Alexander Godunov's physical assurance makes him an effective threat in Die Hard, but the quiet amusement of Witness is just as valuable. His brief film career deserves a look beyond Karl.
Fi1m perspective
Beside the vulnerable Bruce Willis of Die Hard (1988), Alexander Godunov's tall, blond Karl looks like a serious problem. His dancer's physique is enough to establish a threat before we ask anything more of the performance. We felt the danger because Willis seems capable of being hurt, and John McTiernan's clear staging lets us follow the action. Godunov is well used here: an imposing supporting villain in a film that knows how to make physical disadvantage count.
The move from ballet into film acting came in the mid-1980s, and the early parts did not all ask for menace. In his US acting debut, Witness (1985), he plays Daniel Hochleitner with a quiet, amused self-assurance that makes his size less forbidding. The Money Pit (1986) gives him a comic supporting role opposite Tom Hanks as a narcissistic conductor. These are useful films to set beside Karl: he could be imposing without always being dangerous.
He is especially useful in Die Hard because McTiernan keeps the action legible. A performer with that physical presence needs room for us to register it, and the direction does not waste him. Alan Rickman's composure provides a quieter contrast, so Godunov's imposing appearance has a purpose within the cast rather than merely making him conspicuous. The foolish police business remains a drag, but Godunov belongs to the central action that makes the film worth recommending. The caveat about him is simpler: a persuasive supporting villain is only a limited test of an actor.
After Die Hard, the parts became fewer and smaller, with Scarabis in Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992) among the later roles. He declined offers that would have repeated his dancing background or his action villainy, narrowing the opportunities available to him. The reluctance to repeat himself is understandable, though it leaves us with fewer performances to weigh. For a second look, choose the quieter self-assurance of Witness.
Biography
Alexander Godunov was a Russian-American ballet dancer and actor. Born in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island in the Russian SFSR, USSR, he began ballet training at the age of nine in Riga and later joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1971, becoming its premier danseur.
In 1979, while on tour in New York, Godunov defected to the United States. He continued to dance, including with American Ballet Theatre, before moving into acting. His film roles included Daniel Hochleitner in Witness (1985), Max Beissart in The Money Pit (1986) and Karl in Die Hard (1988).
Godunov died in West Hollywood, California, on 18 May 1995.
