I was incredibly shocked to hear about the death of one of the most beloved actors who is especially known from the "Harry Potter" series. Alan Rickman died on Thursday, Jan. 14 at the age of 69. He fell victim to his battle with cancer. Many of his co-stars from the "Harry Potter" series have reached out through social media to share their love for this inspirational man. Danielle Radclifffe, known for his role as Harry Potter, shared a touching message stating, "as an actor he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child." Emma Watson, known for her role as Hermione Granger, shared a tweet stating, "I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor. I'll really miss our conversations." It is clear to see Rickman was a genuine and unique actor and man. It was difficult trying to narrow down the best moments of Severus Snape and the best performances of Alan Rickman throughout the "Harry Potter" series. Here are some of the many moments in which we fell in love with Rickman's portrayal of Severus Snape.
1. Every time he said "Potter."
2. The ultimate death glare.
I can relate to the "why do I deal with you people?" face and classic strut away on a personal level. My favorite, underrated side of Snape that more people need to be talking about is his sassy side. His "resting face" clearly showed how annoyed and done he is with everyone throughout the whole series.
3. His subtle, sarcastic remarks.
Snape has some of the best clever, witty and sarcastic quotes. This is seen even in this quote when he is subtly referring to Professor Lupin turning into a werewolf during full moon. This cold character always manages to throw in some dark humor throughout the series. Rickman expresses these lines with a monotone voice, which makes them even more amusing and entertaining.
4. The mutual hatred for Dolores Umbridge.
Professor Umbridge is one of the best characters that you love to hate. Starting from the overflow of pink attire, the giggles and the creepy cat plates hung up in her office, she gives cat ladies a bad name. Not surprisingly, Snape instantly dislikes Umbridge and finds her "sweet" remarks to be annoying. His sassy side is revealed many times when interacting with her.
5. His defense against the dark arts skills.
Professor Lockhart follows Umbridge in the most annoying Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. It is satisfying to see him get schooled by Snape, especially after referring to Snape as his "assistant." Doesn't he know who he's messing with? Snape owns him in the duel and makes him look like an even bigger fool, if that's even possible.
6. His heartbreaking memories.
The full and untold story of the unlikely hero is finally revealed in the last film. The memories that are revealed from his tear drop before he dies gives us a real look into his life, which completely changes Harry Potter's perspective of Snape. He fell in love with Lily, and experienced a whirlwind of anger from being bullied by James Potter and having her choose to be with him. He lived as a double agent for serving both Lord Voldemort and Professor Dumbledore. Even though he did not end up with Lily, he still wanted to do anything he could to make sure she was safe. His most heartbreaking memory is discovering her dead body after Lord Voldemort killed her. Even though he despised Harry's father, he still protects Harry from the beginning because of his love for his mother. To be honest, I cry everytime this scene comes on. The scene revealing Snape's memories is the best performance that Rickman gave in the "Harry Potter" series.
7. "You have your mother's eyes."
These are the last words spoken before his death. This line is said repeatedly throughout the films. I felt that this line finally meant something greater when Snape speaks it right before he dies. It was as if this line was built up to this last moment. It is a final farewell to Lily's son, whom he swore to protect in hoping to be reunited with Lily. Cue the tissues.
8. "Always."
Snape always protects Harry throughout the series, due to the powerful love he feels for Lily. We will always love Snape and Alan Rickman. He portrayed Snape beautifully, with such raw emotions. I can't imagine another actor demonstrating the complexity and character development of Snape that Alan Rickman has done.
Rest in peace, Alan Rickman, always.
