.png)
2 weeks ago
12
Bruce Willis’ John McClane in Die Hard was a role that proved to be crucial to the industry. Before his role as one of the best action heroes in Hollywood, Willis had only starred in the fan-favorite TV series Moonlighting. However, his salary at the time for 1988’s Die Hard was revolutionary for a first-time movie star in the industry.
Bruce Willis in a still from Die Hard 2 | Credits: 20th Century StudiosWillis shared that he did not get the deserved appreciation. He was probably referring to the media questioning his exorbitantly high salary at the time. However, The Sixth Sense actor was only scratching the surface of his career achievements in the industry when he received his first Die Hard salary.
Bruce Willis did not get the deserved appreciation for changing the Hollywood pay structure
Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard | Credits: 20th Century StudiosBruce Willis was a TV star, entertaining home audiences with his role in Moonlighting when John McTiernan decided to cast him in Die Hard. He was a relatively unknown actor at that point in time, but he was reportedly paid $5 million to play the role of John McClane. It was truly a shocking amount of money.
Willis reportedly changed the future of the pay hierarchy in Hollywood at the time. Despite its huge effect on the film industry, Willis believed that he didn’t get the deserved appreciation for his crucial role in raising every other actor’s Hollywood salary at the time. According to the X page, @ATRightMovies, Willis shared at the time:
The next day, every actor’s salary rose to $5 million, I didn’t get a Christmas card or anything.
The actor’s comment was probably referring to the initial reaction to his huge salary in Die Hard. Former MGM chairman Alan Ladd Jr. mentioned that he was stunned by Fox’s offer to the star and shared that the move “throws the business out of whack” (via The New York Times).
According to the article in the NY Times, Dustin Hoffman’s $5.5 million salary for Tootsie was still the highest standard, an increment that came after his multiple hit films. The article further highlighted such high pay hikes were warranted only by front-of-the-pack actors like Warren Beatty or Robert Redford.
Interestingly, entertainment lawyer Bert Fields told the outlet at the time that with Bruce Willis’ salary, “it’s only fair to try to get more from the studio for my clients.” The Unbreakable actor’s salary thus revolutionized the pay structure.
How much did Bruce Willis get paid for the other Die Hard films?
Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard | Credits: 20th Century StudiosBruce Willis added millions to his net worth, thanks to the four sequels of his iconic Die Hard film. For the first sequel, titled Die Hard 2, Willis received $7.5 million, a little jump from his previous salary (via Parade). In 1995’s Die Hard with a Vengeance, the studio had to flash a $15 million paycheck to bring him back to the franchise.
Fans thought that Willis’ films concluded with a trilogy of movies, but he returned to his role after a long hiatus of 12 years. He earned a whopping $25 million for the fourth film, Live Free or Die Hard. For his fifth and final appearance in a Die Hard film, Willis was paid an unspecified amount, probably around his earlier salary. However, A Good Day to Die Hard was a critical failure.
As of 2024, Bruce Willis has an estimated net worth of $250 million (via Parade). The first film is now available for streaming on Prime Video, while the rest of the films are available on Hulu.
Bengali (BD) · 
English (US) ·