It is a very special day for Bruce Willis and his career, and his wife Emma Heming Willis is making sure he feels special.
Unbelievably, July 16 marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the first Die Hard movie, an unforgettable role that established Bruce as a true action star and household name.
In honor of the anniversary, his wife looked back fondly on when she and the actor took their daughters Mabel Ray, 11, and Evelyn Penn, eight, to the Fox lot in Los Angeles to go through the Die Hard archives.
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Over the weekend, Emma took to Instagram to share a bittersweet video montage from the nostalgic visit in 2018, where the Willis family got to see an epic mural of Bruce on the Fox lot, which was commissioned in honor of the film's 25th anniversary back in 2013.
The video includes adorable shots of Bruce posing by his mural, his daughters going through old film rolls of his time as the iconic John McClane, his character's police badge, and a very sweet family portrait by the impressive mural.
"Back in 2018 (when these videos and pictures were taken) we took Mabel and Evelyn to the Fox lot to peek at the archives as well as see the larger-than-life mural of their dad," Emma first wrote in her caption.
She continued: "This mural was unveiled in front of Bruce back in 2013 to commemorate Die Hard's 25th anniversary.
"Today marks Die Hard's 35th anniversary when it hit the screens," she went on, fittingly adding: "And the rest is history."
© GettyShe aptly said: "What Bruce has been able to accomplish in his career will never be lost on us," before concluding: "We are so proud of him."
Emma's step-daughter Tallullah, who Bruce shares with ex-wife Demi Moore, wrote in the comment section under the post: "So so so proud. I love him so much. My papa icon," adding: "Happy 35th Johnny Boy, maybe you can come out to the coast, have a few laughs…"
© GettyFans of the Hollywood star followed suit with their own emotional comments and memories of Bruce, with one fan writing: "Don't worry, we all have amazing memories of the incredible Bruce Willis," as others added: "The amount of people who fell in love with your amazing husband, from the first frame of him on Moonlighting, is off the charts! I am proud to be one of those millions!" and: "In my opinion the best action star to ever do it!! Thank you Bruce!!" as well as: "Thank you Bruce for entertaining us for all these years! Wishing you the best!"
Bruce, born in 1955 in West Germany, made his screen debut on the television series Moonlighting, which ran from 1985 to 1989.
© GettyHe made his debut as the face of the Die Hard franchise in 1988, leaving a permanent mark on fans with his impressive stunts (which he largely did himself) and the now iconic phrase: "Yippee-ki-yay, [expletive]."
In 1990, he released Die Hard 2, followed by Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
