MovieChat Forums > Die Hard (1988) Discussion > Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman

posted 4 days ago by PaladinNJ (21771)
4 replies | jump to latest

I just read an article that said Gene Hackman was originally offered the role of Powell. He had to turn it down and Reginald Vel Johnson got the role.
Anyone know if this is true?

[–] millsey72 (10935) 4 days ago

I doubt it. He didn't look like he loved Twinkies

[–] KingBob (3265) 4 days ago

I think I read somewhere that they wanted an actor who could handle the physical and athletic demands of playing the role of Al Powell which is why they went with Reginald Vel Johnson

[–] Tam87 (1592) 3 days ago

they wanted an actor who could handle the physical and athletic demands of playing the role of Al Powell

So they chose an obese guy? haha.

[–] Tam87 (1592) 3 days ago

That would've made the film better by having an actor of his caliber in that role because then the relationship between McClane & Powell would've taken on more of a father-son dynamic with Hackman there, as opposed to the generic buddy-buddy theme that we saw in the actual film.

However, Joel Silver produced this film, and he was the original pusher of forced diversity in hollywood, so it had to be his way of having McClane's only supporters being the black limo driver and the black cop Al Powell, so even if Hackman was available and willing to do it, Silver would've said no because Hackman was white.