“It may have escaped your notice, but life isn’t fair”. -Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
On January 14, 2016, the world lost a legend. Alan Rickman, with over 45 movies under his belt, passed away Thursday, January 14 after battling cancer. Most people know Rickman from the popular movie series Harry Potter, and I nearly cried when I saw the news. Not only was he well known as a movie actor, but also as a theatrical actor. On Broadway, he was part of the original cast of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1987, the revival of Prive Lives in 2002, and in 2011, he took part in the play Seminar.
Rickman was a man of many skills, possessing the ability to perform not only on camera but also live. Most movie and TV show actors rely on retakes to help them if they mess up a scene. But Rickman was no amateur; he was able to act in front of an audience daily on the Broadway stage, where there are no retakes if something goes wrong during a scene -- the show must go on. It takes a lot of skill to handle a live audience every night and be flawless, but somehow, Rickman did it, both in film and on stage.
Because of his most popular roles on screen, most people would think that Rickman was a very strict, cold person. However, he once said,“I do take my work seriously and the way to do that is not to take yourself too serious.” Rickman did not seem a cold-hearted person like his most popular portrayal, he was just really good at acting cruel. Though his chilling tone and aggressive eye contact made him a perfect Snape, Rickman's various other roles, whether in movies or plays, showed him to be more than just a dark wizard with an affinity for black.
Alan Rickman will be forever in our memories, especially with those who grew up to watching him portray Professor Snape on the movie screen. He played a large part in Harry Potter's life throughout the films, as well as in the lives of many of the actors he worked with. There will never be a Professor Snape to replace Alan Rickman, nor will there ever be someone with such a distinct, soothing voice. Although he may be gone, he will always be in our hearts. Always.
