1. John McClane was originally based on the fictional character Detective Joe Leland from Roderick Thorp's bestselling 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever.
21 Facts About John McClane
1. 2.
John McClane is consistently portrayed as a reluctant hero who, with little or no assistance from others, is required against his wishes to thwart the elaborate plans of a group of like-minded villains because no one else is in a position to do so.
3.
At the beginning of the first film, New York City Police Department Detective John McClane is seen traveling to Los Angeles to attend a Christmas Eve party at Nakatomi Plaza, the workplace of his recently separated wife Holly Gennero ; she and their two children, Lucy and John Jr.
4.
Shortly after John McClane arrives at the party, Hans Gruber, a recently excommunicated member of a radical West German political movement, initiates his plan to steal $640 million worth of bearer bonds stored in the Nakatomi Corporation's vault.
5.
John McClane evades detection of the group and hides throughout Nakatomi Plaza, systematically killing the group members as he disrupts their plot.
6.
John McClane discovers a conspiracy between the mercenaries and an active military unit to rescue a notorious dictator from being imprisoned for crimes against humanity.
7.
In Die Hard with a Vengeance, John McClane has returned to New York City and the NYPD, retaining his rank of Lieutenant.
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Ellen Ripley 8.
John McClane is separated from his wife and suspended from the police force; probably due to alcoholism.
9.
At the beginning of the film, an unidentified terrorist known only by the name "Simon" has detonated at least one bomb in the city and threatens to detonate others unless John McClane undertakes to solve a series of challenges and riddles modeled after the children's game Simon says.
10.
John McClane kills Simon by shooting a power line which collapses into the blades of Simon's helicopter.
11.
John McClane is assigned to take hacker Matt Farrell into FBI custody.
12.
John McClane has been on the force over 30 years, and is a senior detective, most likely a detective squad commander, since he holds the rank of lieutenant.
13.
John McClane has been divorced from Holly for ten years, and is not speaking to his daughter Lucy, who is kidnapped by Gabriel as leverage.
14.
Farrell is unaware of his track record of thwarting bad guys, while John McClane is cynical about his fame.
15.
John McClane introduces herself to Farrell as Lucy McClane, where in the past she had introduced herself as Lucy Gennero and said her father was dead.
16.
John McClane meets Jack and Komarov fleeing custody and Chagarin's thugs.
17.
John McClane holds them off, allowing himself, Jack and Komarov to escape.
18.
John McClane betrays them to Chagarin's main enforcer, Alik.
19.
John McClane frequently says it to taunt his adversaries, or in the moments before killing them.
20.
John McClane adopts the phrase in the first film, Die Hard, when villain Hans Gruber calls him a cowboy and asks if he thinks he stands a chance.
21.
John McClane came in third, behind only Ellen Ripley and Dirty Harry.