Alan Rickman: a Lifetime of Outstanding Roles

Alan Rickman’s stature in our hearts didn’t come from vain; his family, community and colleagues knew him as a patron of arts who worked reverently to fulfil his beliefs until his final days. Alan has set the bar since his beginning in theatre and debut feature film. He gave every character a new dimension with his impeccable acting skills, seemingly-brooding persona and coarse unnerving voice.

Alan might’ve left his mark in your memory as Hans Gruber, a role he grudgingly accepted, especially since they pushed him off a building in the end, or he might’ve drawn you in with his heart-melting charisma as Colonel Brandon. What’s for certain, though, is once you saw his approach to Professor Severus Snape, you couldn’t wipe that from your memory. Be prepared to journey through Alan’s artsy life, prominent works and interesting scientific studies about his voice.

Childhood

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman was born on February 21st, 1946, in London, England, to a decorator, factory worker, and WWII aircraft fitter Bernard William Rickman and housewife Margaret Doreen Rose. He had two brothers, David and Michael, and one sister, Sheila. Alan has Welsh and Irish ancestors, and he once joked that even though he was English, there wasn’t much English blood in him.

Alan’s most distinctive feature was his deep voice, which was a result of being born with a tight jaw, a feature that would distinguish him from fellow actors. When his father died of cancer when he was eight years old, the city council rehoused his family, and his mother had to remarry to help support him and his siblings. However, she and his stepfather divorced after three years.

Alan was a bright student and attended several prestigious schools, such as the Latymer Upper School, Chelsea College of Art and Design, followed by the Royal College of Art. Since his early years, he has mastered the arts of watercolour painting and calligraphy, and his training in school allowed him to work for the in-house magazine of the Royal College of Art as a graphic designer.

After graduating, Rickman collaborated with several friends and opened Graphiti, a graphic design studio. The studio was a great success; however, he decided to pursue acting professionally after three years. He wrote to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, requesting an audition. He attended RADA in 1972 for two years and worked as a dresser for several reputable actors.

Career

Alan Rickman’s graduation from RADA emphasised his love for theatre, which he once stated to prefer over making films. His participation in numerous theatrical groups inched him closer to performing at the Royal Court Theatre. Before joining the BBC’s cast of The Barchester Chronicles in 1982, Alan mastered theatrical roles at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Vicomte de Valmont was first on Alan’s list of his favourite and most successful theatre roles. His work with the Royal Shakespeare Company landed him Vicomte’s role, for which he earned two award nominations; a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. Alan was asked to play the Vicomte over many years, which testifies to the role’s unmatched success.

Big Break

In 1988, Alan was chosen for his first feature film, which introduced him to the world of cinema. He played terrorist Hans Gruber opposite Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Rickman mastered the role without effort; his unique and developed acting skills, polished by several years in theatre, earned him the description of the ideal antagonist. Alan’s portrayal of Gruber earned him a spot on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Heroes and Villains.

Continued Success

After his mastery performance as Hans Gruber, Rickman allied with success, which showed through his film and theatre roles. He was chosen for the refreshing feel of his voice and character in the film adaptation of Robin Hood. The Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood’s antagonist, earned a new dimension with Alan’s skills, which added a further refreshing feel to the famous folk story.

The same year, Alan proved he could masterly employ his talents, and of course, his voice, in a romantic role opposite Juliet Stevenson. He played Jamie, a man who dies and later comes to keep his saddened girlfriend company. Alan’s romantic, funny, and light performance broke him out of the villain category almost everyone had put him in. For his portrayal of Jamie, he received another BAFTA nomination in addition to both an Evening Standard British Film Award and a London Film Critics Circle Award.

Alan Rickman’s first heart-capturing role was that of Colonel Brandon in the film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Teaming up with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Grant proved to be the ideal set-up for the audience to fall in love with Rickman. Brandon sheltered sincere affection towards Winslet’s character, Marianne. Our hearts get their fill when Marianne finally sees beneath his solemn exterior. This outstanding performance earned him his third BAFTA nomination and the first nomination from the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Alan’s portrayal of the politically-whimsical Eamon de Valera became a major switch-up after Colonel Brandon’s soft feelings. The film revolves around Michael Collins, portrayed by Liam Neeson, as he seeks his country’s independence. De Valera is portrayed as Collins’ antagonist, opposing most of Collins’ political solutions in favour of realising Irish independence. Although the film suffered from a lack of political accuracy, it added the 4th BAFTA nomination to Alan’s list of award nominations.

That same year, Alan Rickman portrayed the character that collected the majority of the awards on his shelves. He played Grigori Rasputin, known as “the mad monk,” in a historical drama film called Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. This devious role won Alan all four award nominations he received for the film, including a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe.

In 2001, Alan Rickman was cast in the historical role of Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. Fans from the first film admired his portrayal of Snape and were eager to see him in the following films to see what Rickman would bring to Snape’s character. True to expectations, Alan made Severus Snape more memorable. He was so good at all the different parts of Snape’s character that it was hard to imagine anyone else doing a better job. Alan continued to play Snape until the last Harry Potter film, gripping hearts throughout the journey.

Alan Rickman’s last feature film was a political drama with a humane touch. He stated that his delight in playing the role of Lieutenant General Frank Benson came from Benson’s hesitation between the call of duty and that of humanity. Eye in the Sky was a military thriller where Benson had to authorise a military drone strike on a terrorist safehouse. However, he swivels when Benson spots an innocent woman entering the safehouse on surveillance. Alan left fans, critics, and fellow artists with a standing ovation with his last emotional performance.

Family and Personal Life

Alan’s first brush with love was a crush on a fellow student called Amanda when he was ten years old. When he was 16, he met the love of his life and his life-long partner, Rima Horton. They’ve been together since then, got married in a private ceremony in 2012, and have had no children. Rima was politically active; she worked as a councillor for the Labour Party and then as an economics professor at Kingston University.

In fulfilment of his patronage of arts and charity, Rickman worked with numerous research and aid foundations, such as Saving Faces, the International Performers’ Aid Trust and the Save the Children refugee programme. These foundations allowed him to assist in salvaging struggling artists from poverty and advocate at Oxford University to raise funds for refugee children.

Sickness and Death

Alan began to receive treatment for aggressive prostate cancer in 2005, which ultimately led to a prostatectomy the following year. The operation almost affected his decision to continue starring as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, but he decided to follow through till the end. Cancer returned in 2015, and Alan had a stroke that revealed pancreatic cancer. Alan then confided in his close circle that he had terminal cancer.

Alan Rickman’s fierce battle with cancer came to an end on January 14th, 2016, when he passed away. In fulfilment of his wishes, his body was cremated, and the ashes found their final resting place with his love, Rima Horton. The last two films Alan starred in, Alice Through the Looking Glass and Eye in the Sky, were both dedicated to his memory.

Alan Rickman’s Legacy

The news of Alan’s passing shocked fans and artists alike, for he had kept his suffering a secret. Under the “Platform 9 ¾” sign in London, fans created a memorial to remember Alan and his unforgettable role as Severus Snape. While fellow artists, such as Sir Michael Gambon, the Harry Potter author, cast, and director Kevin Smith, expressed their shock and paid tearful and heartfelt tributes to the late actor.

Appreciation of His Voice

Alan Rickman’s voice is what makes him stand out the most. It was one of the most likeable and praised things about him while he was alive, and it got even more praise after he passed away. Two researchers—a sound engineer and a linguist—sampled more than 50 voices and concluded that the perfect male voice was a combination of Alan Rickman’s and fellow actor Jeremy Irons’ voices.

In their tribute to Alan, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, and Dame Helen Mirren specifically mentioned their impressions of Alan’s rare gruff voice.

Filmography

The strict, evil and grumpy Professor Severus Snape is the character many of us will remember Alan Rickman with. However, Alan’s filmography is packed full of critically-acclaimed and worldwide successful feature films that also happen to be audience favourites. Alan’s works will live in our memories for decades to come; here’s a recount of his most distinguished roles:

Alan Rickman’s graduation from RADA emphasised his love for theatre, which he once stated to prefer over making films. His participation in numerous theatrical groups inched him closer to performing at the Royal Court Theatre. Before joining the BBC’s cast of The Barchester Chronicles in 1982, Alan mastered theatrical roles at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Vicomte de Valmont was first on Alan’s list of his favourite and most successful theatre roles. His work with the Royal Shakespeare Company landed him Vicomte’s role, for which he earned two award nominations; a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. Alan was asked to play the Vicomte over many years, which testifies to the role’s unmatched success.

Films

Year	Film	Role
1988	Die Hard	Hans Gruber
1991	Truly, Madly, Deeply	Jamie
1991	Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves	Sheriff of Nottingham
1995	Sense and Sensibility	Colonel Brandon
1996	Michael Collins	Eamon de Valera
1999	Galaxy Quest	Alexander Dane
2001	The Search for John Gissing	John Gissing
2001	Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone	Professor Severus Snape
2002	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Professor Severus Snape
2004	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	Professor Severus Snape
2005	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Professor Severus Snape
2006	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer	Richis
2007	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	Professor Severus Snape
2007	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	Judge Turpin
2009	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	Professor Severus Snape
2010	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1	Professor Severus Snape
2010	Alice in Wonderland	Absolem – voice
2011	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	Professor Severus Snape
2013	The Butler	Ronald Reagan
2015	Eye in the Sky	Lieutenant General Frank Benson
2016	Alice through the Looking Glass	Absolem – voice

Theatre

Year	Title	Role
1976	Sherlock Holmes	Sherlock Holmes
1981	The Seagull	Mr Aston
1985-1987	Les Liaisons Dangereuses	Le Vicomte de Valmont
1992	Hamlet	Hamlet
1998	Anthony and Cleopatra	Anthony
2001-2002	Private Lives	Elyot Chase
2006	My Name is Rachel Corrie	Director and editor
2010-2011	John Gabriel Borkman	John Gabriel Borkman

Television

Year	Title	Role
1978	Romeo and Juliet	Tybalt
1982	Busted	Simon
1982	The Barchester Chronicles	Obadiah Slope
1996	Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny	Grigori Rasputin
2004	Something the Lord Made	Dr Alfred Blalock
2010	The Song of Lunch	Alan Rickman (Himself)

Awards and Nominations

Alan Rickman garnered various award nominations from reputable film festivals, academies, and artistic organisations. Alan’s impeccable acting skills earned him awards and nominations early in his acting career, which testifies to his profound talent. His repertoire includes 37 award nominations and 19 wins. Here are his most notable nominations and wins:

Year	Organisation	Category	Work
1992	BAFTA	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1992	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1994	Montreal World Film Festival	Best Actor	Mesmer
1996	Golden Globe	Best Actor Miniseries or TV Film	Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiney
1996	Primetime Emmy	Lead Actor Miniseries or Film	Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiney
1996	Screen Actors Guild	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film	Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiney
1996	Satellite Awards	Best Actor in Miniseries or TV Film	Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiney
2009	Scream Awards	Best Ensemble	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2011	SD Film Critics Society	Best Ensemble Performance	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2011	People’s Choice Awards	Favourite Ensemble Movie Cast	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2011	MTV Movie Awards	Favourite Harry Potter Character Portrayal	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Alan’s garnered nominations include additional BAFTA nominations, the Drama Desk Award, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists awards. Additional organisations that sought to honour Alan’s profound talent include the Tony Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Interesting Facts and Trivia

• Alan Rickman was Tom Burke’s Godfather.

• Alan was terrified he would trap himself in the criminal stereotype after masterly portraying Hans Gruber. Surprisingly, the world noticed Rickman because of Gruber, which contradicts Alan’s reluctance to accept the role.

• In the scene where Hans Gruber falls off a building, the stuntman assisting Alan said he would drop him off the set on the count of three, but he surprised Alan by dropping him on the count of two, which generated a genuinely frightened expression.

• Harry Potter author, J. K. Rowling, shared a few secrets with Alan about Severus Snape’s true feelings towards Lily Evans, Harry Potter’s mother, early on during filming, which greatly influenced Alan’s performance in several scenes. The staff would ask Alan about those scenes, but he would only answer that he knew something they didn’t.

• J. K. Rowling imagined Alan Rickman as she wrote Severus Snape. However, the studio’s initial choice for the role was actor Tim Roth. Luckily, Roth declined, and Rickman proved to be the perfect choice.

• Empire Magazine chose Alan in two of their lists of the sexiest 100 actors of all time and one of the greatest living actors over 50.

Alan once stated he believed that actors were the agents of change, how their role in a film, a piece of music or theatre or even a contribution in a book could seem so simple, yet it could change the world.

He also said, “I’ve never been able to plan my life. I just lurch from indecision to indecision”.

When Alan talked about his work, he remarked that he loved it and took it very seriously. However, Alan surprisingly continued that the best way to take your work seriously is not to take it too seriously.

We bid you farewell, Mr Rickman, with a promise that your work and artistic patronage shall be remembered for eternity and beyond. Alan Rickman, you are deeply missed already.