Die Hard is one of the most influential action movies of modern times. The story of Hans Gruber leading an attempt to steal millions of dollars from Nakatomi Plaza proved to be a hit. It launched Bruce Willis’ career as a butch hero rather than just a comedy actor and set the stage for an entire franchise that includes multiple sequels, books, and video games. The movie also introduced the world to Alan Rickman and his ability to portray evil villains on-screen perfectly.
Even though it is such a well-known film, there are still plenty of things that avid fans will not be aware of. That doesn’t even include the argument about whether Die Hard is classed as a Christmas movie or not. In fact, the production story of Die Hard is one of the most interesting of any film from the 1980s.
15 Frank Sinatra Had To Be Offered The Role First
Thanks to the fact that Die Hard is actually based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever, the filmmakers had to offer the part to Frank Sinatra. He had played the title role in the 1968 film The Detective, which was actually the novel which preceded Nothing Lasts Forever. The studio was contractually obliged to approach the crooner before anyone else.
14 A Stuntman Lost His Grip During A Dangerous Stunt
During one scene, Bruce Willis’ character McClane falls down an elevator shaft after slipping and then quickly catches himself by regaining his grip. This was not in the script. However, it was included when a stunt man accidentally fell during filming. The director liked the image so much he added it into the movie.
13 Die Hard Was Alan Rickman’s Film Debut
Before appearing in Die Hard, Alan Rickman had not appeared in any movie. The action film marked his cinematic debut and he was cast after Joel Silver and John McTiernan saw him in a play as a villain and felt he was perfect for the role.
12 Nakatomi Tower Was A Real Office Building
Nakatomi Tower, the location where most of the action in Die Hard takes place, was actually a real office building. It was actually under construction at the time and was due to be a new home for Fox under the name of Fox Plaza. Lots of negotiations went on between Fox executives and the filmmakers over what they could and could not do with the building.
11 The View Of LA Was A Sophisticated Special Effect
Those watching Die Hard probably did not realize that the view of LA from the tower was not actually real. Instead, the filmmakers used a sophisticated special effect to make it appear as if you could really see the city out of the windows. This involved a large almost 400-foot long painting that had animated lights fixed to it.
10 The Crew Had To Be Quiet During Filming To Not Disturb Office Workers
Because Nakatomi Tower was a real building that was set to be an HQ for Fox, it actually had some people working in it during filming. This meant that the cast and crew had to be careful about how much noise they made during certain hours so as to not disturb the office workers.
9 A Whole Host Of Actors Turned Down The Main Role
After a 73-year-old Frank Sinatra thankfully turned down the role as the hero, the producers approached a number of action stars. These included the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, and Richard Gere. All of them ultimately turned down the role.
8 The Guns Used Were So Loud Bruce Willis Suffered Hearing Loss
John McTiernan wanted the guns to sound and look as realistic as possible in Die Hard. As such, he used very loud blank rounds during filming. This had a negative impact on Bruce Willis, who has said that he suffered some permanent hearing loss from the exposure to the loud bangs.
7 Alan Rickman Was Genuinely Scared Falling From The Tower
At the climax of the movie, Gruber dies after falling from the tower. To film this scene, the crew actually harnessed Alan Rickman and dropped him 40 feet. The look of terror on his face is real, as they dropped him at the count of two rather than three as promised.
6 Director John McTiernan Was Willing To Ignore Gaffes
There are a few notable gaffes and mistakes in Die Hard that fans have noticed over the years. The biggest is probably the ambulance set to be used by the baddies to escape seemingly appearing out of nowhere. However, director John McTiernan was not particularly bothered about them and as long as they didn’t affect the plot was willing to ignore them.
5 The Famous Catchphrase Was An Attempt By Willis To Make The Crew Laugh
Perhaps the most famous line from the Die Hard franchise is “yippee ki yay.” Bruce Willis’ character John McClane shouts it at important plot points when he is about to do something brave or important. According to the actor, the line was not in the script and he just said it to try and make the crew on set laugh.
4 Executives Did Not Like The Idea Of Bruce Willis Starring In An Action Film
Before starring in Die Hard, Bruce Willis was almost exclusively known for his work in comedy films such as Moonlighting. Therefore, studio executives at Fox were uneasy about having him cast as an action hero. They went so far as to feature him as little as possible in marketing material for the movie.
3 Bruce Willis Was Paid A Big Salary For The Time
Bruce Willis was paid $5 million for his role in Die Hard. This was a huge amount for the time, especially for a film with a budget of just $28 million. This type of salary was usually reserved for the biggest stars and Willis was not a headline-grabbing actor at the time as he was known just for his comedy roles.
2 The Scene With Gruber Posing As A Hostage Was Almost Dropped Because Of Rickman’s Poor American Accent
While Alan Rickman showed that he had a great ability to alter his voice and assume different accents, director John McTiernan really did not like his American accent. He felt that it came off as too English and almost cut the scene where Gruber pretends to be a hostage because of it.
1 The Script Changed Almost Every Day Of Filming
The script was constantly changing as the film was shot. While it is common for some changes to be made to a story during filming, John McTiernan revealed in the Netflix documentary movie The Movies That Made Us that Die Hard went through constant script changes. Scenes and dialogue were also improvised and included.