We are saddened to report that Alan Rickman has passed away at the age of 69. The actor became an icon for playing Hans Gruber, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and of course Severus Snape.
Rickman was interested in drama as a child, but spent a few years of his life working as a graphic designer before finally deciding that he’d regret it if he didn’t try acting. He auditioned for RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and landed a place there in his late 20s. He spent a decade on stage before taking his first film role, the instantly legendary turn as Hans Gruber in Die Hard. He followed that with a role as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood that nearly made that film watchable. He spoofed Spock with a his portrayal of Sir Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus in the cult classic Galaxy Quest, played the angel Metatron (the voice of God) in Dogma, and provided the perfect voice for Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
In 2001 he took the role that would endear him to a new generation of fans: Severus Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts. For the next decade he played Harry Potter’s teacher and nemesis, growing as the character did, and imbuing Snape with a sense of tragedy that provided a second heart to the films.
Alan Rickman was an extraordinary actor, and it’s a testament to his range that, most likely, each of you reading this has a personal favorite Rickman role. Time and again he took characters that could have been cardboard villains or easy caricatures, and made them real, flesh-and-blood, human. He will be greatly missed.
By Grabthar’s Hammer, by the Suns of Warvan, you shall be missed.
Oh, this just breaks my heart.
Yes, great range, seen also in “Song of Lunch” and “The Barchester Chronicles.”
I’m currently rereading the Potter series and of course picture everybody from the films as I’m reading, even when reading scenes that didn’t make it onto the screen.
Argh indeed.
Less well known than his role as Snape was Rickman’s vocal “guest appearance” on Mike Oldfield’s fantastic Tubular Bells 2 album in the track “The Bell.” This is very much worth a listening to, even if you have no idea who Mike Oldfield is. Although it was recorded long before Harry Potter came around, I still like to imagine Professor Snape listening to the album (perhaps on an ancient, magically-powered gramophone) in his study and at least humming along with the instrumental sections. When no one else was around.
You will be missed. RIP
Wow. Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie and Alan Rickman in less than a month. That’s not cool.
Alice in Wonderland (The Blue Caterpillar)
Sweeney Todd (Judge Turpin)
Rasputin (Rasputin)
Sense and Sensibility (Colonel Brandon)
Truly Madly Deeply (Jamie)
The Butler (Ronald Reagan—!!!!!)
And the list goes on…
Such an amazing actor. It feels like we get to know them, if only a little, through their work playing characters on the stage or screen. It was nice to read all the stories today from people who knew him or have met him IRL. I think a Rickman movie marathon may be in order this weekend.
Don’t miss a purely vocal performance of AR’s that is genius: the one audiobook narration of his that I have been able to find – Thomas Hardy’s “Return of the Native.” Even if you think you don’t like Hardy, or have never tried any, it’s worth it for AR’s ravishing voice.
He was one of the truly great character actors on screen. Whether he was playing a villain, a comedian, or a ghost lover he brought a certain humanity to each skin he wore.
That loss will be painfully felt … :(
He was even fantastic in The January Man–and there aren’t many that could say that.
SO sad :( I really fell in love with him through Galaxy Quest, but his role about Snape really transformed the character, to the point where it almost improves on what is on the book (I’m not sure if I really mean that, as book Snape is certainly a complex and well drawn character and was my favorite even before the movies came out).
But who else could turn something as inoccuous as ‘turn to page three hundred and ninety four’ into such a memorable line. :(
My husband hoped to spare me finding out online, so he called me while I was on a business trip at 9:30 this morning (eastern time; it was earlier at home). This basically resulted in me freaking out in front of my customer, ha.