Happy Birthday Alan Rickman!

Hello everyone, hope all is well. It has been quite a week and we’re only on Wednesday. Firstly, I couldn’t go to my physio appointment on Friday as I got struck down with one of the many bugs going around and couldn’t physically get out of bed long enough to be able to travel (which would have been a painful task anyway with my shoulder) thankfully, we managed to get it rescheduled for 3 weeks time! So we shall see what happens in the meantime where my shoulder is concerned. Because my dad is off, we’ve been making good use of that time by getting some things done like sorting out our current housing problems and reporting certain people who have been threatening us, and looking for a new job as my dads current one is taking its toll on his health and he needs to get a new one before it completely cripples him altogether. As well as that we’ve also been having a bit of family time just the three of us as we don’t usually get much chance to with the many appointments we constantly have to make, which we’ve also had a few of this week as well, but anyway enough of my rambling lets move on…

On with this weeks post which is on the unbelievably talented Alan Rickman. His contributions to the world of acting and his undeniable talent continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. His iconic performances, unforgettable characters, and dedication to his craft have left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Through his portrayals of a wide range of characters such as the Villainous Hans Gruber in ‘Die Hard‘ and the misjudged, cold, and serious Professor Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, Rickman touched the hearts of millions and will forever be remembered as a true legend of the silver screen. On what would have been his 77th birthday, take a look back through his life and get to know the man who is Alan Rickman.

Alan Rickman

On 21^st February 1946, Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman was born to housewife Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett) and factory worker, house painter and decorator, and former Second World War aircraft fitter Bernard William Rickman. He had two brothers named David and Michael and a sister named Sheila. Alan was born with a tight jaw, contributing to the deep tone of voice and languid delivery for which he would become famous. When he was eight years old, his father died of cancer, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings mostly alone. The family was rehoused by the council and moved to an Acton estate to the west of Wormwood Scrubs Prison, where his mother struggled to bring up four children on her own by working for the Post Office. In 1960 Margaret remarried again but would later divorce Alans stepfather after 3 years together.   

As a child, he excelled at calligraphy and watercolor painting. Rickman was educated at West Acton First School, followed by Derwentwater Primary School in Acton, and then Latymer Upper School in London through the Direct Grant system, where he became involved in drama. Rickman went on to attend Chelsea College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968. He then attended the Royal College of Art from 1968 to 1970. Following graduation, Rickman and several friends opened a graphic design studio called Graphiti, but after three years of successful business, he decided that he was going to pursue acting professionally. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1972 until 1974, where he supported himself by working as a dresser for Nigel Hawthorne and Ralph Richardson.

After graduating from RADA, Rickman worked extensively with British repertory and experimental theatre groups in productions including Chekhov’s The Seagull and Snoo Wilson’s The Grass Widow at the Royal Court Theatre. While working with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), he was cast as Jaques in As You Like It. His breakthrough role was in The Barchester Chronicles (1982) as the Reverend Obadiah Slope. He was later given the male lead role, the Vicomte de Valmont in the 1985 production of Les Liasons Dangereuses. In 1987, Rickman received both a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance.

In 1988, Rickman played the antagonist Hans Gruber in the action thriller ‘Die Hard’ in what was his first feature film. Starring opposite Bruce Willis, Rickman’s portrayal earned him critical acclaim and a spot on the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains list as the 46th best villain in film history. In 1990, he played the Australian Elliot Marston opposite Tom Selleck in ‘Quigley Down Under‘ and was later cast as the Sheriff of Nottingham in film adaptation of ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves‘ in 1991 for which he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Rickman took issue with being typecast as a villain. During this decade he would portray a range of characters that would defy media perceptions. Because of this he would later star in leading roles such as Man in ‘Closet Land’ and Jamie in ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply‘ which would earn him another BAFTA nomination, as well as Sinclair in ‘Close My Eyes‘. All three performances in these films would win him the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor. In 1995, he was cast as Colonel Brandon in ‘Sense and Sensibility‘ alongside Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet. In 1996, Alan starred as the “mad monk” in ‘Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny‘ which he won multiple awards for.

Rickman’s stage performances in the 1990s include Antony and Cleopatra in 1998 as Mark Antony, with Helen Mirren as Cleopatra. During his career, Rickman played comedic roles, including as Sir Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus in the cult classic sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest (1999) with Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver. From 2001 to 2011 Alan would go on to portray the infamous Professor Snape in the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise. His last appearance as Snape saw him receive award nominations in 2011, including at the Saturn Awards and the Scream Awards. In 2003 he starred in the ensemble Christmas-themed rom-com ‘Love Actually‘ as Harry. In 2007 he starred alongside Johnny Depp and his ‘Harry Potter’ co-star Helena Bonham-Carter as as Judge Turpin in ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street‘. His final role saw him star in ‘Eye in the Sky‘ alongside Helen Mirren as General Benson.

Rickman was an active patron of the research foundation Saving Faces and honorary president of the International Performers’ Aid Trust, a charity that works to fight poverty amongst performing artists all over the world. His last recorded work prior to his death was for a short video to help Oxford University students raise funds and awareness of the refugee crisis for Save the Children and Refugee Council. Throughout 2005, Rickman received treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, culminating in a prostatectomy in January 2006. The operation coincided with the casting for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and he deliberated over whether to return to the series, but decided in favor, stating: “The argument that wins is the one that says: ‘See it through. It’s your story.'” In August 2015, Rickman had a minor stroke, which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He revealed that he had terminal cancer to only his closest confidants. On 14 January 2016, he sadly died in London at the age of 69. His remains were cremated on 3 February 2016 in the West London Crematorium in Kensal Green. His ashes were given to his wife, Rima Horton. His final two films, Eye in the Sky and Alice Through the Looking Glass, were dedicated to his memory.

• Before turning to acting, he studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Art and Design and at the Royal College of Art, forming a successful graphic design company, Graphiti, with several friends. He also worked for the Notting Hill Herald, a small London newspaper, which he considered a stable occupation compared to acting. 
• His artistic background would later influence his meticulous approach to character development and attention to detail in his performances.  
• Rickman had a deep love for the arts, especially painting and photography. He found solace and inspiration in these creative outlets, often expressing his passion through his own artwork. 
• He was 26 years old when he auditioned with a speech from Richard III and was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious acting academy.  
• Rickman had a genuine love for storytelling and believed in the power of art to evoke emotions and provoke thought. He saw acting as a means of connecting with audiences and creating lasting memories.

• He was a versatile actor, equally comfortable in dramatic, comedic, and villainous roles. Rickman effortlessly transitioned between genres, showcasing his versatility and range as an actor. 
• Alan Rickman’s voice is one of his most recognizable traits. His deep and distinct voice made him a sought-after voice actor, lending his vocal talents to various films, documentaries, and commercials. 
• Rickman was known for his dry wit and sharp sense of humor. He often delighted audiences and his co-stars with his clever remarks and quick comebacks. 
• Before Rickman met his longtime partner Rima Horton at age 19, he stated that his first crush was at 10 years old on a girl named Amanda at his school’s sports day.
• His marriage to Rima Horton in 2012 was so secret that no one knew about it until he admitted it in 2015. 

• While filming Die Hard (1988), he was found proficient at mimicking American accents; a scene in which Hans Gruber and John McClane finally meet was then added to the screenplay. 
• For the shot where Hans Gruber falls from the top of the building in Die Hard (1988), he was dropped by a stuntman from a 20-foot-high model onto an air bag. To get a genuine surprised look, the stuntman dropped him on the count of two instead of three. 
• Despite being new to the business, Rickman still left notes on the Die Hard script. Among his suggestions were that Gruber should wear a suit and pretend to be a hostage. The director didn’t take too kindly to it at first, but suggestions were included in the final script. 
• Rickman brought work to a grinding halt on the set of Die Hard for an entire day during the filming process. The script called for Rickman to throw co-star Bonnie Bedelia to the ground. The writers had it in their head that Hans Gruber, as the villain of Die Hard, was the type of guy who wasn’t above hurting a woman to inspire fear. Rickman thought that the violence against his co-star was offensive, and flat out refused to do it. Rickman took a stand against violence against women on film that day, and successfully got the scene changed. 
• Despite his casting as villains in films like Die Hard (1988) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) in real life he was described as a very kind and very gentle man. Bonnie Bedelia his Die Hard co-star later said that she loved her time with him on set when the cameras weren’t rolling and described him as a very sweet and loving person. 

• Rickman was Harry Potter author JK Rowling’s first choice for who should play potions master Severus Snape. In fact, Rowling has even said that she pictured Snape looked like Rickman while she was writing Harry Potter.
• Despite being author J.K. Rowling’s first choice to play Snape in the Harry Potter films, he was only given the role in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) after Tim Roth backed out to star in Planet of the Apes (2001)
• Not long after he started to play Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), J.K. Rowling told Rickman some character secrets about Snape that would not be otherwise revealed until the last book. Most significantly, for over seven years, Rickman was one of the very few people other than Rowling to know that Snape had been in love with Lily when they were students at Hogwarts, and both Snape’s protection of and antagonism toward Harry came from that. 
• He Kept A Funny Sketch Of Himself Drawn By Rupert Grint During Filming. Rupert was doodling caricatures while on set one day, as he was working on one of Rickman, he had no idea that Alan himself was looking over his shoulder. Scared of what his reaction could be, he was surprised Alan was not the slightest bit upset – in fact quite the opposite. Instead he made him sign it and kept in his possession Something which he was very fond of.
• He and Sir Michael Gambon once pranked Daniel Radcliffe while filming Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban by putting a fart machine in a sleeping bag he was using for a scene.

• Rickman was aware firsthand that show business could be a rocky place to make a living, especially for young actors. A few of his co-stars have mentioned how he gave them career – and life – advice, including Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) and Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan).
• Despite his villainous roles, Alan Rickman was known for his kindness and generosity. Colleagues and friends often spoke of his warm personality and his willingness to help others. 
• Alan Rickman’s portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves became an iconic performance. His delightfully wicked and humorous interpretation of the character added depth to the classic tale. 
• He won a Golden Globe Award for his role in the TV movie Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. 
• Rickman was recognized for his exceptional talent with numerous awards and nominations. His contributions to the entertainment industry were acknowledged with accolades such as the BAFTA Award and the Emmy Award. 

• When Rickman first read the screenplay for Snow Cake, he just knew that Sigourney Weaver had to play the role of Linda Freeman. He and Weaver had been co-stars in Galaxy Quest, and he thought she’d be perfect for the part. Rickman not only suggested Weaver to the director but personally called her and told her to read the screenplay. 
• Although a highly successful film actor, he had frequently passed up film offers to return to the theatre. The theatre was a place and activity which he called “magical” and his “first love”. 
• The sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) was dedicated to his memory. 
• Was a close friend of Ruby Wax since the 1970s and they shared a house in London in the early 1980s. 
• Alan Rickman had a close friendship with fellow actor Emma Thompson. The pair worked together on several projects, including the film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. 

• His ancestry was English, Irish and Welsh; his father was Catholic and his mother a Methodist. 
• He failed his driving test for being too careful:  Rickman failed his California driving test the first time for “driving too cautiously through a green light,” 
• Alan Rickman’s influence extends beyond his acting legacy. His dedication to his craft, his kindness, and his generosity continue to inspire and impact the artistic community. 
• Was an active patron of the research foundation Saving Faces; and honorary chairman of the International Performers’ Aid Trust, a charity that works to fight poverty amongst performers all over the world. Was also active in raising funds for the Labor Party. 
• In summer 2015, he had a stroke which led to him being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He did not let it be disclosed/revealed to the public until after he died. 

Alan Rickman was a remarkable actor who left an indelible mark on the world of cinema. With his distinctive voice, impeccable acting skills, and undeniable talent, he brought numerous memorable characters to life. Alans versatility and charisma made him a beloved figure among audiences worldwide. His dedication to his craft and his ability to bring depth and complexity to his roles ensured his place in cinematic history. Alan Rickman’s legacy will continue to live on through his incredible body of work, inspiring future generations of actors and leaving an enduring impact on the entertainment industry. Here’s to you Alan, Happy Birthday!

Thank you for visiting my blog and reading today’s post. Before I say goodbye, I just want to finish off with saying a massive Congratulations to my parents who are celebrating 27 years of marriage tomorrow, they have been through some really tough times, especially in the last couple of years, but no matter what life threw at them and what they’re having to deal with now, they’ve stuck together through it all! I’m really glad their my parents and that I get to say Happy Anniversary to another year ~ Here’s to many more! Have a lovely week and I shall see you next Wednesday.