John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis

Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...

.
John McClane was originally based on the fictional character Detective Joe Leland from Roderick Thorp

Roderick Thorp

Roderick Mayne Thorp, Jr. was an American novelist specializing mainly in crime novels.As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father...

's novel, Nothing Lasts Forever

Nothing Lasts Forever (1979 novel)

Nothing Lasts Forever is a 1979 thriller novel by Roderick Thorp. It is mostly known through its film adaptation, Die Hard.-Plot introduction:...

, along with another character, Frank Malone from Walter Wager

Walter Wager

Walter Herman Wager was an American novelist.-Early life:Walter Wager grew up in the East Tremont section of The Bronx, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants; his father, Max, was a doctor, and his mother, Jessie, was a nurse...

's novel 58 Minutes (later adapted as Die Hard 2

Die Hard 2

Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...

) and is somewhat based on and inspired by Dirty Harry. Die Hard villain Hans Gruber describes him as "just another American...