Believe it or not, its been five years since we lost Alan Rickman. When he passed, it was a shock to us all. He had been battling pancreatic cancer privately, and by the time we all knew about it he was gone. He died on January 14th, 2016 at the age of 69.
Rickman was an amazing actor. He could take on any role you threw at him. And funnily enough his role as Professor Snape in the “Harry Potter” films, the cold and admonishing Severus was probably the least like his real personality. He was said to be able to light up a room and had a special demeanor that made you feel seen.
Daniel Radcliffe who played Harry Potter throughout the entire “Harry Potter” series said this on his Google+ page:
“Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I’ve ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I’m pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn’t have to do that. I know other people who’ve been friends with him for much much longer than I have and they all say “if you call Alan, it doesn’t matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he’s doing, he’ll get back to you within a day”.
Daniel Radcliffe
Sean Biggerstaff who played Oliver Wood in “Harry Potter” said:
“I could talk to him when times were tough. Having someone as brilliant as Alan having believe in me was an incredible safety net against the worst situations.”
Biggerstaff to HeraldScotland.com
Not only is he a person that is fondly remembered by actors but also those of charities he worked closely with. He was an advocate for many but the one that stands out the most was Saving Faces, a facial surgery research foundation. When Rickman died they released a public letter, “Farewell to our Wonderful Patron, Alan Rickman.”
His death is one that will always be remembered and his life will be celebrated. He was kind, genuine and one hell of an actor.
Fans will also be able to get more insight into the man behind the roles when Rickman’s diaries get published sometime in 2022.
