Before Bruce Willis got the plum gig as John McClane in the action-adventure Christmas film, Die Hard, he was a “barely known” trying to make a name for himself on the TV series, Moonlighting, opposite Cybill Shepherd. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Shepherd getting pregnant at the time, Willis never would have been able to take on the role of McClane as he was contractually obligated to the hit TV series.

Die Hard, one of the 10 best action-adventure movies of all time, tells the story of Detective John McClane, who is on his way to Los Angeles from New York where he is a cop, to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who has taken a job for the Nakatomi Corporation. McClane arrives at the Nakatomi Plaza as the company’s Christmas party is in full swing.

After a brief reconnection with his wife, McClane is set into action when a group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (an excellent Alan Rickman) take over the building with their goal of stealing $640 million in untraceable bearer bonds. Little did they know that John McClane would have a whole lot of something to say about that.