Die Hard: Why Frank Sinatra Was Offered John McClane Before Bruce Willis
People have long debated whether or not "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie, but there's no arguing how impactful this 1988 film was on the action movie genre. The movie that inspired films like "Under Siege" and "Speed" also transformed Bruce Willis from a television actor into a movie star, and made Alan Rickman a household name. Without question, the success of "Die Hard" is largely due to its cast — which, in another universe, could have included Frank Sinatra.
"Die Hard" is based on Roderick Thorp's 1978 novel, "Nothing Lasts Forever," which is a sequel to his 1966 book "The Detective." Frank Sinatra starred in the film adaptation of "The Detective," which was released in 1968, and when producers were casting "Die Hard" two decades later, they were contractually obligated to offer Sinatra the role of John McClane even though at the time, Sinatra was 73 years old.
Sinatra, whose character in "The Detective" is named Joe Leland, wisely turned down the part, which was probably best for his physical health, even if it did deny audiences the opportunity to see The Sultan of Swoon try to take down Hans Gruber (Rickman) by crooning "Fly Me to the Moon." Once Sinatra passed on the role, producers were left to find the best actor to play the part of the New York City police lieutenant with a failing marriage and distrust of authority. But as it turns out, casting the right person to portray John McClane was more of a struggle than production anticipated.
A slew of famous actors and action stars passed on the part of John McClane.
Over 35 years after the film's release, it's easy to see "Die Hard" as a success story: The movie, which opened in a mere 21 theaters on July 15, 1988, was budgeted at $28 million and brought in $141 million. But before production started, actors weren't sold on the project's potential. "Die Hard" screenwriter Steven E. de Souza told the Daily Beast that several leading men rejected the role. "You had all these 'Rambo' movies," he explained. "We've had 'Commando,' 'Predator,' and in the wake of all of these, the hero, they said, was like a p****. The reaction? 'This guy's no hero.'"
The list of stars who passed on the part included Arnold Schwarzenegger (who was trying to get into comedy via the movie "Twins"), Richard Gere, Burt Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte, Don Johnson, Mel Gibson, Richard Dean Anderson, and James Caan. Meanwhile, Willis was interested in playing John McClane — as eager as Schwarzenegger was to try out comedy, the "Moonlighting" star was desperate to prove himself as more than just a TV actor. But he was contractually obligated to said series until his co-star Cybill Shepherd got pregnant. Willis told Entertainment Weekly, "They shut down the show for 11 weeks –- just the right amount of time for me to run around over at Nakatomi tower."
Not only did Willis snag the starring role, he got the paycheck to go along with it. Willis was paid $5 million to shoot the film, making him one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time.