John McLane is the New York detective played by Bruce Willis in the Die Hard film series, which began in 1988 and made the character a lasting action hero. A short line like stay with me fits McLane's role as a reluctant hero who keeps fighting to protect people around him, even when he is outmatched. Short voice clips from the films circulate on soundboards and in video edits because they are instantly recognisable and carry tension without needing context. That mix of familiarity and urgency keeps the line useful for dramatic edits today.