Receiving news of a death is never easy. It’s like staining your off-white shirt with that pasta you knew you shouldn’t have ordered on your first date. It’s messy, it’s frustrating, and it’s certainly the last thing you thought you’d have to deal with. You look down and you’re thinking, “Oh no. No, no, no, no, no how did this happen? Everything was fine two seconds ago! Why this? Why now?” The universe, which seemed to be in perfectly good order only moments ago, has suddenly collapsed around you. And while you sit there in utter shock with that stupefied look on your face, the shaky voice in the back of your head whispers, “What now?”
Now imagine this on a global scale.
Tuesday, January 14 the world was still recovering from its last spaghetti stain setback: the death of beloved pop star David Bowie. Then news of a brand new catastrophe hit the web mere hours after its occurrence, and not a single person was prepared to bear it as they groggily forced themselves out of bed that morning.
For me, it was not BBC or The Guardian who acted as the bearer of bad news, but my mother. I had yet to even reach for my toothbrush when I saw her oddly grim face materialize in my bathroom mirror. She delivered the news before I could even form the beginnings of a puzzled frown.
“Alan Rickman died.”
Confirmation of this followed me the rest of the day, snubbing any chances of a long-lasting state of denial. I saw it in the bombardment of text message from my peers. I heard it whispered in classroom corners and in crowded hallways. I watched the Internet explode in a fury of tributes and signs of bereavement.
The world, at this point, had bowed in a reluctant acceptance. But the question is, why? Who exactly was this man? Why would he matter to a gaggle of teenagers in little old Corona, California?
Unlike many revered British stage and film actors, Rickman was not born to a wealthy upper class family. Born to a middle class housewife and factory worker, he worked hard to pursue his passion for acting.
He began his career by delving deep into the roots of entertainment, making his debut as a stage actor. After working for the Royal Shakespeare Company for some time, Rickman decided to venture blindly into the world of film acting, landing the role of Die Hard villain Hans Gruber only two days after arriving Los Angeles. Rickman claimed that he knew next to nothing about film or L.A. at the time, and nearly turned down the role that would skyrocket him into the industry.
Gruber was one of his most memorable characters, but the achievements did not stop there. He has received a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, though these hardly measure the scope of his legacy. Rickman’s iconic deep bass voice and rich speech style has left its mark on countless films, garnishing each of his characters with an additional layer of enticing intrigue. His roles ranged from notorious villains to romantic comedy gurus. Older movie lovers will remember him from his earlier works, such as Sense and Sensibility, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny, and Love Actually. However, a younger generation of fans has immortalized him for his perhaps most recognized role of all time: Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series.
Though Snape was thoroughly despised by fans for the first six movies, he emerged as an unlikely antihero whose tragic backstory and selfless display of sacrifice earned him eternal praise and adoration from fans around the world. Rickman’s mastery of characteristic sneers, of slow, sarcastic japes and heartbreaking one-liners brought an extra dimension to the character that Snape’s book counterpart could only long for.
Upon hearing news of his untimely death from pancreatic cancer, his Potter family relinquished a barrage of touching sentiments over social media, thanking him for not only his talent and contributions to the film industry, but most importantly for the deeply personal impact left by his immeasurable kindness and priceless heart-to-heart advice. Young Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Evanna Lynch both shared lengthy accounts of how Rickman’s encouragement and mentorship forever shaped their futures.
“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,” Radcliffe noted. “…As an actor he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child. Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career.”
Perhaps the most stirring message came from Rickman’s long time friend and costar Emma Thompson.
“Alan was my friend and so this is hard to write because I have just kissed him goodbye,” writes Thompson. “What I remember most in this moment of painful leave-taking is his humor, intelligence, wisdom and kindness. His capacity to fell you with a look or lift you with a word. The intransigence which made him the great artist he was—his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me, and the fact that he never spared me the view. I learned a lot from him. He was the finest of actors and directors. I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do with his face next. I consider myself hugely privileged to have worked with him so many times and to have been directed by him. He was the ultimate ally. In life, art and politics. I trusted him absolutely. He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again.”
Rickman and Thompson starred in a vast number of projects together, including Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually, and Harry Potter. The duo was extremely close on and off the set, and their friendship radiated an admirable strength untainted by romance.
It would be wrong to assume that members of the Potter cast were the only ones to pay tribute to Rickman.
“Beyond a career which the world is indebted to, he was a constant agent for helping others. Whether to institutions like RADA or to individuals and certainly to me, his advice was always spot-on. He put liberal philanthropy at the heart of his life” wrote Ian McKellen over twitter.
As McKellen mentioned, Rickman’s endeavors went beyond the world of entertainment. Rickman was dedicated to a number of charitable movements, his most recent outreach (and possibly his final work) being a December donation ad for Save the Children and Refugee Council. It seems that even in the heat of a battle against cancer, Rickman strove to play a final role in this world for those who needed him most.
But, as we all know, you didn’t have to be a celebrity or starving child to be within reach of his influence. Fans young and old flooded their blogs and social media accounts with tribute messages, artwork, and stories capturing the profound effect this remarkable stranger had on their lives. Many thanked him for the life lessons knowingly and unknowingly given, for the words of wisdom that lifted many hearts in troubling times, for the eternal stories to be treasured and learned from.
“There was once a girl who didn’t fit in, who wasn’t happy, and who desperately wanted to escape…I want to thank you for making this girl complete, and for being a part of the world inside my head,” one fan shared on her blog, putitinaloveheart. “…I want to thank you for being a part of my childhood, one that began lonely and out of place, but has flowered into an appreciation for wonder and hope for magic. We want to thank you for all that you have done for us. We will always remember you. Always.”
This online letter was only one of many written by fans from around the world.
Physical tributes included flowers and letters left at various Harry Potter attractions, such as Platform 9 and ¾ at Kings Cross, London and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. Visitors to the latter posted a picture on Instagram of dozens of wands raised in memoriam before the Hogwarts Castle as done in the films as a symbol of mourning.
We wonder: was he ever aware of the extension of his reach? Did he ever truly grasp what he meant to the troubled and friendless teenager, to the insecure young actor? Rickman was known to be a humble man, firmly claiming that “Parts win prizes, not actors” despite his success. However, he appeared to understand the amount of influence he possessed, as well as the obligation at hand.
The following was taken from IFC’s “Interview: Alan Rickman on ‘Noble Son’”:
“It’s not just work, it’s your life. And it’s a human need to be told stories. The more we’re governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are, why we are, where we come from, and what might be possible. Or, what’s impossible? What’s a fantasy?
“Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.”
Rickman was also known to have famously stated, “Talent is an accident of the genes- and a responsibility.”
So there you have it. His words of wisdom, his eternalized artwork, and his passion for storytelling will be cherished and upheld in our hearts for as long as stories continue to be told.
Some mourn a mentor, some mourn a friend, but we all mourn a legend.
Alan Rickman (1946 – 2016 Always)
