Timothy Olyphant might be best known for playing more heroic parts, but his villain turn inLive Free or Die Hardsaw him play against type in a big way. Olyphant has had a delightfully varied CV, starting out with villainous roles in the likes ofScream 2andGobeforeDeadwoodchanged his career. Both this classic HBO series and his role as Marshal Raylan Givens inJustifiedmade Olyphant an honorary Western star. His sardonic, ice-cool turn as Givens has become something of a signature role for the star, too.
This is despite the factOlyphant has played as many antiheroes or outright bad guys as he has good guys; he even voiced a Terminator in Netflix’sTerminator Zeroanime. Following the cancellation ofDeadwoodin 2006, Olyphant found himself joining theDie Hardmovie franchiseas Gabriel, the mastermind behind a hack designed to shut down the United States.Live Free or Die Hardsits at 82% onRotten Tomatoes, though despite this, it’s considered a weaker outing from the series.
Timothy Olyphant’s Live Free Or Die Hard Role Was Totally Against Type
Olyphant’s Gabriel was an icy Die Hard antagonist
Making Olyphant the latestDie Hardvillain, with his movie star looks and more chilled out vibe, was an interesting case of casting against type back in 2007. Of course, the franchise is known for pitting Bruce Willis' McClane against more intellectual foes like the Gruber brothers, sp Gabriel is in that tradition.Viewers who knowOlyphant best for his more Western-themed rolesinJustifiedorThe Mandalorianwill be in for a surprise watchingLive Free or Die Hardalso.
There’s nothing warm or heroic about Gabriel, who is committing an act of revenge against the nation after being fired by the government. Outside his romance with henchwoman Mai (Maggie Q),Olyphant’s Gabriel has zero regard for the high bodycount his attack is causing. He is, however, a vain and petty individual, as can be seen by how personally he takes McClane’s attempts to stop him. Naturally, he underestimates the dogged cop from New Jersey, which leads to his downfall.
Timothy Olyphant passed on the Dom Toretto role inThe Fast and the Furious, which later went to hisA Man Apartco-star Vin Diesel.
Unfortunately for Olyphant, hisLive Free or Die Hardvillain doesn’t rank that high compared to Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber; that said, this complaint could be leveled against just about every other action movie villain.Gabriel isn’t the deepest role, but Olyphant succeeds in giving the character some depth. Even if Gabriel isn’t the most sympathetic figure, Olyphant’s performance at least gives viewers an insight into why he’s carrying out the attack, instead of just playing a mustache-twirling foe.
Timothy Olyphant Is Great As A Villain, Even If He Usually Plays Cops
His Die Hard villain is totally unJustified in his actions
In a hilariously candid 2019Rolling Stoneinterview, Olyphant opened up about his decision to make action movies likeLive Free or Die Hardand video game adaptationHitman. The actor had just purchased a house whenDeadwoodwas canceled, so when in need of quick cash, he said yes point blank to both projects - despite having little enthusiasm for either. OfDeadwood’scancellation, he stated:
What we have to thank for this is the villain in [Live Free or] Die Hard and a f****** bald head in Bulgaria shooting Hitman. That’s what that phone call led to.“How about the villain of Die Hard?” I said, “Sure.” And they’re like, “Do you want to read the script?” I said, ” I get it. I’m in. I just bought a house. Did you not hear? They just canceled my f****** show. Yes, I’ll do it.” “What about this video game adaptation?” “Yes to that too. I’m in. I’ve got to make up some TV money.”
Olyphant is such a naturally charismatic performer that even when miscast in movies likeHitman, he’s still never less than compelling. He received mixed notices for bothHitmanandLive Free or Die Hard, which may have led him to turn away from villain parts. Soon after, Olyphant landed the lead inJustified, with most of his other movie projects likeThe Craziescasting him as a more traditional hero.More recently, Olyphant turned back to the dark side, such as playing a corrupt cop in the violent Netflix thrillerHavocwith Tom Hardy.
Great as he is playing characters like Givens, it would be cool to see Olyphant play more bad guys. Whether playing it straight or being hammy, he’s just a lot of fun in those kinds of roles.Live Free or Die HardandGoare proof of that, and despite only having a small role in Vin Diesel’sA Man Apart, he still stole every scene. It will also be interesting to see if Olyphant’s android character in the upcoming seriesAlien: Earthturns villainous at some stage.
Live Free or Die Hard
Cast
Live Free or Die Hard is the fourth film in the action series starring Bruce Willis. In the sequel, John McClane has to stop a cyber-terrorist (Timothy Olyphant) from taking out crucial elements of the United States' infrastructure. Starring alongside Willis and Olyphant is Justin Long, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cliff Curtis, and Maggie Q.
Die Hard
The Die Hard franchise, which began as a series of books in the 1960s, is an action-adventure series that chronicles the harrowing exploits of NYPD Detective John McClane. Renowned for its action-packed sequences and intricate plots, the series showcases McClane’s battles against various adversaries, especially the infamous Hans Gruber, during high-stakes crises.
