The Director of 'Die Hard' Spent Time in a South Dakota Prison

South Dakota has plenty to brag about. From natural beauty to the amazing people, SD has lots to be proud of.

But a funny thing happens whenever we have a connection to something, or someone, famous. We'll latch onto it and make it part of our story. I know I have messaged more than one person when Sioux Falls is mentioned on the Weather Channel.

Recently, I learned about one of these South Dakota connections. This time to Hollywood. Did you know that the director of the movie Die Hard spent nearly a year in a South Dakota prison?

Get our free mobile app

From 'Nomads' To Prison: John McTiernan's Journey In South Dakota

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ben Kuhns is just some guy on the internet. He is a wannabe writer, and his wife thinks he's funny. He writes for Results-Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

8 Celebrities You May to Run Into In South Dakota

You may not think of South Dakota as the crossroads of celebrity life. That's a good thing, we kind of like to live under the radar here on the upper plains.

But, living in South Dakota we are just a few degrees away from stardom. Not just because the author of the Little House on the Prairie books is from here. Or because every time Tom Brokaw shows up on TV, someone will say, "You know he's from Yankton."

We may not have as much of a chance at a celebrity sighting in South Dakota as we would in Minneapolis, but there are some famous personalities you may run into in the 605.

35 Movies That Take Place in South Dakota

When it comes to South Dakota and Hollywood, we've seen our fair share of films that have used our state as the backdrop for a number of productions over the years. They may not have always filmed here, but movie folk love to set stories here.

We're all familiar with the blockbusters like 1990's Dances With Wolves, 1959's North By Northwest, and more recently, 2007's National Treasure: Book of Secrets. But our state's life on the big screen goes back nearly 100 years.

According to IMDb, it all started with Courtin' Wildcats, a 1929 film which, like so many of the 29 films on this list, is a Western set in the time before South Dakota became a state in 1889.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness/B1027.com