DIE HARD Screenwriter Reveals the Reason Why Clint Eastwood Passed on the Role of John McClane

Die Hard is a classic movie with a dedicated fanbase that loves to quote and rewatch the film, sometimes especially around the holidays as the action flick has made its way into the “Christmas movie” category. But while Bruce Willis brought the lead character of John McClane to life, it turns out that it could have been a totally different movie with Clint Eastwood having been offered the part first.

In a recent interview with /Film, Die Hard screenwriter Jeb Stuart spoke about the film’s almost-star, and explained that Eastwood’s reasoning came down to the comedic aspects of the script, saying, "Ironically, his response to the producers was, 'I don't get the humor.'"

When Stuart was asked about the original conception of McClane and Hans Gruber versus how they appeared on screen, the screenwriter explained:

"They went to Clint Eastwood first. Ironically, his response to the producers was, 'I don't get the humor.' Which, for me, was a shock because if you listen to a lot of those words, Eastwood's one of the few people who could have delivered a line like 'Come to LA, have a great time.' All that kind of stuff. You could see him doing that. He was my inspiration."

As it turns out, Bruce Willis wasn’t the second choice to play the lead role either, or even close to it. According to Mental Floss, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro, Charles Bronson, Nick Nolte, Mel Gibson, Richard Gere, Don Johnson, Burt Reynolds, and Richard Dean Anderson were all offered the role, with each of them respectively declining.

It all turned out well, with Willis doing a fantastic job and launching his career into a whole new arena. But it’s funny thinking of Eastwood in the role, as it seems like he could have seamlessly slipped into the part and delivered the deadpan, dry humor so well. One other strange tidbit in the report says Eastwood's near-involvement in Die Hard is ironic due to the fact that the actor/director previously owned the film rights to Nothing Lasts Forever, the novel by Roderick Thorp on which Die Hard is based. In the early '80s, Eastwood had planned on producing and starring in this adaptation, a project that never did pan out.

Would you have liked to have seen Clint Eastwood star in Die Hard?