In the 1993 film “Cliffhanger,” the villain played by John Lithgow is Eric Qualen.
Qualen is a former military-intelligence operative who leads a gang of mercenaries in a scheme to steal more than $100 million in uncirculated U.S. Treasury bills. After the money is scattered across the Rocky Mountains, he coerces mountain rescue ranger Gabe Walker, played by Sylvester Stallone, into helping recover it.
The character is often confused with the film’s mountain-rescue figures, including Frank, Jessie Deighan, and Hal Tucker. Those characters are connected to Walker’s personal history and the opening rescue sequence, but none is the principal villain. Lithgow’s performance as Qualen earned him a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Supporting Actor.
The role was nearly offered to musicians David Bowie and Bryan Ferry before scheduling problems led to Lithgow’s casting. “Cliffhanger” was directed by Renny Harlin and released in 1993.