“You’ll wear what you are told”: Harry Potter Star Alan Rickman Was Told to “Get the Hell Out” Of Bruce Willis’ ‘Die-Hard’ Set

Alan Rickman has given some iconic performances in the acting industry which captivated fans’ hearts even now. From honing his craft in the theatres, he implied it in the film industry which absolutely skyrocketed his career. However, this success didn’t come overnight as he had to work a lot to get through the top spot.

Also Read: Harry Potter Star Alan Rickman Initially Refused to Work With Bruce Willis in Die Hard for a Surprising Reason Only to Become Hollywood’s Most Iconic Villain Later

His first film role happened to be Hans Gruber alongside Bruce Willis’s John McClane in the 1988 film, Die Hard. However, this role had quite memories attached to him with one incident involving a producer getting furious due to his actions.

Alan Rickman’s Opinion Troubled Him in Die Hard

Also Read: Real Reason Alan Rickman Almost Lost Hans Gruber Role in Bruce Willis’ $141M Die Hard: “I hadn’t even shot a scene!”

The late actor, Alan Rickman is widely recognized for his theatrical craft which helped him in getting established as one of the iconic stars in Hollywood. When he was approached to perform the antagonist role in Bruce Willis’s Die Hard, he had no previous film experience but it did not affect his ability to express his thoughts.

After reading the script, he felt that his character would be highlighted more if he wear a suit which will not only bring more contrast to Gruber but will easily differentiate him from his henchmen. Along with that, he also suggested including a scene where the latter’s character, John McClane found Gruber pretending to be a hostage.

Writing his thoughts, he left a note on the film producer, Joel Silver’s desk. But the producer went furious over it. He recalled,

“I got Joel saying, ‘Get the hell out of here, you’ll wear what you’re told.’”

However, his opinion didn’t go futile. He continued,

“But when I came back, I was handed a new script. It showed that it pays to have a little bit of theatre training.”

With his skills, he shared that he enjoyed the “risk factor” which is quite prevalent in his profession. Not just that, but fans might be surprised to know that he was skeptical about working with Willis in the first place.

Alan Rickman Initially Rejected The Die-Hard Role

Also Read: “Stupider films have been made”: Harry Potter Star Alan Rickman Proud of ‘Die Hard’ Despite Massive Plot Holes

Rickman was accustomed to performing at theatres. He was surprised when he got offered his first film role alongside Willis. It happened just two days after he arrived in Los Angeles. However, he was not much happy when the opportunity landed by itself. Especially to work as the antagonist in an action film, it was not something he planned.

“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.”

On reading the script, he stated,

“What the hell is this? I’m not doing an action movie!”

It didn’t take him long to change his mind since he saw the other details which were beautifully portrayed in the film, thus winning his heart to give it a go.

Die Hard is available on Starz in the United States.

Source: Guardian