Topping 1988’s Die Hard would prove to be no easy feat; and while none of the sequels ever matched the original, there are some extremely good qualities in the initial sequels. Sure, Jeremy Irons would never match Alan Rickman, but his Simon Peter Gruber in Die Hard with a Vengeance left his own distinct mark. And it all comes down to some hair dye and an egg.
Speaking with GQ about some of his most memorable roles, Jeremy Irons had no choice but to chat about the brother of Hans Gruber in Die Hard with a Vengeance. “I thought he was a wonderful character. He lived outside society, did his own rules. He took blame for what he did if he went wrong. But games and playing with people, that suited my personality. I find it very easy to slip into Simon.” One key trait that would work to his advantage would be adding some dye to his locks; in other words, Simon Peter Gruber was only blonde because Irons wanted him to be. As far as his shirt went, that was discovered on a whim, and Irons cheekily insisted that Bruce Willis was inspired enough that he took a similar haircut route for The Fifth Element.
But there’s another moment that Jeremy Irons particularly remembers from Die Hard with a Vengeance: that in which Gruber shoots Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson). As far as the moment in which Gruber scarfs down an egg before firing into Zeus, he said it goes back to his time working on stage with Glenn Close in Mike Nichols’ production of The Real Thing. While rehearsing, Nichols suggested Close take to a Mars bar for dramatic effect. Irons would then use this tactic for David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers and Adrian Lyne’s Lolita. “It’s a very useful comic [approach], sort of. And I think the egg was to take the edge off in much the same way. Food can be very useful – it can be a pain in the ass…but at moments is quite useful. It just helps.”
Where would you rank Jeremy Irons’ Simon Peter Gruber in Die Hard with a Vengeance as far as the actor’s performances go? Was he a worthwhile villain compared to Hans? Give us your take below!