The writer of Live Free or Die Hard discusses what it was like to write dialogue for Bruce Willis. The iconic actor Willis has appeared in over 130 projects, showcasing his range in projects including the 1994 Tarantino flick Pulp Fiction, the 1992 Robert Zemeckis comedy Death Becomes Her, the 1999 horror classic The Sixth Sense, and the 1980s sitcom Moonlighting, for which he was nominated for two Emmys, one of which he won. The actor recently announced his retirement after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that inhibits a person's ability to process language and communicate. Many of his co-stars shared tributes to the iconic actor following this announcement, including The Sixth Sense's Haley Joel Osment and The Expendables' Sylvester Stallone.

In spite of all of his roles in major projects from the beginning through to the end of career, there is one role that Willis is best known for above all else: John McClane. He originated the role of the wisecracking hero in 1988's Die Hard, in which he must face off against a team of terrorists who have taken over a California office building where his estranged wife's company is hosting their annual Christmas party. The film was followed more or less immediately by two sequels in 1990 and 1995 before going dormant until the fourth film, Live Free or Die Hard, which came out in 2007 and featured Mary Elizabeth Winstead as McClane's daughter. In that film, McClane had to protect a hacker played by Justin Long in order to prevent a new terrorist attack.

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During a Vulture feature titled "The Hardest Sequel I Ever Wrote," Live Free or Die Hard screenwriter Mark Bomback discussed what it was like to work with Willis on the franchise he was synonymous with. Bomback admits that it was difficult at times to work with Willis, who was also a producer on the film, because he "had so much invested in the character" after playing him three times. He would take issue with lines that didn't feel right for McClane, and at one point even told Bomback to take out exclamation points because "I’ll decide whether to put exclamation points in my work." However, he treated the writer with respect and trusted him to do his work for the most part. Read the full quote below:

What was doubly challenging on that film was that Bruce was also a producer and had so much invested in the character. It was very hard to speak with authority to him about what I thought was best for the story. He had this great line that he used to use a lot: Whenever there was any kind of argument, whether it was with the script or the director or the studio, it was, “Who’s your second choice to play John McClane?” And that’s a very good trump card to play when you’re trying to figure stuff out.

I had given Bruce some dialogue, and he just left a voicemail saying, “I don’t want to see any more exclamation points in my dialogue. I’ll decide whether to put exclamation points in my work.” But, you know, he trusted me in a way that, when I look back, I actually can’t believe. I had one produced credit, and that film was not particularly good. I had done some rewriting for him on another film, which is why I think he felt a certain amount of comfort and treated me like a collaborator in a way that was really thrilling.

This successful collaboration with Willis certainly helped launch Bomback's career. After Live Free or Die Hard, the writer moved on to other franchise pictures including Race to Witch MountainThe Wolverine, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He was also an executive producer on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and its sequel War for the Planet of the Apes, so his experience with delicately handling established intellectual properties has served him quite well.

Although he may have been tough on Bomback, Willis' collaboration with the screenwriter certainly paid off for the film as well as for Boback. Live Free or Die Hard was well-received by both critics and audiences, with a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 82% and a box office take that tripled its budget. This just goes to show how much respect the actor has with the character who made him a household name.

Next: Die Hard Should Have Been About John McClane's Daughter After Die Hard 4

Source: Vulture