On what would have been his 75th birthday on the February 21, let’s take a look back on the incredible life of British actor Alan Rickman.
Alan Rickman sadly passed away on January 14 2016 from Pancreatic Cancer. He was known as one of the most brilliant actors of all time, taking on some outstanding roles which has led to him becoming a household name.
Alan Rickman was born on February 21, 1946 in London, England. From an early age, Rickman showed an interest in acting as a teenager, yet he decided to pursue a career in Graphic Design after studying at the Chelsea College of Art and Design and didn’t try acting until later in life.
Rickman was known by many as an incredibly friendly guy, as well as a bird lover and a charitable man. In his personal life, his love life is known as one of the most heart-warming love stories, as he got married to his childhood sweetheart, Rima Horton, with the happy pair being together for more than four decades!
His iconic roles
After deciding to become a professional Actor, Alan Rickman took on some massive roles, making a landmark name for himself among some of the best actors Hollywood has ever seen. Let’s take a look at a few of these roles…
Die Hard (1998)
His breakout role of Hans Gruber in Die Hard put Rickman’s name on the red carpet for the world to see, by taking on the incredible main role as in one of the greatest action movies in history. Exploring the villain side of his character Hans, Rickman showed some dynamic acting abilities, most noticeably in the iconic final shootout scene which many fans remember him by. Who would have thought this breakout role would lead to a path of iconic roles and famous scenes in many more classic films. As a side point, have we decided yet whether Die Hard is or isn’t a Christmas film?
Love Actually (2003)
Next, we look at his role in the amazing Christmas classic Love Actually. Every Christmas so many of us gather to see Alan Rickman play the role of the hated Harry. In this festive romantic film, we see the effects that Harry’s affair has on his marriage. The iconic Christmas classic breaks all of our hearts as Harry begins a whirlwind romance with his co-worker Mia (Heike Makatsch) behind the back of his on-screen wife Karen (Emma Thompson) and the impact that this has on her – the necklace scene breaks me every year!
Harry Potter Series (2001-2011)
Of course, we have to talk about Rickman’s most famous role as one of the most adored movie characters of all time – Professor Severus Snape. Rickman transformed himself into the mysterious, complicated character of Snape in the franchise and gives us some of the funniest, heart-breaking yet remarkable scenes in all of the films. There is just something about Snape in the Harry Potter films that he makes the entire franchise – the character, the complexity, the acting is completely just award winning. Recently Snape has become somewhat of a TikTok trend, with people embodying the way Snape does his dramatic walk with his cape flying, with many users explaining how they love to do this in their own private time – guilty as charged!
Reflecting Today
Alan Rickman has left a trail of an incredible life, he will always be remembered by many people for all of these iconic roles, as so many of us constantly keep him in within our memories, whether that be as a Christmas villain or even as one of the most powerful wizards and the most complex figure to be known at Hogwarts. His legacy will never be forgotten. Happy Birthday to the legend that is Alan Rickman.
By Jack Proverbs
Feature image: Hello! Magazine