In the 1988 film "Die Hard", which actor plays police officer John McClane?

In the 1988 film "Die Hard," Bruce Willis plays police officer John McClane.

McClane is a New York City police detective visiting Los Angeles to see his estranged wife, Holly, during a Christmas Eve office party. When terrorists seize the Nakatomi Plaza building, he becomes the lone officer trying to rescue the hostages and stop Hans Gruber’s plan.

The role helped transform Willis, then best known for the television series Moonlighting, into a major action-film star. He reportedly received $5 million for the part, an unusually large salary at the time, and the casting was initially viewed as a risky choice because he was not yet established as a movie action hero.

The character is often confused with other 1980s action protagonists played by Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Mel Gibson. Those actors were associated with action cinema, but Willis created the specific character of McClane, known for sarcastic humor, vulnerability, and the catchphrase “Yippee-ki-yay.”