Before he gave Harry Potter a hard time at Hogwarts, Alan Rickman made playing a villain look good. That's right, Professor Snape wasn't the first time the actor was despised for one of his characters. Rickman was just so good at playing bad, and I'm sure his fans wouldn't have it any other way. One of his most iconic roles was as Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Alongside Bruce Willis' hero John McClane, Rickman brought to life an iconic villain, who I will forever call "Bubby." Rickman's best Die Hard scenes show he was a great villain way before taking on Severus Snape in Harry Potter.
With the news of Rickman's death at just 69, it seems appropriate to honor him as Hans Gruber. It's not only one of the many roles he will forever be remembered for, but it's the one villain who struck a chord with every Die Hard fan. There is no Die Hard without Hans. Can you imagine a different character or another actor in the role? It wouldn't be the same.
And with that, let's take a look at Rickman's top scenes as the oh-so-evil Hans Gruber. I'm sure even John McClane would give Hans a round of applause for his villainy, you know, after he put on some shoes.
When He Made His Entrance
That is a top-notch villain entrance.
When He Bragged About His Skills
He's not messing around.
When He Smiled
How often do you see Snape smile? Never.
When He Was Called "Bubby"
Hans! Bubby! I'm sure you can imagine how Hans dealt with this situation.
When He Finally Met John McClane
Rickman without his accent? I can't take it.
When He Brought Up Pop Culture
He's cultured, too. Even though it's Gary Cooper, not John Wayne, who walked off into the sunset with Grace Kelly in High Noon.
When Says, "Ho, Ho, Ho"
Hans is one scary Santa.
When He Really Wanted His Detonators
He's very passionate about his detonators.
When He Called John "Mr. Cowboy"
He speaks the truth.
When He Counted To Three
And he's smart!
When He Made A Walkie Talkie Look Good
Forget smartphones, I need one of these.
When He Fell To His Death
And he also steals John's famous line. Hans, you know better.
Hans Gruber truly is the best. Thank you, Alan Rickman.
Image: 20th Century Fox; Giphy (7); nojillnolife, afanstuff/Tumblr
