Why Clint Eastwood Turned Down Starring Role In Die Hard
The screenwriter of Die Hard reveals why legendary actor Clint Eastwood turned down the lead role of John McClane in the iconic action film. Directed by acclaimed American filmmaker John McTiernan (Predator, Last Action Hero) and based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, the story of the 1988 action film revolves around New York City police detective, John McClane, as he finds himself caught up in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife for Christmas.
The film saw Bruce Willis take on the role of McClane, and he was joined by a supporting cast that included Reginald VelJohnson, Bonnie Bedelia, Alexander Godunov, and the late Harry Potter actor, Alan Rickman, who played the antagonist and head of the terrorist group, Hans Gruber. Die Hard is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential action movies ever made and has also been named one of the best Christmas films by many. The film's success has spawned four further sequels in the form of 1990's Die Hard 2, 1995's Die Hard with a Vengeance, 2007's Live Free or Die Hard, and 2013's A Good Day To Die Hard. While Die Hard saw Willis catapulted to movie star and action hero status, there were myriad other actors who were offered the part of McClane but turned it down, one of which was Eastwood.
Related: The Actor Who Almost Replaced Clint Eastwood In The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Now, in a recent interview with SlashFilm, Die Hard screenwriter Jeb Stuart revealed the reason why Eastwood turned down the role of McClane. Stuart stated that while the actor was the first choice for the part, he decided to pass on the offer as he "didn't get the humor." This came as "a shock" to the writer, as Eastwood
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