This has been an incredibly sad week. Two incredibly powerful creative forces in Bowie and Rickman have departed this world and they will be impossible to replace. Nobody did slimy like Alan Rickman, the man was oil. But with the flick of a switch he’d be brutally truthful and have an audience weeping in seconds.
Here’s a look at his remarkable career:
Harry Potter was cheesy at the best of times, but Rickman somehow managed to scrape through the fat and pull together a performance that earned him an oscar nomination in 2013.
He showed his musical talents in Sweeny Todd.
He was reunited with long time collaborators Hugh Grant and Emma Thomas in 2003’s Love Actually.
‘People didn’t get it when it first came out. It is genuinely funny, however. Extremely funny. A truly great piece of writing’ … Rickman on 1999’s Galaxy Quest.
‘She’s glorious to work with. She’s got a mind, a heart, a soul and a sense of humour’ … Rickman describes working with Kate Winslet.
This 1991 drama saw Rickman film his first ever sex scene. Close My Eyes was a massive success at the time and told the story of a twisted love triangle.
This is one of the only films to have made me cry. Truly, Madly, Deeply is undoubtedly one of the greatest films ever made. His performance in this was both real and enigmatic, it was simply stunning.
‘Because it’s a real person, you become very protective and you want to be fair to them because they have relatives’ … Rickman on his role in Michael Collins.
Rickman originally turned down the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, but producers were so keen to have him he was told he had free licence and he could interpret the role however he liked. He didn’t disappoint.
‘Slips sly and inscrutable through the action like a cat who knows the way to the cream’. The Guardians review of his performance in Les Liaisons Dangereuse (1986).
We send our condolences to the Rickman family. The world will not see his like again.
