracy, but we were both away and I've been shooting this film up in Toronto, so it didn't work out. I would love to do it though."

Assessing his career.
"I think the longer you stay working in this industry, everybody finds their own little niche and you can build your own little kingdom, your own little world. You get to do certain kind of films and occasionally something different. Some people never make the cut, some people fall off."


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