The Late Show with Stephen Colbert went above and beyond with their late night antics Friday when Bruce Willis guest starred on the show to promote the Broadway Production of Stephen King's Misery, in which Willis the play's leading role of Paul Sheldon. During the interview, Colbert strikes a chord with Willis when he all but calls Bruce a liar. Colbert then proceeds to kick Willis' butt all across the stage.
For those of you unfamiliar with Misery, the story is about Paul Sheldon, a famous novelist, who is rescued by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes. When Annie discovers his wrecked car in the middle of a snow storm, she does the only logical thing and takes Paul to her home to recuperate. After all, she is a nurse, psychotic though she may be.
It turns out that Wilkes is really more of an obsessive fanatic than your everyday run of the mill fan and she is extremely upset with the author for killing off her favorite character in his famed book series. At first, Sheldon is just grateful to be alive, but it isn't long before Wilkes makes her true motives known and tortures poor Sheldon until he agrees to write another book that will bring her favorite character back to life.
All of this to explain, why Bruce Willis has been, "lying down on the job," which is the reason Colbert gives for doubting Willis when the 60-year-old actor says he still does his own stunts. "With all due respect, I find that hard to believe that a man who spends most of his time lying down on the job these days actually does his own stunts," said Colbert according to Playbill.
What ensues on The Late Show is a well choreographed melee that Entertainment Weekly describes as, "an extended bit that featured two stuntmen dressed as Willis and Colbert beating each other up - with cutaways to Willis and Colbert for quippy one-liners and reactions."
Deadline provides a couple of the over the top one liners which include, "Yippee ki-yay, William Faulkner!" from Bruce as he throws Stephen over the balcony railing and, "I'm gluten-free, you son of a bitch!" from Stephen after Bruce throws him into a pastry table.
To be honest, it is little difficult to tell who won the fight, but personally, I am going with Cobert kicks Willis' butt since the The Late Show stunt double gets in the last lick with what appears to be a pile drive at the very end, after aging actor Willis admits he doesn't really do his own stunts.
