‘Pulp Fiction’ co-star Rosanna Arquette recalls Bruce Willis’ 'charisma' while bartending before fame

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Rosanna Arquette, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in ‘The Whole Nine Yards’ (2000) and ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994), is sharing her memories of co-star Bruce Willis with great fondness.

She describes Willis as a “sweet, good guy,” painting a picture of the "gentleman" who was charming even before his rise to stardom.

Rosanna Arquette remembers Bruce Willis from his bartending days

Arquette’s memories of Willis date back to his days as a bartender at Cafe Central, a popular hangout spot in New York City.

“I remember him better as being the bartender where everybody would go, to this cafe called Cafe Central, and it was the hang,” Arquette reminisced as per People.

This was a time when Willis was not yet a household name, but a charming bartender who served drinks to everyone from Robert De Niro to Martin Scorsese.

"He had that charm and he had the charisma,"  Arquette, 64, fondly recalled, when she was asked how Wills was during his bartending days in the '80s.

Rosanna Arquette recalls Bruce Willis' fortunate turn of events towards a career in Hollywood

Willis’ life took a dramatic turn when he landed a role in the television series ‘Moonlighting’.

“Then he got Moonlighting, and then that was it. He was a star,” Arquette said, marking this as the turning point in his career.

From serving drinks to acting alongside Hollywood’s biggest names, Willis’ journey was nothing short of extraordinary. Willis, 69, retired from acting in 2022 due to aphasia. He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.

‘Pulp Fiction’: Quentin Tarantino’s timeless classic

Nearly a decade after Willis’ breakthrough role in ‘Moonlighting’, he and Arquette would share the screen in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’.

In the film, Arquette played Jody, the wife of drug dealer Lance, played by Eric Stoltz, while Willis portrayed Butch Coolidge, a boxer who double-crosses gangster Marsellus Wallace, portrayed by Ving Rhames.

The film also starred big-name actors like Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Tim Roth, and Amanda Plummer.

Arquette reflects on the production of ‘Pulp Fiction’, saying, “At the time [of production], we’re just in there, we’re rehearsing, we’re working with a great director, but didn’t realize how huge it would become. Which it really did.”