9 Actors Who Haven't Topped Their Breakout Performance

2. Bruce Willis As John McClane - Die Hard

Sticking with Die Hard (and yet another late-bloomer), and this time Bruce Willis' breakthrough performance as John McClane. Best known at the time for his work on TV series Moonlighting, Willis wasn't the most obvious choice for an action-hero, but in hindsight it's an inspired, ultimately iconic bit of casting.

Fusing his every-man chops with his natural toughness, Willis crafted perhaps the greatest action-hero of all time, his original incarnation of McClane untarnished by the actor's seemingly endless attempt to bastardise the character through countless inferior sequels - Die Hard: With A Vengeance being the exception.

Willis is always a watchable, charismatic presence, and he's underrated as a serious actor, too. Some of his other good work can be seen (most obviously) in Pulp Fiction, and too in the likes of Sin City, Looper, and Moonrise Kingdom. But nothing can ever top his original stint as John McClane, and he'll doubtless never get to utter any line as immortal as "Yippie Ki-Yay, mother f*cker€ again.