EXCLUSIVE: 'Die Hard' Shock! Why Actress Bonnie Bedelia 'Poured Scorn' on Appearing as Bruce Willis' Long-Suffering Wife in World's Most Beloved 'Christmas Movie'
Bonnie Bedelia's brutal takedown of Die Hard has resurfaced as the 1988 action classic again tops polls of movie fans' favorite Christmas movie.
Dec. 26 2025, Updated 1:07 p.m. ET
Bonnie Bedelia's brutal takedown of Die Hard has resurfaced as the 1988 action classic again tops polls of movie fans' favorite Christmas movie, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The veteran actress, 77, played Holly Gennaro McClane opposite Bruce Willis' wisecracking New York cop John McClane in the film, but the fact that the role that helped define her big-screen career was never the type she would normally choose has now re-emerged.
A Hobby for Mortgages and Tuition
Bonnie Bedelia said she treated 'Die Hard' like a hobby rather than serious acting.
Bedelia said in 1990: "I don't consider roles like in Die Hard what I do. This is like a hobby. It's fun. I had a good time. And I love being in a movie that people actually go see. But it's about things getting blown up. It's not about great character development."
She continued: "People want it. We all have our ideals, but I have to work. I have to pay the mortgage and raise kids, and put them through college. This is what I do. If I had my druthers, what I would choose would be different from what I choose now. But there's not much choice right now."
Character Driven Work vs Blockbuster Action
Bonnie admitted she took the role to pay the mortgage and raise her kids.
The star was recently spotted running errands in Connecticut ahead of the holiday season, looking relaxed in a black sweater and puffer vest, paired with blue jeans and a slouchy beanie, with her gray hair cascading past her shoulders.
Bedelia reprised her role in Die Hard 2 (1990), while the now-dementia-stricken Willis went on to star in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
A source close to Bedelia said: "Bonnie always approached Die Hard with a sense of fun rather than as a career-defining role, even though that is what it was. She enjoyed being part of something that audiences loved, but it wasn't the type of character-driven work she normally sought out.
"She's proud of the Die Hard movies and the fanbase it brought her and Bruce, but she's never been keen on the idea that it defines her acting legacy. She basically did pour scorn on the role, despite it making her a fine living."
Prioritizing Family Stability Over High Art
Bonnie returned to screens as Camille Braverman in Parenthood and won over a new generation of fans.
Before Die Hard, Bedelia was already a celebrated actress, earning Emmy nominations for 1993's Fallen Angels and 1999's Locked in Silence.
She made her Broadway debut in the 1960s and her film debut in 1969 with The Gypsy Moths, later earning a Golden Globe nomination for Heart Like a Wheel in 1984.
A source added: "Bonnie has always prioritized work that allows her to stay grounded while balancing family life. Die Hard was never meant to be high art; it was a chance to do something exciting and pay the bills while keeping her family stable, and that is simply the way she still views it, despite the massive fan following it has gained over the years."
Substance and Craft Over Hollywood Fame
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Bonnie balanced her career with family life and kept her kids away from showbusiness.
Bedelia, a mother of two to Uri and Jonah with her first husband, Ken Luber, has been married to actor Michael MacRae since 1995.
She has also been candid about keeping her children out of showbusiness. Bedelia once said: "It's hard to think it's important to try out as a cheerleader when you're starring on Broadway. But you do kind of miss the things that I now see my children doing. I'm just happy they are not actors."
She added: "The Valentine's Day dance is really important. Pitching in the Little League is very important. And the medals and the scouts are really important. We need children to play the parts in movies. I'm just glad it's not my kids."
Bedelia found further success on screen in Presumed Innocent (1990) with Harrison Ford and Needful Things (1993) with Ed Harris and on television as Camille Braverman in Parenthood (from 2010 to 2015), sharing the screen with Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Craig T. Nelson and Peter Krause.
Bonnie returned to screens as Camille Braverman in Parenthood and won over a new generation of fans.
Her most recent credit was in The Hill (2023) with Dennis Quaid.
Another insider said: "Bonnie's career has always been about substance and stability rather than stunts or blockbuster fame. Even when Die Hard became a cultural phenomenon, she never lost sight of what mattered most to her – her family and her craft."
