‘Die Hard’ Director John McTiernan To Begin Prison Sentence
From the archive: published Apr 4, 2013, 13 years ago. Details may have changed since.
Die Hard director John McTiernan is getting ready to begin his prison sentence.
The filmmaker was convicted of lying to FBI agents during an investigation regarding infamous Hollywood detective Anthony Pellicano. McTiernan turned himself over to police on April 3.
The Die Hard director will spend the next 12 months in federal prison for his crime. Once his time is served, John McTiernan will face three years of supervision from authorities. He is also reportedly required to pay a $100,000 fine.
The filmmaker once called his conviction a “miscarriage of justice.” He added that he didn’t know he was talking to FBI agents when he made the statement that landed him behind bars.
McTiernan’s wife explained to The Hollywood Reporter :
“There was only one false statement. He said he had hired Pellicano only one time. Actually he hired him twice. And he said that to a stranger over the phone. Hardly something deserving of a year in prison, a $100,000 fine and seven years of harassment in my humble opinion.”
The Die Hard director’s troubles began when he hired Pellicano to spy on producer Charles Roven during the filming of the Rollerball remake. McTiernan was allegedly concerned that Roven was attempting to gain control of the production.
The filmmaker’s suspicions rose to a fever pitch when a portion of the Rollerball set burned to the ground. McTiernan had previously contended with a producer attempting to take control of his projects. He then allegedly hired the private investigator to keep an eye on Roven.
Anthony Pellicano would later be convicted of 78 felonies. He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Although several actors and filmmakers came to John McTiernan’s defense, he was ultimately sentenced to 12 months in prison.
In addition to his work on the classic Bruce Willis action flick Die Hard, the filmmaker is also known for directing The Hunt for Red October, Predator, and Last Action Hero.
Are you a fan of Die Hard director John McTiernan? What do you think about the filmmaker spending a year behind bars?