Is Hit Man based on a true story?

A new movie called “Hit Man” is now playing in theaters. Directed by Richard Linklater, this film titled “Killer by Chance” follows the story of Gary Johnson (played by Glen Powell), an investigator who pretends to be a hitman but ends up becoming a real criminal. The story is based on a true character.

Back in 2001, journalist Skip Hollandsworth wrote an article for Texas Monthly magazine about the life of Gary Johnson, a man who pretended to be a murderer to help the Houston police catch people trying to hire a hitman. When not working for the police, he was a teacher at a local school and lived a completely everyday life with his two cats, which helped maintain his anonymity.

While the movie uses Gary Johnson’s real name and many details from the article, it also adds a new twist by exploring what would happen if this man fell in love with a woman he met through his work. Linklater was aware of Hollandsworth’s article when it was published since the journalist is a friend of his. However, the project actually gained momentum during the pandemic when Powell, who co-wrote the screenplay, approached Linklater about the story.

In the film, Gary works as a philosophy and psychology professor and also does tech work for covert operations in New Orleans. When another corrupt police officer is suspended, they call on Gary for help.

That’s when he meets Madison (played by Adria Arjona), a woman who contacts Gary to get rid of her controlling husband. For Madison, Gary assumes the identity of “Ron.” However, after confirming the abuse she suffers, he offers her a way out: he tells her to take the money he’s giving her and use it to start a new life.

This detail is taken from Hollandsworth’s article, which describes a call Johnson received from a woman who had been telling a Starbucks employee that she was looking for someone to kill her abusive boyfriend. Instead of conducting a covert operation, Johnson decided to help her by providing resources to seek help at a shelter.

However, in the movie version, the relationship between Gary and Madison goes further. Madison approaches Gary as “Ron,” and Gary accepts her offer to meet her. While the real Gary Johnson was divorced three times, according to Texas Monthly, the film introduces an epic love story between the two characters.