On Thursday Jan. 14, 2015, celebrated actor Alan Rickman died of cancer, but he will be remembered through his many powerful performances.
“I’m going to count to three, there won’t be a four… Give me the code,” said Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1998).
If Die Hard is the best Christmas movie, that would make Rickman’s portrayal of the crazed Hans Gruber, one of the best Christmas villains. This is one of the many roles where Rickman played someone we loved to hate. In real life, Rickman was someone we loved to love.
Maybe you know Rickman as Metatron from Dogma, King Philip from an episode of King of the Hill, or Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest. Whether you have seen these movies or not, the take away is that Rickman could play a genius villain, but had the capability to embody characters who also made the world laugh.
“Behind [Rickman’s] mournful face, which was just as beautiful when wracked with mirth, there was a super-active spirit, questing and achieving, a super-hero, unassuming but deadly effective,” Sir Ian McKellen tweeted on Jan. 14, 2016.
The idea that Rickman had a “super-active spirit” can also be seen in the way he treated others.
“Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with,” said Daniel Radcliffe on Facebook. “He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I’ve ever met in the film industry.”
Sir Ian McKellen also laments that he had a desire to see Rickman in more classical roles, like King Lear. The possibilities of career choices that Rickman could have made if the autumn of his life had not been cut short were numerous and not restricted to any medium. Whether film, television show, or stage performance, Rickman left the world at a time when his adoring audience was wanting more.
“Alan Rickman….really. Truly Madly Deeply remains the greatest movie about love, loss… and letting go. Severus Snape… from one actor to another, thanks for the inspiration. Well done. RIP.” said Actor Viola Davis on Instagram.
To fans of the Harry Potter Series, Alan Rickman meant more than the sum of his parts. He is forever connected to a series that has changed the lives of thousands, if not millions of people spanning several generations. His kindness shone through at a personal and public level. There is no contest in saying that Rickman was a skilled, classically trained actor who gave glorious, award winning performances. It is through his role as Professor Snape that he will continue to influence people as they view the adaptation of Harry Potter to better understand the stories. His determined triumph as a character that faced pure evil, held on to love, and found redemption will not be forgotten. It is in this way that many will learn about and remember Alan Rickman. Always.