‘Die Hard’ Star Reginald VelJohnson Reveals That Bruce Willis ‘Gave Me the Job’
What To Know
- Reginald VelJohnson reflected on his iconic roles in Die Hard and Family Matters.
- He discussed memorable moments from both projects, including his favorite Family Matters episode.
- VelJohnson revealed he recently completed filming a new movie, set for release in September.
Actor Reginald VelJohnson is best known as an action star and a family man! He starred as Sargent Al Powell in the now-celebrated Christmas film Die Hard and co-starred with Bruce Willis. He then went on to TV fatherhood fame playing Carl Winslow in the hit TV show Family Matters, which ran for nine seasons.
ReMIND Magazine sat down with Reginald at the recent Hollywood Show held in May 2026 at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, California. He chatted about his work on Die Hard, his favorite Family Matters episode, and Twinkies!
How was filming Die Hard?
Well, it was my first film, and I wanted to be sure I made the director [John McTiernan] proud of me, because it was the first time I worked with him, a very progressive director. I enjoyed it, and working with the director, he was really cool, and it became a classic. I didn’t know it was going to become a classic, I just wanted to do a good job for him – I just closed my mouth and just did the job, and it turned out okay – good thing I did that.
How was filming the scene when the guy fell on your car?
I was in the car, driving the car backwards, and he fell on my car, and it was exciting. [laughs] to me because it was my first time doing that in a film. I enjoyed it so much, and it made the director proud of me, and I was happy I did a good job.
How was working with Bruce Willis?
Wonderful. He was a cool guy. He actually gave me the job. He was the one who said, ‘I want you to do the job.’ Working with him was the first time I worked with a big star, and we did well together. I enjoyed it.
What is your favorite project you’ve ever done?
Family Matters. Working with my TV kids and my wife (Judyann Elder). It was the first time I had a chance to really enjoy what I do. That was the best thing about it.
What was your favorite episode of Family Matters?
My favorite episode was “The Quilt” [Season 1 Episode 11]. My daughter Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) sells the family’s heirloom quilt. We got upset and got the quilt back. It was really, really a good, good, good episode of the show. Anything I had to do with the kids I enjoyed, and I have nice memories for the rest of my life.
So Family Matters became like a family.
It really was. They became my family. I love them, and I miss them too.
Did you keep anything from the set?
No, I didn’t.
Anything fun you got from fans today?
A lot of memories. They all loved the show. They loved my fatherhood. Some people said I was like their father, all their life and whatnot, and that made me feel good.
You had a guest appearance in Die Hard 2. How was filming that?
It was fun. I couldn’t do the whole film. The producer of Die Hard wanted me to do the whole thing, but I couldn’t do it because I was doing Family Matters, and I didn’t have time to do it so I was only in one scene, but I enjoyed doing it.
You ate Twinkies in Die Hard. I was surprised there was no endorsement deal for you!
We tried, but they didn’t respond. My agent is still talking about it – I would do a commercial!
Scene with Twinkies!
What’s next for you?
I just finished a film called Onslaught. It comes out in September in theaters. (It also stars Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, and Rebecca Hall)
Who do you play in Onslaught?
I play a vagrant. He lives in a trailer park, and this group comes to try to take over the trailer park, and I get caught in the middle. I’m firing a gun and fun stuff like that.
Family Matters currently airs daily on TBS and on BET and is available to stream on Hulu.
Die Hard is available to stream on Amazon Prime
About the Hollywood Show
The Hollywood Show is a premier pop culture nostalgia autograph show that takes place three times a year in Burbank, California, and offers celebrity meet & greets, signed autographs, rare movie memorabilia & fan events. If you are interested in attending to meet the stars and explore the vendor floor, head to the Hollywood Show website for show dates, tickets, hotel information, and the most up-to-date guest list. Be sure to follow their socials on Facebook or Instagram for any guest updates or other fun information.
