Who played Hans Gruber in the 1988 action film Die Hard?

Alan Rickman played Hans Gruber in the 1988 action film Die Hard.

Gruber is the leader of a group that seizes Nakatomi Plaza during a Christmas Eve party. He presents himself as a political extremist while secretly planning a sophisticated robbery, making him more calculating and theatrical than a conventional action-film villain.

Die Hard was Rickman’s first major film role. His controlled delivery, understated humor, and elegant manner made Hans Gruber one of the genre’s most celebrated villains. The performance also helped establish Rickman internationally before his later film roles.

Bruce Willis plays New York police officer John McClane, who becomes trapped inside the building and opposes Gruber largely through improvisation. The movie’s setting, character dynamics, and limited location helped make it a landmark action film. Hans Gruber is sometimes confused with the actor’s later villainous roles, but Rickman’s Die Hard character is specifically the German criminal mastermind.