20 Things You Somehow Missed In Die Hard

14. Don't Flinch So Much!

Die Hard Missed
20th Century Fox

Another of Alan Rickman's difficulties in portraying the hardened criminal, Hans Gruber came when he had to fire a gun.

Even though he was firing blanks, Rickman could not break out of his habit of blinking and flinching whenever he had to fire a gun. It became a problem and director, John McTiernan resolved that there was only one solution: keep filming and rescue the end product in the editing suite.

This was precisely what happened and eagle-eyed viewers will notice that, whenever Hans Gruber fires a gun, the action cuts away from an action close-up on his face either to a long shot or, preferably, to avoid showing his face at all.

The fact that he was Alan Rickman no doubt saved him from being recast in the role!

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.