M. Night Shyamalan Fondly Remembers Working With Bruce Willis on THE SIXTH SENSE

One of the greatest dramatic thrillers ever made was M. Night Shyamalan’s 1999 film, The Sixth Sense. It had a great story, great acting, and a surprise twist ending that had moviegoers shocked. This was one of Shyamalan’s first films that he wrote and directed, and it still stands as his highest grossing and most popular film in his career.

Part of the magic of the movie was the incredible performances from the stars of the film, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, and Bruce Willis. Looking back at his experience working with Willis, in the wake of the actor’s recent diagnosis and retirement, Shyamalan chatted with ReelBlend co-host Jake Hamilton about working with Willis on the film, saying:

“He is this blue collar hero that I grew up with, and not just for me but for Quentin [Tarantino] and Wes [Anderson], and you name it, Fifth Element. Every time, he took risks and just jumped in, and when he believed in you, he was just behind you, and would be the muscle behind you to go ‘Hey, go for it.’ On Sixth Sense on the first Friday, they said ‘Bruce Willis wants to talk to you in his trailer,’ I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I was twenty-whatever and I was like ‘Oh no. He’s gonna yell at me.’ I went over to the [trailer]… he was like ‘I’ve only felt this one other time, what you made me feel, [which was] with Pulp Fiction and Quentin.’ …It was tough to get on his good side, but once you did, he was your big brother and just fought for you in any circumstance.”

That’s so cool! It’s pretty funny that Willis got to work on the films that really launched these two young director’s careers, and that he recognized that they were doing something so big and game-changing. I still look back on The Sixth Sense with fondness. It was such a great movie, and I am glad Willis is the actor who was able to star in it and give us such a fantastic performance.