A softly-spoken Bruce Willis has humbly accepted the prestigious Commander of Arts and Literature award in Paris.

The 57-year-old was accompanied by his wife, actress Emma Hemming and praised the French capital and the country itself.

'I always feel at home in Paris and when I'm in France. I feel very comfortable here and I always look forward to coming back. It is an honour, a real honour to be here for the second time and to get this very high honour for the commanders. And I couldn't be more pleased,' he said.

French Culture Minister Aurelie Filipetti praised Willis' diverse performances which have resonated with French audience.

The modest star said the key to his work was perfecting the feminine power behind his tough guy characters.

'I like the idea that it would possibly be that I don't take myself very seriously, that the characters I play always try as hard as they can to think that they're in charge, but in truth women are in charge. Women should be in charge of everything,' he said.

Willis joins the likes of David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Michael Caine in his new role as Commander