Die Hard redefined the action genre with its vulnerable hero and confined setting. It turned Bruce Willis into a global superstar overnight. Furthermore, it created one of the most memorable movie villains in cinema history. Consequently, this holiday classic remains a favorite for millions of fans. Explore these fascinating details about the battle at Nakatomi Plaza.
Die Hard
The studio legally had to offer the role to Frank Sinatra. Decades earlier, he starred in The Detective. Because Die Hard is a sequel to that book, they contractually had to ask him first.
Alan Rickman’s terrified face during his fall was completely real. Sneakily, the stunt coordinator dropped him on the count of two instead of three. Thus, his shock was genuine.
Bruce Willis lost hearing in one ear during filming. He fired a gun too close to his head while under a table. Unfortunately, the loud blank caused permanent damage.
The Nakatomi Plaza is actually the 20th Century Fox headquarters. Interestingly, the studio charged itself rent to use its own unfinished building. This saved them money on set construction.
The German terrorists did not speak real German. In the theatrical version, they spoke nonsense grammar that confused German audiences. Later, the studio dubbed their lines for the home release.
John McClane’s tank top is in a museum. Specifically, the Smithsonian Institute displays the dirty, bloody shirt. It represents a significant piece of American pop culture history.
Filmmakers added the “Bill Clay” scene for a specific reason. They realized Alan Rickman could do a perfect American accent. Therefore, they wrote a scene where he tricks McClane.
Bruce Willis filmed the movie while working a second job. He shot the TV show Moonlighting during the day. Then, he rushed to the movie set to film Die Hard at night.
Clint Eastwood originally owned the rights to the movie. He planned to star in it years earlier. However, he eventually dropped the project, which allowed Willis to take the part.
The glass scene used special candy glass. However, Willis also wore fake rubber feet. These prosthetic feet protected him while making it look like he was barefoot.
The famous “Yippee-ki-yay” line was a joke. Willis said it to make the crew laugh. Unexpectedly, the director loved it and kept it in the final cut.
Audience testing changed the ending. Originally, the terrorists escaped in an ambulance. However, audiences hated that the bad guys got away, so the writers changed the script.
The teddy bear appears in another famous movie. Director John McTiernan used the same bear in The Hunt for Red October. It sits on the shelf of Jack Ryan’s daughter.
Studio executives hid Bruce Willis’s face on the poster. At the time, they thought an action movie with a comedy TV star would flop. Later, they added his face after the film succeeded.
Finally, the script was based on a book called Nothing Lasts Forever. The novel features a much darker ending. In the book, the hero’s daughter dies when she falls from the building.
Marilyn Monroe remains the ultimate symbol of Hollywood glamour. You likely recognize her platinum hair and flying white dress instantly. However, the woman behind the smile was complex and incredibly intelligent. She fought for equal pay in a male-dominated industry and started her own company. Furthermore, she used her fame to break down racial barriers in music. Her life was a mix of dazzling lights and deep shadows. Let’s explore the life of Norma Jeane.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was actually a natural brunette. However, she bleached her hair to achieve that iconic platinum look. Consequently, she had to treat her hair constantly to maintain the bright color.
She owned a personal library containing over 400 books. Surprisingly, she loved reading complex authors like James Joyce and Dostoyevsky. Therefore, she was far more intellectual than her movie roles suggested.
She formed her own production company to fight powerful studios. Marilyn Monroe Productions allowed her to control her own career. Thus, she became one of the first women in Hollywood to manage her own business.
Joe DiMaggio sent fresh roses to her grave three times a week. He kept this promise for twenty years after she died. Sadly, he never remarried because he loved her until the end.
The dress she wore to sing for President Kennedy was incredibly tight. In fact, seamstresses had to sew the fabric directly onto her body. As a result, she wore absolutely nothing underneath the sparkling gown.
Her famous breathy voice was actually a tactic to stop stuttering. A speech therapist taught her to breathe rhythmically to control the speech impediment. Eventually, this coping mechanism became her signature sound.
Studios paid Marilyn Monroe much less than her co-stars. For example, Jane Russell earned ten times more for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Nevertheless, Marilyn remained the bigger star of the film.
She was an early adopter of yoga in the United States. She practiced poses to stay fit long before it became a trend. Furthermore, she openly discussed her fitness routine in interviews.
Truman Capote wanted her to play Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. He wrote the story with her specifically in mind. However, the studio cast Audrey Hepburn, which disappointed the author significantly.
She helped Ella Fitzgerald break racial barriers at a popular nightclub. Marilyn promised to sit in the front row every night if the owner booked Ella. Consequently, the press went wild, and Ella’s career skyrocketed.
Frank Sinatra gave her a maltese terrier named Mafia. She affectionately called the little dog “Maf” for short. It lived a life of luxury with her during her final years.+1
Medical records prove she underwent secret plastic surgery. A doctor inserted a cartilage implant into her chin early in her career. Additionally, she slightly altered the tip of her nose.+2
She mastered the art of makeup to reshape her face. She applied five different shades of red lipstick to create depth. Thus, her lips looked fuller without any injections.
The FBI kept a detailed file on Marilyn Monroe. They monitored her because of her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller. Officials worried about her potential ties to communism during the Cold War.
She found it impossible to memorize lines for her movies. Sometimes, it took her 60 takes to deliver a simple sentence. This habit frustrated her directors and co-stars immensely.
Sylvester Stallone defines the ultimate underdog story in Hollywood history. He went from sleeping at bus terminals to becoming a global action icon. Furthermore, he wrote the screenplays for his biggest hits himself, proving his literary talent. Consequently, his creative control shaped cinema history for decades. His journey proves that grit matters more than talent alone. Explore the gritty truth behind the man who created Rocky and Rambo.
Sylvester Stallone
Doctors used forceps during his birth, which accidentally severed a nerve in his face. Therefore, Sylvester Stallone developed his signature snarl and slurred speech permanently. This injury eventually became his trademark look in action movies.
He was so broke that he starred in an adult film called The Party at Kitty and Stud’s. He earned 200 dollars for two days of work just to pay his rent.
Desperation forced him to sell his beloved dog, Butkus, for 50 dollars outside a liquor store. However, he bought the dog back for 3,000 dollars immediately after selling the Rocky script.
Remarkably, he wrote the entire first draft of Rocky in just three and a half days. He fueled this marathon writing session with caffeine, pure adrenaline, and very little sleep.
Studios offered him 360,000 dollars for the script but refused to let him play the lead. Sylvester Stallone turned down this fortune despite having only 106 dollars in his bank account.
Dolph Lundgren punched him so hard during Rocky IV that he landed in intensive care. The blow swelled his heart, and doctors feared for his life for several days.
Arnold Schwarzenegger tricked him into starring in the terrible movie Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Sly took the role only because he thought Arnold wanted it. Thus, the rivalry led to his worst career mistake.
The two turtles from the original 1976 Rocky movie are actually still alive today. He kept Cuff and Link, and they even appeared in the movie Creed II.
Sylvester Stallone is also a serious painter who has exhibited his art in museums globally. He often paints characters before he writes them to visualize their emotions clearly.
During The Expendables, he fractured his neck while filming a brutal fight scene with Steve Austin. Consequently, surgeons had to insert a metal plate into his spine to fix the damage.
In the original script for First Blood, Rambo died at the end of the movie. Luckily, Stallone insisted on changing the ending to keep the character alive for sequels.
Before finding fame, Sylvester Stallone worked odd jobs including cleaning lion cages at the zoo. This dangerous work paid very little but kept him motivated to succeed in acting.
His mother, Jackie, became famous for a bizarre practice she called rumpology. She claimed she could predict people’s futures simply by reading the shape of their bottoms.
Sylvester Stallone holds the unique record of being nominated for Oscars for the same character 39 years apart. Both Rocky and Creed earned Sylvester Stallone nods for playing the legendary boxer.
Finally, the famous steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art now feature a bronze statue of him. Tourists flock there daily to recreate his legendary run from the film.
