Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (born
February 21,
1946) is an
English stage and screen actor.
Rickman was born in
Hammersmith,
London to a working-class family; his father was
Irish Catholic and his mother was
Welsh and a
Methodist; there was consequently a religious tug-of-war between his parents. His father died when Rickman was eight years old, and his mother raised him afterwards.
Rickman attended the
Chelsea College of Art and made his way as a graphic artist in
Soho. He received a scholarship to the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) which he attended from 1972 - 1974. While there, he won the
Emile Littler Prize, the
Forbes Robertson Prize, and the
Bancroft Gold Medal. Since then, he has been a constant presence on the British stage. A speech defect and an unusual tightness of his jaw have been credited with giving him his truly unique voice and line delivery.
Rickman has worked extensively with various British repertory and experimental theater groups including
The Seagull and Snoo Wilson's
The Grass Widow at the Royal Court, and has appeared three times at the Edinburgh International Festival.
While working with the Royal Shakespeare Company he starred in, among other things,
As You Like It. He made a particular impression as the male lead in the 1985
Royal Shakespeare Company production of
Les Liaisons Dangereuses. His casting as Le Vicomte de Valmont won him critical and popular acclaim as the elegant and heartless seducer. When the show came across the Atlantic in 1986, Rickman came with it to Broadway and there earned a
Tony Award nomination for his performance.
To television audiences he also became known as Mr. Slope in the
BBC's
1980s adaptation of
Barchester Towers.
|
Rickman in the role of Hans Gruber in Die Hard |
He played Irish president
Éamon de Valera in the film
Michael Collins alongside
Liam Neeson. While playing romantic leads in British movies (Colonel Brandon in
Sense and Sensibility and
Truly, Madly, Deeply), he was generally typecast in
Hollywood movies as an over-the-top
villain (German terrorist Hans Gruber in
Die Hard and the Sheriff of Nottingham in
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). He has also demonstrated considerable talent as a
comedy actor in films such as
Galaxy Quest,
Dogma, and
Love Actually. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his excellent performance as
Rasputin in 1996. He is best known as the potions professor
Severus Snape in the
Harry Potter movies. More recently, Rickman was cast as the voice of
Marvin in
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie. Coincidentally, Rickman and David Learner, who occupied Marvin's costume for the TV adaptation and stage shows, studied together at the RADA. Rickman will continue playing the Potions Master
Severus Snape in the 5th installment,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is currently being filmed in England. He will also be very busy this year with
Snow Cake (with Sigourney Weaver & Carrie-Anne Moss) which will have its debut at the
Berlinale and
Perfume: the Story of a Murderer (with Dustin Hoffman), directed by Tom Tykwer.
Alan Rickman has performed on stage in Noel Coward's romantic comedy
Private Lives, which transferred to Broadway after its successful run in London at the Albery Theatre and ended in September 2002. Rickman had reunited with his Les Liaisons Dangereuses co-star,
Lindsay Duncan, and director, Howard Davies for this Tony Award winning production.
His previous stage performance was as Marc Antony, opposite Helen Mirren as Cleopatra, in the Royal National Theatre's production of
Antony and Cleopatra at the Olivier Theatre in London, which ran October 20th through December 3rd, 1998. Before that, he performed in Yukio Ninagawa's
Tango at the End of Winter in London's West End and the Riverside Studio production of
Hamlet in 1991, directed by Robert Sturua. And even directing
The Winter Guest at London's Almeida Theatre in 1995 (of which he also directed the film version in 1996 starring
Emma Thompson and her real life mother
Phyllida Law ).
Rickman has also been featured in several musical works - most notably in a song composed by the English songwriter
Adam Leonard. Moreover, the actor played a ‘Master of Ceremonies' part in announcing the various instruments in
Mike Oldfield's
Tubular Bells II on the track 'The Bell'. Mr. Rickman was also one of the many artists who recited Shakespearian sonnets on the 2002-released
When Love Speaks CD, and is also featured prominently in a
Texas music-video entitled "In Demand", which premiered on Europe MTV in August 2000.
My Name is Rachel Corrie
Rickman directed the play
My Name Is Rachel Corrie in April 2005 at the
Royal Court Theatre, London, and won the Theatre Goers' Choice Awards for best director. The production is based on the writings of
Rachel Corrie, the 23 year old American woman who was killed on March 16, 2003 by an
Israeli Army
bulldozer while she was protesting the demolition of
Palestinian homes. The circumstances surrounding her death have been disputed. The
International Solidarity Movement, of which Corrie was a part, say that she was run over on purpose, but the
Israeli Defence Forces have said it was an accident and that she was killed by falling debris. Corrie left behind a series of diaries and emails that have been edited together by Katherine Viner and Alan Rickman. The play was scheduled to be transferred to the
New York Theatre Workshop in March 2006. However, the New York theatre decided that the play was to be"postponed indefinitely", in fear of reactions from different political parties. In two articles in
The Guardian, Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner both denounced the decision.
My Name Is Rachel Corrie played successfully to a larger audience at the
West End's
Playhouse Theatre in London from March to May 2006. The play will finally be shown in New York City at the Minetta Lane Theater in Greenwich Village from October 15th on. The play is to run for 48 performances, closing on November 19th.
Although he has never married, he has been romantically involved with Rima Horton since their days at the Chelsea College of Art. They have no children, although Mr. Rickman said in a 1998 interview that he would have loved a family.
The Villa Golitsyn (2007), as Will Ludley
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), as
Severus SnapeNobel Son (2006), as Eli
Snow Cake (2006), as Alex
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), as Antoine Richis
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), as
Severus SnapeThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) as the voice of
Marvin the Paranoid AndroidHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), as
Severus SnapeSomething the Lord Made (2004), as Dr.
Alfred BlalockLove Actually (2003), as Harry
King of the Hill-"Joust Like a Woman" (2002) as King Philip
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), as
Severus SnapeThe Search for John Gissing (2001), as John Gissing
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), as
Severus SnapeBlow Dry (2001), as Phil Allen
Play (2000), as M
*Galaxy Quest (1999), as Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus
*Dogma (1999), as Metatron
*Dark Harbor
(1998), as David Weinberg
*Judas Kiss
(1998), as Detective David Friedman
*The Winter Guest (1997) (director) (uncredited), Man in street
*Michael Collins (1996), as Eamon de Valera
*Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), as Grigori Rasputin
*Sense and Sensibility (1995), as Colonel Brandon
*An Awfully Big Adventure
(1995) as P.L. O'Hara
*Mesmer
(1994), as Franz Mesmer
*Bob Roberts (1992), as Lukas Hart III
*Closet Land (1991), as The Interrogator
*Close My Eyes
(1991) as Sinclair Bryant
*Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), as the Sheriff of Nottingham
*Truly Madly Deeply (1991) as Jaime
*Quigley Down Under (1990), as Elliot Marston, an unscrupulous ranch owner
*The January Man (1989), as Ed, the painter.
*Die Hard'' (1988), as
Hans Gruber.
