Alan Rickman was famously known as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, but did you know he also starred alongside Bruce Willis in 1988’s Die Hard? The British stage actor’s career span many decades, appearing both in theater and the small screen. His first major Hollywood role was the villain Hans Gruber.
Rickman was hesitant to dive into the franchise, but little did he know his presence would bring elevation to the otherwise by-the-book action film. His character perfectly complemented Willis’ John McClane, and despite his influential role, the Harry Potter star nearly turned down the offer.
Alan Rickman Was Initially Revolted With The Idea Of Starring In Bruce Willis’ Action Film
Speaking at a BAFTA event via Daily Express, Love Actually star Alan Rickman looked back on the early days of his movie career and recalled how clueless he was after working in theater for so many years:
“I didn’t know anything about LA. I didn’t know anything about the film business. I’d never made a film before but I was extremely cheap.”
Rickman shared that he was not thrilled when his agent handed him the script of Die Hard. Upon reading it, he recalled feeling repulsed:
“What the hell is this? I’m not doing an action movie.”
After much deliberation, the Sweeney Tood actor was convinced to take on the role of Hans Gruber. He saw the humor in the movie and noticed that the black characters were assigned significant roles, something that elevated Rickman’s opinion of the project:
“Every single black character in that film is positive and highly intelligent. So, 28 years ago, that’s quite revolutionary, and quietly so.”
Despite being a rookie in the industry, Rickman was vocal about his suggestions and expressed his opinion on what he wanted for his character. He left a note to film producer Joel Silver saying Gruber would look more compelling in a suit than an army wear. This did not please the movie boss:
“I got Joel saying, ‘Get the hell out of here, you’ll wear what you’re told.’ But when I came back, I was handed a new script. It showed that it pays to have a little bit of theatre training.”
Die Hard received several Academy Awards nominations, including Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.
Alan Rickman’s Theater Training Prepared Him For The Worst
Alan Rickman’s stage education gave him so much confidence and faith in his abilities. Even though the transition from theater to the big screen was a huge leap, it did not bother him a little:
“I like feeling a bit unsafe, and theatre, of course, is deadly. The good thing about starting late in this career is you go: ‘Well, what’s the worst that could happen?’”
Indeed, the Dogma actor stood out even more than Bruce Willis because of his ingenious suggestion to change Gruber’s look. The movie earned over $141 million worldwide against a production budget worth $25 million.
Die Hard is available to watch on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Disney+.
Source: Daily Express
