Remembering Alan Rickman: Part Two
This morning, like most of us, I woke up to the news that Alan Rickman had passed away. At first, I was absolutely distraught. This hit me significantly harder than the similar news about David Bowie earlier this week; admittedly, it took all of my strength to even get out of bed this morning. These past few hours, I’ve been walking around in a haze, avoiding the upsetting social media posts, and trying to gather my thoughts.
Why did everyone love Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape so much? Maybe it was his cold-yet-contemplative stare or his nonchalant attitude. Maybe it was the fact that Rowling, the woman who gave the character life, believed in him so much that she entrusted him with Snape’s secrets before they were even written; she trusted him, so we trusted him. He was such a perfect fit for the role, from his first snarky comments to his last apologetic sigh.
What comes to mind when I think of Alan Rickman? Immediately, I think of my best friend. Snape is her favorite character. When I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I bought her Snape’s wand. When she got married, she requested an Alan Rickman look alike for her bachelorette party (unfortunately, I couldn’t find one, but can you imagine?). When I got on Facebook this morning, her post was the first I saw, and I knew she was in much more pain than I was.
When I remember Alan Rickman, I remember my first year of high school—that was the year Sweeney Todd came out. I loved that movie, and I loved his portrayal as Judge Turpin. I loved hearing his singing voice, and I remember how beautiful I thought it was. I giggled when Timothy Spall, better known as Peter Pettigrew, called him “my Lord” while at his side. My lovely mentor, Rachael, also reserves a special place in her heart for this role he played. She wrote a wonderful remembrance post this morning, which is Part 1 of this Part 2.
When I remember Alan Rickman, I remember that time he flipped a table in slow motion. What even was that? I watched it over and over again. His facial expressions are simply hilarious.
These are special moments for me that will never be forgotten. We want to know what memories you have of this wonderful man, so please don’t hesitate to post in the comments. While we are all in mourning, there is no better time to celebrate Alan Rickman. He brought light into many people’s lives and will always be remembered. Always.
