John McClane John McClane John McClane is the main protagonist of the "Die Hard" film series. He is portrayed by Bruce Willis. He is known for his sardonic one-liners, including the famous catchphrase "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker". John McClane was originally based on the fictional character Detective Joe Leland from Roderick Thorp's bestselling novel, "Nothing Lasts Forever". Other aspects are derived from Frank Malone from Walter Wager's novel "58 Minutes" (adapted as "Die Hard 2"). "Die Hard" villain Hans Gruber describes him as "just another American... who thinks he's John Wayne," to which McClane replies that he "was always partial to Roy Rogers." He
Unbreakable (film series) inspiration for writing the material is there. David Dunn is the sole survivor of a devastating train wreck. Elijah Price is a mysterious stranger who offers a bizarre explanation as to why David escaped without a single scratch, an explanation which threatens to change David's family and his life forever. During filming for "The Sixth Sense", M. Night Shyamalan approached Bruce Willis for the role of David Dunn. Sometime after, Samuel L. Jackson alongside Willis, were announced to be the two main leads of the film. Prior to the film's production, Jackson met with Willis discussing the script. Principal photography