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Bruce Willis started his acting career with the comedy-dramaMoonlightingand later went on to portray similar roles during the initial years of his career. So starring in theDie Hardfranchise was an unexpected change for him, which would later establish him as one of the best action stars in Hollywood. The 1988 movie starring him as the detective John McClane was a hit and is still considered one of the great action features of all time.
It was soon developed into a franchise with Willis reprising his role in four moreDie Hardmovies. And despite being new to the genre, he performed his own stunts. The actor later opened up about one of the action sequences of the 1988 film, which concerned the whole crew for the lead star.
Read More:“This is so sad. This breaks my heart”: Bruce Willis Struggling To Form A Sentence In A Resurfaced Interview Upsets His Die-Hard Fans
Bruce Willis’ Stunt That Almost Went Wrong
Bruce Williswas still making his way into Hollywood when he was cast as the lead in the 1988 action thrillerDie Hard.The movie is known for revolutionizing the action genre, as its lead star was the contrary image of the muscle-bound and invincible characters that were quite popular at the time.
Willis, who was known for his comedic roles at the time, was offered the part after some of the top action stars turned it down.The Expendablesstar was told to film a stunt scene on the first day of filming. He was taken to the top floor of a parking garage for his first stunt scene, which required him to jump off the five-story building on an inflatable airbag.
However, as he landed on the airbag, plastic bags of gasoline exploded, leading him to the edge. Willis recalled seeing everyone rushing toward him and expecting to be praised by everyone for his first stunt. However, that was not the case.
“And what they were doing is seeing if I’m alive because I almost missed the bag,”he shared. The 68-year-old actor also shared that he was alright and rolled off the airbag. John McTiernan, the film’s director has shared that they cautiously did every stunt and did not do any dangerous stunt with the actor.
Read More:An Angry Bruce Willis Fired His Entire Team After Losing $233 Million Movie That Won 9 Oscars
Bruce Willis Was Advised to LeaveDie Hard
Considering his resume before starring in the action thriller franchise, Bruce Willis was not the makers’ first choice for the role of John McClane. However, after failing to land leading action stars at the time, the offer for the 1988 film eventually went to theMoonlightingactor.
However, he also declined the offer initially due to his ongoing TV seriesMoonlighting. And it seems like the odds were in his favor, as the production of the comedy-drama halted after his co-star Cybill Shepherd got pregnant.Moonlighting’sproduction was stopped for eleven weeks, allowing him to accept the offer forDie Hard.
However, he was still told thatDie Hardwas not a movie for an actor like him.“That’s a Schwarzenegger movie,” theMoonlightingcreator, Glenn Gordon Caron, told him. Caron also told Willis that people would be laughing at him in the movie. Unlike his predictions and expectations, the 1988 movie was received very well by the audience.
The 1988Die Hardis available on Prime Video.
Read More:“I know guys who are afraid”: Bruce Willis Had to Swallow His Pride by Accepting Clint Eastwood’s Rejected Movie That Kickstarted His Career
Source:Fox News
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3449
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
