On Jan. 14, 2016, the beloved Alan Rickman passed away at the age of 69 after fighting a battle with cancer for some time now. Fans, coworkers, and friends mourned the death of the incredible and talented man. But many seemed to look past his talent and his person and seemed to mourn for the loss of Severus Snape, who, quite frankly, had already passed away in the last "Harry Potter" book. Why were so many comparing the man to his character? Alan Rickman played a much bigger role than his "Harry Potter" character. Alan Rickman was much more than Severus Snape.
Alan Rickman was born in West London, England on Feb. 21, 1946. He was one of four children in a hardworking family. His father died from lung cancer when he was only eight. But his love and interest in the arts began in his early years, when he received a scholarship to Latymer Upper School. His talents became apparent when he performed in many school plays and also studied graphic design later on. He even started his own graphic design company with some friends called "Graphiti." After much thought and consideration, Rickman applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the age of 26. He knew that it was time to finally pursue his career in acting (and aren't we so glad he did).
He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and didn't exactly enjoy his experiences there, but in his eyes, it had to be done. But Rickman's breakthrough role was a part in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." The playwright argued that Rickman had "a kind of hypnotic effect on the people he was playing his scenes with." Rickman played this part on Broadway as well and was nominated for a Tony Award.
His movie career was kick started in 1988 with the filming of "Die Hard." His trend of playing the villain had begun with his role as Hans Gruber. Some of his other amazing films included "Quigley Down Under" (1990), "Close My Eyes" (1991), "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1991), and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (1991). While he was usually playing the villain character, Rickman thought that none of his characters could be described in "one word." Rickman received Golden Globes and Emmy Awards for his roles in "Sense and Sensibility" and " Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny."
Probably his most known role was his part in the "Harry Potter" series as Severus Snape. He was hand-picked by the author herself, J.K. Rowling. Rowling would only give him one piece of information about his character, but Rickman didn't want to "play him unless [he knew] him." Her one piece of wisdom and guidance to Rickman was the word "always."
Rickman went on to play several great roles in "Love Actually" (2003), "Snow Cake" (2006), "Nobel Son" (2007), and many others. He wrote and directed his own play, "My Name is Rachel Corrie," which recieved great reviews. He even played the role of Ronald Reagan in "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (2013), which I remember thinking was a perfect fit.
He was married to his partner for life, Rima Horton, in 2012. The two had met in 1965 while in the Group Court Drama Club. He described their wedding as "great, because no one was there." Rickman was also the Honorary President of the International Performers Aid Trust, which helps out performers who struggle with poverty. The hopes of the program is to lead the aspiring artists to a brighter future.
Rickman had an impact on many. The people he worked with looked up to him and learned from his talent and kindness. Daniel Radcliffe joked that "Alan was extremely kind, generous, self-deprecating, and funny. And certain things obviously became even funnier when delivered in his unmistakable double-bass." Jason Isaacs, known for his role as Lucius Malfoy, tweeted that "Nobody else could be as hilarious, tragic, terrifying, and truthful all at the same time." Emma Thompson, who starred with him in "Love Actually," "Sense and Sensibility," and "Judas Kiss" stated that "what [she remembers] most in this moment of painful leave-taking is his humour, intelligence, wisdom and kindness, his capacity to fell you with a look or lift you with a word."
You see, while Rickman may have played the clever, loving, and courageous Severus Snape, his life and self went way beyond that. Rickman was all of these, but he was more than a man in a book or in a movie. Rickman was a man devoted to a life of hard work and joy. Alan Rickman was much more than Severus Snape.
