Harry Potter Star Alan Rickman Thought His Acting Debut Would be Botched, Felt He Would be Fired From Bruce Willis’ ‘Die Hard’ After an Accident
The beloved Hollywood actor Alan Rickman rose to stardom primarily as a result of his role in the Harry Potter films. Rickman’s great talent has been seen in everything from delightful romantic comedies like Love Actually to period dramas like Sense and Sensibility. It’s interesting that his debut film was the action-packed classic Die Hard, though. Unexpectedly, even someone as experienced as Rickman struggled with his first movie’s production. There was a moment when he believed he might be fired from the production due to an accident.
Alan Rickman almost rejected the offer to act in Die Hard
The late and renowned actor Alan Rickman began his on-screen career with Bruce Willis’ classic movie Die Hard. In the movie, he played the intriguing Hans Gruber. Rickman, who was a seasoned stage actor, had already made his mark in acting before taking on this project. He performed in plays including Romeo and Juliet, The Seagull, and Sherlock Holmes, bringing his talent to the stage. For his excellent performance in the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses, his extraordinary talents even gained him a Tony nomination. After this breakthrough on stage, Rickman decided to move to Los Angeles, which changed the course of his life.
Amazingly, it only took two days for him to receive the Die Hard part offer after his arrival in Los Angeles. Rickman reflected on this crucial turning point in his career and discussed his early concerns about the action-oriented nature of the movie. He had stated that he did not want to act in an action movie. However, Rickman’s agents recognized a special opportunity and encouraged him to take on this new endeavor. And the rest is history. Rickman is the only person we can really picture as Hans Gruber, isn’t that right? Still, it is shocking that Rickman believed he may lose his first role in the Hollywood world.
Alan Rickman thought his Hollywood career was over even before it started
Alan Rickman struggled with the worry that his budding film career might end before it had the chance to take off during his move into the industry. Rickman, an established stage actor with no prior experience in the action genre, had a steep learning curve to overcome when he started working on his first movie, Die Hard. His worries increased when he got hurt at the beginning of the filming.
Rickman remembered the incident and said to Empire, “I thought I had ripped a ligament on the very first shot.” He explained how, while filming, he jumped from a small ledge only to have his knee give out. He was immediately concerned and, anticipating the worst, sought medical attention.
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He may have torn a ligament, which would have forced him to miss six months of work, was the doctor’s diagnosis. Rickman miraculously returned to the set and performed one of his Die Hard parts while standing on one leg. But the doubt remained and he questioned whether his promising cinematic career was ending too soon. Unexpectedly, relief came the following day when the doctor’s inspection found that Rickman had really ripped a cartilage rather than a ligament. His career, which he had believed was in danger, was saved.
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Source: Empire
