Fictional Character, Fictional Life - Kevin LaZur

The fictional character I would like to be is John McClane from the Die Hard series. McClane is a New York City cop, who just so happens to get thrown into a lot of unfortunate scenarios in which he is the only person capable of stopping the bad guy. He is meant to be a reluctant hero, someone who doesn't enthusiastically jump into the fray, and his innate skill in combat keeps him from being killed, although he gets dangerously close. This makes him an excellent protagonist, as he is constantly frustrating the leader of the evil side.

John McClane is a great character, because he's an everyman who never asks for trouble. I would like to be McClane because he uses what he has, and uses his off-the-cuff skills to take out goons one by one. Die Hard isn't a movie where the hero mows down hoards of henchmen, while preventing himself from getting seriously injured, to eventually fight the powerful boss. In this movie, the hero is beat down with the never ending supply of bad guys. When he reaches the leader, I think all of that conflict makes it even more intense when he's finally worked his way all the way to the top of the bad-guy ladder.

McClane improvises a lot of his actions against the countless enemies he has to face. He doesn't necessarily outsmart anyone, he mainly uses the element of surprise to hit them with something they wouldn't expect. This is what makes him cool and realistic, because he takes what he sees in this crappy situation he would prefer not to be in, and uses it against those who put him there. His maverick spirit even justifies his use of corny catchprases. He grits his teeth and fights back, while staying whimsical and witty.