Why Frank Sinatra was offered Bruce Willis' part in ‘Die Hard'

New York Post

31-05-2025

Fans almost saw Frank Sinatra do it, his way.
Although fans know Bruce Willis for playing the iconic role of John McClane in the 1988 action/thriller 'Die Hard,' it turns out that 20th Century Studios was contractually obligated to offer a certain A-list singer the role first.
'Die Hard' was adapted from the 1979 novel 'Nothing Lasts Forever,' written by former detective Roderick Thorp, and was a sequel to his first book, 'The Detective.'
Advertisement
6 Bruce Willis in the 1988 action/thriller 'Die Hard.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
6 Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard with a Vengeance.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
The first novel was already made into a film, the 1968 thriller/crime by the same name which starred Sinatra and Lee Remick.
Advertisement
Since the movie studio had the rights to the original book and its sequel before they were written for the big screen, they had to ask Sinatra first. He was 70 at the time and declined the part.
'Die Hard' also starred Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, and William Atherton.
Prior to landing the part of John McClane, Willis, 70, was only known for starring in the comedy series, 'Moonlighting,' opposite Cybill Shepherd.
6 Bruce Willis in the film 'Die Hard with a Vengeance.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Advertisement
The action star went on to reprise his role in all five 'Die Hard Films,' including: 'Die Hard 2' (1990), 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' (1995), 'Live Free or Die Hard' (2007), and the final installment, 'A Good Day to Die Hard' in 2013.
In March, in honor of Willis' 70th birthday, his 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' costar Samuel L. Jackson revealed the advice he received from him on set.
'He told me, 'Hopefully you'll be able to find a character that, when you make bad movies and they don't make any money, you can always go back to this character everybody loves,'' Jackson, 76, told Vanity Fair at the time. 'He said, 'Arnold's got 'Terminator.' Sylvester's got 'Rocky, Rambo.' I've got John McClane.' I'm like, 'Oh, okay.' And it didn't occur to me until I got that Nick Fury role—and I had a nine-picture deal to be Nick Fury—that, Oh, I'm doing what Bruce said. I've got this character now.'
6 Frank Sinatra and his wife Ava Gardner in 1956.
Getty Images
Advertisement
During the Vanity Fair sit-down, Bedelia, 77, who played McClane's ex-wife Holly Gennero in the first two 'Die Hard' movies, also took a moment to reflect on the cult classic.
'I think that he's basically underrated because he was a big box-office star. So that immediately works against you,' she explained. 'I think, in his mind, he always wanted to be an actor and to do interesting work. That's why becoming famous for such a huge, boffo movie was not expected from him.'
'But once he was there, it was kind of like, you know, 'I'm an actor,'' Bedelia continued. 'And I don't think he saw, in terms of the work, a lot of difference between them. One was not more important than the other, because he was getting to work with interesting directors, with interesting scripts.'
6 Frank Sinatra performing.
Shutterstock
6 Frank Sinatra takes a break during a recording session.
Getty Images
Even Willis, who retired from acting in 2022, following his diagnosis of aphasia and then frontotemporal dementia in 2023, didn't know how big him or his 'Die Hard' character would be.
'I never expected to become this famous,' he said in 1990. 'I wanted to be successful as an actor; I never equated that [with being] famous and having your life story in every newspaper in the country. I just never thought that far ahead. And I don't know who does.'