Bruce Willis Parodied His Wine Cooler Ads and "Bruno" Era in This SNL Sketch
The Die Hard star kept a great sense of humor about his red-hot career (and his Seagram's commercials) in his first of two hosting gigs.
When Bruce Willis hosted Saturday Night Live for his first time on September 30, 1989, he'd officially become the A-list celebrity we know him as today. It was a year after the Moonlighting TV heartthrob got a massive level-up with a starring role in Die Hard — but it had been two years since Willis had also publicly launched a music career, and sang in a national ad campaign.
In addition to releasing an album, The Life of Bruno, the actor starred in earnestly blues-y commercials for Seagram's wine coolers, which found The Sixth Sense actor singing into a bottle next to a guy jamming on a harmonica. And on his SNL debut, Willis proved an excellent sport in fully committing to SNL's take on his singin' side.
"Bruce Willis: The Man & His Music," a voiceover says at the top of the song compilation parody, as Willis leans against a New York City fire escape in a black T-shirt and jeans. He launches right into the hits — the "hits" being the aforementioned jingle, "Seagram's Wine Cooler Blues," and variations on the catchy tune.
Variations such as "Allstate Auto Insurance Blues," and "Depends Adult Undergarment Blues" (both sung to the Seagram's melody, because why mess with perfection?).
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"These are the songs that paid for Bruce Willis's house," the announcer says, adding they also financed his car, his mother's car, Demi's car, the boat, and "the baby," aka the couple's first daughter Rumer Willis.
"Exxxx-on Oil Company / We're cleaning it up, as fast as we ca-an!" Willis belts. These songs can be yours now if you call 1-800-MY-MY-MY-MY.
Watch "The Man & His Music" from Bruce Willis's 1989 SNL episode below, and watch Saturday Night Live Saturdays at 11:30/10:30c on NBC and Peacock.
Bruce Willis released an album under the alter ego Bruno Radolini
Album jokes aside, Willis did have a bona fide music career in the 1980s, even scoring a No. 5 Billboard hit with his cover of the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself."
The name "Bruno" might bring to mind a certain Disney song — but not if you're familiar with Bruce Willis's many creative adventures (and if you aren't, the Haileywood podcast is an excellent listen). In 1987, Willis released his debut studio album The Return of Bruno, in which his alter-ego, Bruno Radolini, performed soulful tracks alongside heavy hitters like Booker T. Jones and the Temptations.
It was an era inspired by Willis's nights as a New York City bartender. As writer Glen Kenny remembered in The Decider, he firsthand-witnessed Willis as "Bruno, the bartender bouncing around Manhattan mixing drinks and collecting tips…and, at after-hours parties with other striving performers, blowing a mean harp, and belting out an impressive repertoire of R&B tunes."
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Willis, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, released a second studio album, If It Don't Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger in 1989. And while Willis told GQ in 2013 that he'd chosen to be sober for many years before deciding to drink wine "mostly when I eat," his passion for performing endured. Willis continued to perform music on stage with his band, The Accelerators, for two decades.
