Bonnie Bedelia Claims Hollywood Mocked Bruce Willis Over His $5 Million Salary For The First Die Har
Bruce Willis was able to create quite the career for himself, in large part, thanks to the success of Die Hard. However, by the time the fourth film rolled around, the actor said the best part of the film was when it came to an end...
Of course, Willis did more than just Die Hard. After a dispute with Disney, the actor was forced to sign a three picture deal. Among the films, included one of the most significant of his career, The Sixth Sense. The film changed his career and bank account, as he pocketed $100 million for the role thanks to backend profits.
In the following, we'll take a look back at how Bruce's success in film ignited. At the time of the first Die Hard, he had gained popularity thanks to TV, but as for his film career, he was still unproven.
Bruce Willis Recommended Bonnie Bedelia For The Role Of Holly Gennaro In Die Hard
Off a budget of $25 million, Die Hard shocked all of Hollywood, becoming a massive hit and generating $141 million at the box office. Of course, as fans know by now, that was just the start as the film enjoyed several successful films, especially at the box office.
The casting process was a crucial one for the film's success. There were a lot of risks in terms of the selections. Among the stars to thrive included Bonnie Bedelia. According to Star TV, she was put on the map for the film in large part, thanks to Bruce Willis having watched her recent work at the time.
"At the time that Die Hard was casting, Bedelia was a rising star nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in Heart Like a Wheel."
Star TV continues, "Willis had caught the movie - about the first female drag-racer - and he was floored by Bedelia's performance. So he recommended her for the part of Holly Gennaro, and the studio agreed."
Bedelia was the right choice for her role as Holly Gennaro. However, according to the actress, Hollywood wasn't feeling the same way for Willis at the time...
Bonnie Bedelia Revealed Hollywood Laughed At Bruce Willis' Die Hard Salary Given His Unproven Status At The Time
Making Bruce Willis the star of such a film was a big risk, especially considering that the actor wasn't a proven asset in film. Instead, at the time, he was enjoying his fame thanks to the TV series, Moonlighting.
According to Bonnie Bedelia, this was viewed as problematic by those in Hollywood and in addition, lots of people scoffed at his $5 million salary attached to the project.
Bedelia tells People, “You bet it was [his first big film]. It was kind of like a big thing when he got this because he was just on Moonlighting.”
“This was his first movie, and he was the star of a huge blockbuster and it was very well advertised that he was making $5 million, which at the time was unbelievable,” she added. “And everybody was like, ‘Why would you pay $5 million to an untried movie star?’ But boy, someone was really smart.”
Bonnie Bedelia would also take part in the sequel, one that made $240 million at the box office. It was clear at that point, Willis had turned into a major star of the '90s.
Bruce Willis Was In Character And Intense On The Set Of Die Hard
Reginald VelJohnson was another co-star to speak out about his experience alongside Willis, during the 30-year anniversary of the film back in 2018.
According to Reginald VelJohnson, Willis kept things very intense on-set.
“Whenever he was on set he was very into the character so I didn’t really bother him. Every once in a while, we’d stop to talk but he was very into the character."
Similar to what Bedelia had to say, Willis had lots of pressure to make the film work, given his salary and part in such a film.
“I think it was his first big film and he wanted to make it right, he wanted to make it work. He was more concerned with how to do the role rather than anything else.”
Clearly, Willis made it work, thriving in the role for years.
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