Whether you are familiar with him as the antagonist from Die Hard, Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series, or the wannabe Alexander Dane from Galaxy Quest, Alan Rickman was a likable guy.
The late actor-director dominated villainous roles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With Die Hard, he essentially invented the Eurotrash villain archetype. Even the good guys were jealous of his witty delivery and stylish appearance. And let us face it, the guy always had a killer look.
But did you know that Charles Dance once criticized him for turning down the part in the 1993 action-comedy, Last Action Hero? Why such hatred, Dance?
For those who do not know, Alan Rickman and Charles Dance were both very reputable actors in the movie business. Before the Last Action Hero movie, they had collaborated (Michael Collins), and always maintained a friendly and professional working relationship.
However, things took a turn for the worse when Dance was chosen to play the villain in the 1993 action comedy. What was the reason?
Charles Dance Arrived At Work In An ‘I’m Cheaper Than Alan Rickman’ T-Shirt
Stereotypes were the lifeblood of the Last Action Hero movie universe, so it was inevitable that a bearded, well-spoken British guy would be the main antagonist of the narrative. Alan Rickman, who starred in John McTiernan’s Die Hard, was the obvious choice to play the villainous Benedict. But the actor was wary of being typecast and demanded more money than Columbia was willing to pay.
Charles Dance, who eventually won the part, reportedly arrived on set on his first day wearing a T-shirt that read:
“I am Cheaper Than Alan Rickman.”
The 76-year-old actor, according to reports, wasn’t pleased when he learned that the late legendary actor had turned down the role because of the pay. Thus, Dance eventually bagged the role because of demanding less pay than the Galaxy Quest actor.
While it is impossible to know for sure what was going through his mind, it is possible that he was anxious about the reason and wanted to stand out from the competition by showcasing his superior acting skills.
Another possibility could be that he was trying to draw attention to the movie by igniting a debate and getting people to talk about it.
Nevertheless, his iconic performance as Tywin Lannister on the acclaimed series, Game of Thrones absolutely makes up for all that.
Also Read: Alan Rickman Hated How This Harry Potter Character Was Unceremoniously Killed in $934M Movie
Arnold Schwarzenegger On The Failure Of Last Action Hero
With the release of the three-part docuseries titled Arnold, veteran Hollywood star, Arnold Schwarzenegger is once again in the spotlight. The actor-turned-politician is seen talking extensively in the Netflix series about both his acting career and his tumultuous personal life, which garnered headlines for a very long time.
However, his confession about his 1993 movie Last Action Hero, which was a colossal failure at the box office, caught the attention of moviegoers.
In the Netflix documentary series, the actor-turned-governor discussed the failure of Last Action Hero and admitted that he handled it very poorly. He further claimed that the movie’s poor box office performance hurt him so much that he avoided people for more than a week.
“I cannot tell you how upset I was. It hurts you, It hurts your feelings… It was embarrassing… I didn’t want to see anyone for a week. But you keep plodding along. And my mother-in-law always said this: ‘Let’s just move forward’. It was a great message.”
He further recalled:
“When Last Action Hero came out, I had reached my peak after Terminator 2. Having the most successful movie of the year worldwide.”
Last Action Hero was a hard-charging flop that has gained some cult appeal because of its audacity in putting all of its comedic potential on-screen.
Watch this action fantasy comedy 1993 film, Last Action Hero on Netflix.
Also Read: How She-Hulk Star Tim Roth Almost Stole Severus Snape Role from Harry Potter’s Alan Rickman
Source- Netflix
