Al Powell
Al Powell | |
---|---|
Die Hard and Chuck character | |
First appearance | Die Hard (1988) |
Last appearance | "Chuck Versus Santa Claus" (2008) |
In-universe information | |
Nickname | "Pal" |
Gender | Male |
Title | Desk Sergeant at the Los Angeles Police Department |
Occupation | Police officer |
Family | Unnamed wife Michael Tucker (cousin) |
Children | Unnamed son |
Nationality | American |
Sergeant Al Powell is a
Fictional character biography
Investigation of Nakatomi Plaza
The audience is introduced to Powell while he is on his way home from work. Powell makes a stop at a nearby service station to grab
As Powell re-enters his car and begins to radio that there is no emergency at Nakatomi Plaza,
Powell eventually reveals to McClane that he was given a desk job after he accidentally shot a child holding a toy gun. Still traumatized, he refused to fire his weapon ever again. McClane eventually saves his wife, Holly, from the clutches of the German terrorist
Post-Nakatomi
At some point between the events of
Due to the unprofessionalism of the airport's police chief, Carmine Lorenzo, McClane is forced to grab an improvised set of fingerprints from the deceased suspect and fax them to Powell in Los Angeles for identification. Powell identifies the suspect as Sergeant Oswald Cochran, who was believed killed in action in a helicopter accident in Honduras two years prior. Powell faxes the dossier to McClane in Dulles and the two say their goodbyes.
Production
The character of Powell in Die Hard was the breakout performance for actor Reginald VelJohnson, who had previously only had small roles in films such as Ghostbusters and Crocodile Dundee. The role helped VelJohnson to gain the role of Carl Winslow on the television sitcom Family Matters, where he would again portray a police officer.[3][4] Despite only appearing in two scenes during Die Hard 2, VelJohnson still received fourth billing, behind other returning actors Bonnie Bedelia and William Atherton from the first film. Before VelJohnson was cast, actor Wesley Snipes had auditioned for the part. Gene Hackman had also been considered for the part according to VelJohnson, but was unable to take the role.[5][6][7][8]
Potential return
It had been speculated that Powell would return in a potential sixth
Reception
VelJohnson's portrayal of Powell in the first Die Hard was met with acclaim from fans. Powell has gone on to become one of the most recognisable characters from the
Legacy
Due to the popularity of his role in Die Hard, VelJohnson was cast as Carl Winslow on the television sitcom
References
- ^ Evon, Dan (November 28, 2018). "Did Sgt. Al Powell Stop a Terrorist Attack at Nakatomi Plaza?". Snopes. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Simon (November 2, 2018). "Reginald VelJohnson Talks 'Die Hard' At 30 And 'Crocodile Dundee' Sequel". Forbes. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ "Die Hard's Reginald VelJohnson Reveals How Al Powell Got Him Cast On Family Matters". Throwbacks. November 9, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Schwerdtfeger, Conner (March 13, 2018). "Wait, Wesley Snipes Auditioned For Die Hard?". Cinemablend. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Topel, Fred (March 13, 2018). "Wesley Snipes Auditioned for Al Powell and More Stories from a 'Die Hard' 30th Anniversary Screening". /Film. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ Cotter, Padraig (March 13, 2018). "Die Hard Could Have Included Wesley Snipes Or Gene Hackman". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Jet magazine, p. 54, at Google Books. 22 Aug 1988.
- ^ Joshi, Shaan (August 14, 2019). "Disney Planning To Reboot The Die Hard Franchise". We Got This Covered. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (August 6, 2019). "Disney Flushes Fox Film Development, 'Redirects' Strategy After Big Q3 Loss". Variety. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Libbey, Dirk (November 16, 2015). "What Die Hard 6 Should Be About, According To Reginald VelJohnson". Cinemablend. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Bass, George (July 29, 2014). "Why I'd like to be … Reginald VelJohnson in Die Hard". The Guardian. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Brody, Richard (August 3, 2017). "Eighties Action Movies I've Never Seen: "Die Hard" 's Culture of Violence". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (December 15, 2008). "Chuck, "Chuck vs. Santa Claus": Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho". HitFix. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (April 29, 2018). "The 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Crew Gets Wild For A 'Bachelor/Ette Party'". Uproxx. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Eisenberg, Eric (August 6, 2018). "What Die Hard's Holly And Al Are Doing Today, According To Bonnie Bedelia And Reginald VelJohnson". Cinemablend. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- Today. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ "Reginald VelJohnson back in Die Hard mode!". Moviehole. December 21, 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ^ Stuckmann, Chris (August 3, 2020). Die Hard 2 - Movie Review. Retrieved August 3, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Beresford, Jack (November 8, 2018). "DIE HARD'S REGINALD VELJOHNSON ISN'T RULING OUT A RETURN FOR SERGEANT AL POWELL". Ultimate Action Movies. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Action Speaks Louder: Violence, Spectacle, and the American Action Movie, p. 159, at Google Books