Alan Rickman sadly passed away today after losing his battle with cancer. Though Rickman is gone, his acting legacy lives on, and the Hypable staff is paying tribute.
Alan Rickman didn’t seriously pursue acting until his late 20s, as he stated in a Time Out 1986 interview. “Drama school wasn’t considered the sensible thing to do at 18,” he said. For someone whose TV and film career didn’t begin until the age of 32, Alan Rickman more than made up for lost time.
Rickman’s acting range was vast. He could play a frustrated sheriff, a cheating husband, a murderous villain, a brooding professor, and a forlorn lover with equal skill. No matter what he did, there was an honesty about each and every one of his performances whether they were nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe or a BAFTA. Rickman never received an Oscar nomination, but he held his own on screen with multiple previous winners, such as Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Kate Winslet, and Helena Bonham Carter.
Here are the roles in which the Hypable staff will forever remember Rickman:
Colonel Brandon — ‘Sense and Sensibility’
By Laura Byrne-Cristiano @NewYorkerLaura
I love Jane Austen, and the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility ranks among not only my favorite Austen adaptations, but it’s also one of my favorite films of all time. Rickman’s portrayal of Colonel Brandon is a quietly beautiful story of a man who is waiting for true love. Even though he is madly in love with Marianne Dashwood, played by Kate Winslet, she barely realizes that he is alive and worthy of her notice until the end of the film. In the DVD commentary, Emma Thompson refers to Brandon as something of a male Cinderella.
Rickman’s portrayal of Colonel Brandon is what you could call a slow burn. He keeps his feelings guarded; his face is a mask of his true feelings until Marianne’s life is in jeopardy. The mask finally drops when he begs Marianne’s older sister, played by Emma Thompson, “Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad.” His every action in the film is about helping Marianne with little hope for anything in return. He helps her despite having been rejected as a love interest because that’s what an honorable man should do. Rickman plays every level of true friend to unrequited lover with heartbreaking grace.
Sheriff of Nottingham — ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’
By Brittany Lovely @britlovely237
Buried beneath the mound of sub-par performances that is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a single gem. Taking the well-worn role of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Alan Rickman saw an opportunity to run away with the villain. And run he did, all the way to a BAFTA win for supporting actor in the 1991 film.
As Rickman described in his acceptance speech, “I’ll take this as a reminder that subtly isn’t everything.” He was a gold digger in the best and worst way. His demeanor was quite possibly what Johnny Depp was hoping to mirror in Captain Jack Sparrow. Rickman had the innate ability to present both humor and terror with a single line and to spin dialogue from one to the other on a single word. Rickman’s response to his scene partners, especially the more notably dim-witted of the Sheriff’s crew, showcased the actor’s strong stage training. From his inflection, to the slightest turn of his head, Rickman’s performance carried the otherwise lackluster film to notoriety.
Severus Snape — ‘Harry Potter’
By Karen Rought @Karen_Rought
For many of us, Alan Rickman’s defining role is Severus Snape. That is not to say his career hasn’t been prolific, or that he has had no other impactful roles. Rickman’s ability to change his face, his voice, his character is the reason why his parts have been both varied and affecting. His skill of becoming the person he’s portraying is why he has been lauded both on stage and on the screen.
But there’s just something about him as Severus Snape that stays with Harry Potter fans. The character is a divisive one, but Rickman’s time as the Hogwarts professor has left a deep impact on us. He helped bring to life a story that has been a part of, and in many cases has defined, our childhood. He’s had the privilege of being both a fan of the story, and a cog in the machine that made the story come alive.
And Severus, love him or hate him, brought a profound complexity to Harry Potter’s tale. He stood by Voldermort’s side and yet he loved a muggle-born girl. He hated James Potter, and by association Harry Potter, and yet he gave his life for the son of the woman he could never have.
Losing Alan Rickman is like losing a little bit of that childhood, a little bit of the story that has warmed our hearts since we first read it and first saw it on screen. But film is forever, and Alan Rickman’s legacy will live on, always.
Judge Turpin — ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’
By Kristen Kranz @kranzie85
In addition to fan favorite roles like Snape and Hans Gruber, I love what Alan Rickman brought to Tim Burton’s version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He breathed horrible life into an awful character in a play chock full of despicable people. Those that hadn’t had the honor of living near a city in which Mr. Rickman was appearing live got a chance to see him in a role that has survived for decades on stage. It wasn’t his flashiest or juiciest role, but we saw a new side to Rickman’s acting.
The role of Judge Turpin offered more to audiences than just a chance to watch Rickman act opposite Johnny Depp in a classic role. It gave us the chance to hear him sing. He wasn’t a powerhouse vocalist, but his simple, melodic harmonies to Depp’s straight forward melody made the song Pretty Women one of this writer’s absolute favorites. There’s just something about hearing a beloved actor sing that touches something deep in your heart. I’m grateful his singing voice is immortalized for generations after us to hear. It just adds one more facet to an already incredible talent.
Rickman may have taken it upon himself to play some pretty incredible villains during his time, but somehow, we always felt safer when he was around. His soothing and deep voice added gravitas to any role he took on, and we trusted him to make whatever he touched great. We will remember him as Snape, as Turpin, and as one of the finest actors our generation was privileged to watch on screen.
Hans Gruber — ‘Die Hard’
By Joshua Nealey @JoshuaNealey
Alan Rickman was scary and hilarious at times in his role as Hans Gruber, the evil villain of 1988’s Die Hard. The character has been mimicked and mocked so many times it’s hard to remember a party that didn’t include at least one of his great lines.
As always, Rickman put his incredible touch on the villain, making him lovable all while being on a murdering spree. Rickman and Bruce Willis both became superstars in the film as they faced off with each other, with a terrorist plot to steal $600 million, which seems quite real in a time of real world chaos.
While the character could have been done by a number of actors, Alan was able to give Hans Gruber so much style that Rickman would go on to play many other similar villains, who were all equally impressive. Despite his evil roles, he had done incredible work in a wide range of films, and he’ll always be remembered as one of the most versatile actors of our time.