What a week. I was not going to write about this, but I don't feel right not doing so. I understand that there have probably been dozens of articles on this, but nevertheless, here we are.
The purpose of this piece is to do two things. First, it is to mourn the loss of a brilliant actor who brought the character of Severus Snape to life. Alan Rickman died after his battle with cancer on January 14, 2016. Rickman concealed the fact that he was terminally ill and, in what I believe to be a consoling factor, he was surrounded by his beloved friends and family as he drew his last breath in a world he greatly impacted. Like David Bowie, who died on the 10th, he was 69 years old. Though his time came too soon, there is no doubt that Rickman lived one hell of a life.
But the second and most important purpose: We are here to celebrate and remember the joy that Rickman brought to those who saw his many works.
Alan Rickman appeared in many movies, including "Die Hard" and the new "Alice in Wonderland" movies. But for many, his biggest role came in the "Harry Potter" films as the character Severus Snape, the professor of potions at the magical school of Hogwarts. In casting the role for the sniveling potions master, the choice of Rickman was a home-run...or like catching the Snitch to win a Quidditch match.
The character himself was an intricate puzzle. For most of the series, we are presented with a Snape who is bitter and most likely the winner of the "World's Worst Professor Award." He has a disdain towards many students, particularly the main protagonist, Harry Potter. Yet in each book and movie, we are presented with little clues to suggest that there is more to Snape than meets the eye. Despite the fact that he kills a huge character and seems to be working for the villains of the series, Snape turns out to be a double agent who meets his end due to Voldemort's fears, although never being truly discovered. It's through the memories of Snape that Harry learns of Snape's love towards Harry's mother, Lily, and his disdain for Harry's father, James.
While working with the cast, Rickman proved that he was the complete opposite of the character he portrayed. Many of the cast of "Harry Potter" were young children, and Rickman had already starred in numerous roles. He proved to be a mentor for many of the cast and was a source of support for Daniel Radcliffe (who played Harry Potter) and was even known to play his fair share of practical jokes. I'm sure the video has made its way around the internet of the scene in the Great Hall during the filming of "The Prisoner of Azkaban." During this scene, unbeknownst to Radcliffe, Rickman had placed a fart noise machine in his sleeping bag. What made this even more funny was that Radcliffe was laying next to a girl whom he had a crush on at the time, which added to the joke and Radcliffe's embarrassment. In another case, Rupert Grint, who played the role of Ron Weasley, once drew an unflattering drawing of Rickman in his Professor Snape attire. Well, Rickman saw it, and to Grint's relief, the talented actor laughed and even kept the drawing from that day forward.
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to a talented and beloved actor. Rickman portrayed Snape as if he were born to do it. Considering that he was told, as he put it, "a little piece of information out of left field" by author J.K. Rowling, he shaped his portrayal of Snape beautifully. No one else could have done it better.
So, we raise our wands to the sky and say goodbye to Alan Rickman. At the beginning, you were our favorite Hogwarts professor to hate but by the end, you were one of our favorites. You will forever be with us...Always.
