Trivia

Dated his wife for the first time when they were both 15 (around 1971). Bruce has been married since 1985 and has known his wife since the early 1970s.

When Bruce was a child, he rarely watched television since it was rationed, and he saved up his half-hours to view ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961) on weekends. Bruce dislikes scary films and -- as a child -- was even frightened by the monkeys in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Graduated from high school in Zurich, Switzerland, where his family lived for 13 months while his father did research. Afterwards, Bruce lived on his own, exploring the European ski circuit. He planned on becoming a professional skier until he injured his knee when he was 16. This has resulted in a total of six operations on his right knee, the last one early in 1997. Bruce always wears a brace on his right knee for skiing and other sports. He participated in celebrity ski tournaments during his two seasons with St. Elsewhere (1982).

Played President John F. Kennedy in Thirteen Days (2000), and unnamed fictional Presidents in National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).

Is an avid musician and relaxes by singing and playing his electric guitar.

Loves to pepper his speech with sound effects and foreign accents.

Is an avid outdoorsman who skis, skydives, sails and hikes.

Bruce attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City (AADA) for a full year (1980-81) He resided on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village and used a skateboard as transportation.

Stopped smoking after the pilot of Nowhere Man (1995).

First became interested in acting when he saw Brad Dourif's performance as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). He debuted as an actor swinging across stage à la Tarzan in a theater production at UBC. Bruce began his professional acting career in the theatre in Vancouver and didn't decide to act for sure until after his first professional play.

Lost a front tooth in a tussle some years ago and cheerfully removed this for his role in The Sweet Hereafter (1997).

Began making talking books, which employs his penchant for dialects. (1996)

Had his first big screen role in the pilot of the HBO series Deadly Nightmares (1983). He came to Los Angeles to dub dialog in Deadly Nightmares (1983), where he "conditionally" acquired his first agent and got the lead in Legmen (1984) -- all within a week. He auditioned for the lead in Falconer (1984) but was dubbed too youthful looking for the role.

Originally had 12 lines in the Sylvester Stallone film First Blood (1982), and even though his speaking role was cut to a walk-on, he still got listed in the credits.

Owns the tuxedo he wore in Treacherous Beauties (1994).

Born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, because his Vancouver-born father was working on a mining project there at the time. Bruce spent the first three years of his life in Princeton, New Jersey, where his father got his graduate degrees, the next three years in Washingon, D.C. and Maryland, and the three after that back in Princeton.

Broke his ankle filming The Climb (1986) while on location in the mountains of Pakistan. (1985)

Broke his leg during a dance routine in the touring company of "Cruel Tears". He damaged the same leg in a motorcycle accident three days after the cast came off, a little stunt that left him on crutches for eight more months.

Initially, Bruce refused his breakthrough role in St. Elsewhere (1982) because he was filming the movie Another Chance (1988) but managed to work on both jobs simultaneously for several weeks.

As of 2018, has appeared in two films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Capote (2005) and The Post (2017).

Parents are Mary Sylvia (Ledingham), a nurse, and Hugh John Greenwood, a geophysicist, geologist, and professor, who taught at Princeton University. His paternal great-grandfather was Ralph Allan Sampson, a prominent Cork-born astronomer who was the Astronomer Royal for Scotland.

Filmed a public service message for Northwest Medical Teams on the plight of Romanian orphans while on Nowhere Man (1995).

Was supplementing his theatrical career with a job in a chemical factory when he unexpectedly got the role in his first movie, Bear Island (1979).

Had the nickname "Greendog" while growing up.

Was raised mostly in Vancouver, where his family moved when he was 11. Bruce went to Magee secondary school in the Kerrisdale area of Vancouver. He attended the University of British Columbia for three years where his father was Head of the Geology Department and his mother was a nurse in the extended care unit. Bruce never lived in one place longer than four years. He studied philosophy and economics at UBC and only took his first drama class for an easy credit.

Once worked as a diamond driller in the Northwest Territories to earn money to study at the London Central School of Speech and Learning. He left college one year short of graduation to visit Greece and work on a sailboat -- still his favorite job, ever. He bought a motorcycle the year after that to cruise the United States.

Auditioned for the roles of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on Chicago Hope (1994) and Mike Ryan on Almost Perfect (1995).

Has played a life-sized puppet in best friend Norman Foote's earliest shows for children.

Was working on a drilling crew in Northern Alberta when a director called with a role in the musical "Cruel Tears".

Won a Gemini for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role for his performance of Caleb Stokes in Road to Avonlea (1990) (1995). Bruce was also nominated for a Gemini for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance of Dr. Willem Hooft in The Little Kidnappers (1990) (1990).

Auditioned for an important role in the horror sequel Psycho II (1983). (1982)

Bruce was in grade school in Bethesda, Maryland during the Cuban Missile Crisis and remembers the preparations for possible war vividly.

During his year with Nowhere Man (1995), Bruce became an enthusiastic golfer and occassionally participates in celebrity tournaments.

Resided in a two-bedroom apartment in Laurel Canyon after moving to Los Angeles and drove a 1972 Toyota pick-up truck. Bruce did not own an operable television set for many years after his move to Los Angeles.

Has two younger sisters: Kelly (a nurse) and Lynn (a mother and an activist).

Had a year-long contract with Warner Brothers to do television pilots. (1984)

Alumnus of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1981.