‘The thing about remembering….” I read once, “is that you don’t ever forget.” And that’s especially true for the people who touch us. The ones who inspire us.
Alan Rickman, was one of those. Not only because he was a brilliant actor, but also because he was a kind man, a gentle, sweet soul who had many opinions and expressed them loudly, but who, despite playing some of the most recognizable villains of the past twenty years, lived his life with a smile. And that’s why today we want to remember the good moments, no, the great ones. We want to smile for him.
So, here are some of our favorite Alan Rickman moments. It was hard to choose. There are many of them. But that’s good. If we missed one, that’s just an excuse to go look at his work again.
“Mr Potter ...our new celebrity.” – Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
“That’s it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas.” —The Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
“I’m going to count to three...”– Hans Gruber, Die Hard
“Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad.” – Colonel Brandon, Sense and Sensibility
“By Grabthar’s hammer … what a savings.” – Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus, Galaxy Quest
“You people. If there isn’t a movie about it, it’s not worth knowing, is it?” – Metatron, Dogma
“Oh, God. I am so in the wrong. The classic fool.” – Harry, Love Actually
“I can’t help you if you don’t even know who you are.” – Blue Caterpillar, Alice in Wonderland
“It won’t work, I have an exceptionally large mind.” – Marvin, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
“I don’t have baggage. I have haulage.” —Alex Hughes, Snow Cake
Fangirlish Writers Remember Alan Rickman
Beth
It would be wonderful to think that the future is unknown and sort of surprising.” — Alan Rickman
Sitting here for over an hour thinking which moment in the many great ones that Alan Rickman created for fans, and just cannot choose one. I did have the privilege of seeing him perform live in Seminar (2011) and meeting him at the stage door. He was gracious, kind and such a gentleman and ridiculously charismatic that the woman next to me nearly went into cardiac arrest when he spoke to her. However, that quote up there… that’s how I know he lived the life he wanted, it pleased him and that whatever he’s doing now, must be brilliant, fun and ever so entertaining.
Danielle
I haven’t seen every Alan Rickman movie; I mostly know him from the Harry Potter films as Severus Snape. But I remembered him in Sweeney Todd, and how scary and dangerous he looked next to Jamie Campbell Bower. I also remembered him in Love Actually, and how he’d told his grandchild where babies come from. It’s a shame for all Rickman fans though, no matter how we’ve all come to know him as a fantastic actor and theater star. He will be missed dearly. I hope he’s telling great stories to David Bowie in Heaven somewhere.
Lizzie
Alan Rickman was Professor Snape, for me. He was many things, and I loved him since Sense and Sensibility, but ever since the first Harry Potter movie, he was, forever and always, Severus Snape. Maybe it was then that I understood how great of an actor he was, how utterly capable on inhabiting a character in a way that you could never again imagine anyone else playing the role. He was also, every time I saw him, in interviews, in awards shows, a kind and happy man – the kind of actor that’s always a joy to watch, and, the kind of man we all want to know.
Goodbye, Alan Rickman. Here at Fangirlish we’ll always, always remember you.
Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Eternal optimist. Fangirl since the dawn of time. Hates the color yellow, olives and cigarettes. Has a recurring nightmare where she’s forced to choose between sports and books. Falls in love with fictional characters.