| Hans Gruber | |
|---|---|
| Die Hard character | |
 Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber in Die Hard | |
| First appearance | Die Hard (1988) |
| Last appearance | Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza (2002) |
| Created by | |
| Based on | Anton Gruber by Roderick Thorp |
| Portrayed by | Alan Rickman |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Bill Clay |
| Occupation | Criminal |
| Affiliation | Volksfrei Movement (based on Red Army Faction) (formerly) |
| Weapon | Heckler & Koch P7 (semi-automatic pistol) |
| Family | Simon Gruber (brother; deceased) |
| Children | Marcel Gruber (son; deceased) |
| Nationality | East German |
Hans Gruber is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the 1988 action film Die Hard, portrayed by Alan Rickman.
Gruber is a thief and criminal mastermind from East Germany who holds the Nakatomi Plaza hostage to steal $640 million in negotiable bearer bonds. His plan is foiled by New York cop John McClane, who happened upon Gruber's plot by mistake. Since his first appearance, Gruber has been cemented as one of the most iconic villains in film history – as well as often being ranked as the greatest action movie villain of all time and one of Rickman's most iconic roles. The villain became so popular with movie fans that the producers introduced his brother, Simon (played by Jeremy Irons), as the primary antagonist of the third film in the franchise – Die Hard with a Vengeance.[1]
Hans Gruber ranked 46th on AFI's list "100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains".[2]
- ^ Nathan, Micah (2016-01-15). "Celebrating the Brilliance of Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains" (PDF). American Film Institute. 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2020.