Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep,languid voice, he trained at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of theRoyal Shakespeare Company, performing in modern and classical theatre productions. He played the Vicomte de Valmont in the RSC stage production ofLes Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985, and after the production transferred to theWest End in 1986 andBroadway in 1987, he was nominated for aTony Award.
Alan Rickman was born on 21 February 1946 inBrentford,London, and grew up inActon, London.[4][5][6] His parents were housewife Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett)[6][7][8][9][10] and factory worker, house painter and decorator, and formerSecond World Waraircraft fitter Bernard William Rickman.[6][10][11][12][13] His mother was Welsh, and his paternal grandmother was Irish. Rickman would later say in April 2015, "I was talking toSharleen Spiteri about being aCelt, how you smell each other out, because my mother's family is Welsh. There's not a lot of English blood in me."[14] His father wasCatholic and his mother was aMethodist.[15] He had two brothers named David and Michael and a sister named Sheila.[6]
Rickman was born with a tight jaw, contributing to the deep tone of voice and languid delivery for which he would become famous.[16][17] He said that a vocal coach told him he had a "spastic soft palate".[18] When Rickman was eight years old his father died of cancer, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings mostly alone. According to biographer Maureen Paton, the family was "rehoused by the council and moved to an Acton estate to the west ofWormwood Scrubs Prison, where his mother struggled to bring up four children on her own by working for thePost Office".[6][19] Margaret Rickman married again in 1960, but divorced Rickman's stepfather after three years.[6][15][20]
Rickman studied atRADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London from 1972 to 1974. He was elected to the RADA council in 1993 where he was also vice-chairman, a role in which he served until his death in 2016.
Rickman met his longtime partnerRima Horton at the age of 19;[21] he stated that his first crush was at 10 years old on a girl named Amanda at his school's sports day.[22] As a child, he excelled atcalligraphy andwatercolour painting. Rickman was educated at West Acton First School[23] followed by Derwentwater Primary School in Acton, and thenLatymer Upper School in London through theDirect Grant system, where he became involved in drama. Rickman went on to attendChelsea College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968.[24] He then attended theRoyal College of Art from 1968 to 1970.[25] His training allowed him to work as a graphic designer for the Royal College of Art's in-house magazine,ARK, and theNotting Hill Herald, which he considered a more stable occupation than acting; he later said that drama school "wasn't considered the sensible thing to do at 18".[26][27][28]
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 wrote to request an audition withRADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art),[29] which he attended from 1972 until 1974.[30] While there, he supported himself by working as adresser forNigel Hawthorne andRalph Richardson.[31]
It shouldn't be a surprise that Alan Rickman is the only actor to make it onto this Greatest Villains list twice—he does bad deeds with such gusto. Legend has it he kept refusing the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham until it was agreed he could do whatever he liked with it—which, to Kevin Costner's rumoured chagrin, included stealing the whole damn show. Every sneer, every eye-roll, every flourish of splenetic exasperation is a joy to behold. Whether he's cancelling Christmas or cutting your heart out with a spoon, Rickman's crowd-pleasing pantomime villainy is downright heroic.
Rickman was given the male lead, the Vicomte de Valmont, in the 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company production ofChristopher Hampton's adaptation ofLes Liaisons Dangereuses, directed byHoward Davies.[36] After the RSC production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, Rickman received both aTony Award nomination and aDrama Desk Award nomination for his performance.[37] In 1988, Rickman played the antagonistHans Gruber in the action thrillerDie Hard in what was his first feature film. His portrayal, starring oppositeBruce Willis, earned him critical acclaim and a spot on theAFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list as the 46th-best villain in film history.[38] Rickman later revealed that he almost did not take the role, for he did not thinkDie Hard was the kind of film he wanted to make.[39]
In 1990, he played the Australian Elliott Marston oppositeTom Selleck inQuigley Down Under (1990). The following year, Rickman was cast as theSheriff of Nottingham inKevin Reynolds's film adaptation ofRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). In the film, Rickman acted oppositeKevin Costner andMorgan Freeman.Entertainment Weekly proclaimed that whileRobin Hood "left critics and movie goers underwhelmed, Rickman's gleefully wicked villain became the summer's most talked-about performance".[40] For his performance he received theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Upon winning the award Rickman stated, "This will be a healthy reminder to me that subtlety isn't everything".[41] Despite gaining acclaim within the media for his ability to portray villainous roles in films[42][40] Rickman took issue with beingtypecast as a villain. During this decade he would portray a range of characters that would defy media perceptions.[43]
Rickman soon started to play leading roles such as Man, in the enigmatic filmCloset Land (1991) alongsideMadeleine Stowe; and he also was the romantic role of Jamie in the independent romance filmTruly, Madly, Deeply (1991) which earned him anotherBAFTA Award nomination.[44] The film, directed byAnthony Minghella and starring Rickman andJuliet Stevenson, proved to be a critical success. Rickman was able to break out of the mould of the movie villain, with criticRoger Ebert noting, "The man is Rickman, who you will look at on the screen, and know you have seen somewhere, and rattle your memory all during the movie without making the connection that he was the villain inDie Hard."[45] Rickman also starred inStephen Poliakoff'sClose My Eyes (1991) withClive Owen andSaskia Reeves.Jonathan Rosenbaum ofThe Chicago Reader praised the film and all three lead performances, calling them "edgy, powerful, and wholly convincing, with Rickman a particular standout."[46] All three of Rickman's performances inClose My Eyes,Truly Madly Deeply andRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves would win him theEvening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor, and the same performances along with his work inQuigley Down Under would also win him theLondon Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year.[47]
During his career, Rickman played comedic roles, including as Sir Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus in the cult classic sci-fi parodyGalaxy Quest (1999) withTim Allen,Sigourney Weaver,Sam Rockwell, andTony Shalhoub. Rockwell said that Rickman "was very instrumental in making sure the script hit the dramatic notes, and everything had a strong logic and reason behind it".[52] He also played the angelMetatron, the voice of God, inKevin Smith'sDogma (also 1999).[53]
My Name Is Rachel Corrie—a play co-written and directed by Rickman—playing at thePlayhouse Theatre, London, March 2006
In early 2005,My Name is Rachel Corrie, a play composed fromRachel Corrie's journals and emails from Gaza and compiled by Rickman and journalistKatharine Viner, in a production directed by Rickman, premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre in London and was later revived in October 2005. The West End production saw Rickman win theTheatregoers' Choice Awards for Best Director.[59] The play was to be transferred to theNew York Theatre Workshop the following year, but when it was postponed indefinitely over the possibility of boycotts and protests from those who saw it as "anti-Israeliagit-prop", the British producers denounced the decision as censorship, and withdrew the show. Rickman called it "censorship born out of fear".Harold Pinter,Vanessa Redgrave andTony Kushner among others, criticised the decision to indefinitely delay the show.[60] The one-woman play finally openedoff-Broadway on 15 October 2006 for an initial run of 48 performances.[61] Despite the adverse reaction from pro-Israel groups, overall, the play was very popular, especially in London. "I never imagined that the play would create such acute controversy," Rickman said. He added, "Many Jews supported it. The New York producer was Jewish and we held a discussion after every performance. Both Israelis and Palestinians participated in the discussions and there was no shouting in the theatre. People simply listened to each other."[62][63]
The following year he starred inGavin Hood'sEye in the Sky (2015) starringHelen Mirren,Aaron Paul, andBarkhad Abdi. This would be Rickman's final onscreen performance. The film debuted at the2015 Toronto International Film Festival to great acclaim, receiving aRotten Tomatoes score of 95%, based on 175 critics, with the consensus being, "As taut as it is timely,Eye in the Sky offers a powerfully acted – and unusually cerebral – spin on the modern wartime political thriller."[81] Critic Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times in particular praised his role, writing: "General Benson is Mr. Rickman's final screen performance, and it is a great one, suffused with a dyspeptic world-weary understanding of war and human nature".[82]
Rickman was chosen byEmpire as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (No. 34) in 1995, and ranked No. 59 inEmpire's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in October 1997. In 2009 and 2010, he was ranked once again as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars byEmpire, both times placing No. 8 out of the 50 actors chosen. He was elected to the council of theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1993; he was subsequently RADA's vice-chairman and a member of its artistic advisory and training committees and development board.[30]
Rickman was voted No. 19 inEmpire magazine's Greatest Living Movie Stars over the age of 50 and was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actor (Play); in 1987 forLes Liaisons Dangereuses and in 2002 for a revival ofNoël Coward'sPrivate Lives.The Guardian named Rickman as an "honourable mention" in a list of the best actors never to have received anAcademy Award nomination.[83]
In 2010, he was interviewed byBBC Hardtalk and explained you only speak as a human being in life and therefore ...you only speak because you wish to respond to something you've heard. He believed the idea of merely recalling a speech to memory alone in a bedroom was nonsense in terms of learning to act.[84]
Talking toABC Radio National in 2012, Rickman revealed that the film which influenced and informed him was Robert Altman's 1975 filmNashville.[85]
In an interview with Charlie Rose in 2012, Rose commented to Rickman that when playing anyone nasty, you have to find a vulnerability to which Rickman responded that he felt you couldn't judge a character you play or how could you play it? He went on to say that the characters have different wants and look at different means to gain them.[86]
In an interview with NPR in 2013, he affirmed his earlier advice saying: "...it would be that acting is about accurate listening."[87]
Two researchers, a linguist and a sound engineer, found "the perfect [male] voice" to be a combination of Rickman's andJeremy Irons' voices based on a sample of 50 voices.[88] The BBC states that Rickman's "sonorous, languid voice was his calling card—making even throwaway lines of dialogue sound thought-out and authoritative."[89] In their vocal range exercises in studying for aGCSE in drama, he was singled out by the BBC for his "excellent diction and articulation".[90]
Rickman is featured in several musical works, including a song composed byAdam Leonard entitled "Not Alan Rickman".[91] Credited as 'A Strolling Player' in the sleeve notes, the actor played a "Master of Ceremonies" part, announcing the various instruments at the end of the first part ofMike Oldfield'sTubular Bells II (1992) on the track "The Bell".[92] Rickman was one of the many artists who recited Shakespeariansonnets on the albumWhen Love Speaks (2002), and also featured prominently in a music video by Scottish rock bandTexas entitled "In Demand", which premiered on MTV Europe in August 2000.[93]
Rickman was the godfather of fellow actorTom Burke.[97] Rickman's brother Michael is aConservative Party district councillor in Leicestershire.[98]
Rickman was an active patron of the research foundation Saving Faces[99] and honorary president of the International Performers' Aid Trust, a charity that works to fight poverty amongst performing artists all over the world.[100]
When discussing politics, Rickman said he "was born a card-carrying member of the Labour Party".[34] His last recorded work prior to his death was for a short video to helpOxford University students raise funds and awareness of therefugee crisis forSave the Children andRefugee Council.[101] According to his diaries, Rickman declined aCBE in 2008.[102]
Rickman was political until his last days. His last onscreen performance was withHelen Mirren in the dramaEye in the Sky, which he had described as "a film about the moral responsibilities governments face regarding the use of drones."
In 2003, after reading published emails byRachel Corrie, a US activist who advocated forPalestinian rights and was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer inGaza, he was motivated to produceMy Name Is Rachel Corrie; the play was well-received and popular in London.[63][103]
Throughout 2005, Rickman received treatment for an aggressive form ofprostate cancer, culminating in aprostatectomy in January 2006. The operation coincided with the casting forHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and he deliberated over whether to return to the series, but decided in favour, stating: "The argument that wins is the one that says: 'See it through. It's your story.'"[104]
Soon after his death, his fans created a memorial underneath the "Platform 9¾" sign atLondon King's Cross railway station.[107] His death has been compared tothat of David Bowie, a fellow British cultural figure who died at the same age as Rickman four days earlier; like Rickman, Bowie died of cancer and kept his cancer diagnosis from the public.[108][109]
Tributes from Rickman's co-stars and contemporaries appeared on social media following the announcement. Since his cancer was not publicly known, some—likeRalph Fiennes, who "cannot believe he is gone", andJason Isaacs, who was "sidestepped by the awful news"—expressed their surprise.[94] SirMichael Gambon toldBBC Radio 4 he was a "great friend" and "a real man of the theatre and the stage".[110] At aWest End performance of the play that made him a star (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), he was remembered as "a great man of the British theatre".[111]
Harry Potter creatorJ. K. Rowling called Rickman "a magnificent actor and a wonderful man."Emma Watson wrote, "I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor. I'll really miss our conversations."Daniel Radcliffe appreciated his loyalty and support: "I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in Britain and America. He didn't have to do that."[112]Evanna Lynch said it was scary to bump into Rickman in character as Snape, but "he was so kind and generous in the moments he wasn't Snaping about."[113]Rupert Grint said, "even though he has gone I will always hear his voice."[94]Johnny Depp, who co-starred with Rickman intwo Tim Burton films, commented, "That voice, that persona. There's hardly anyone unique anymore. He was unique."[114]
Kate Winslet, who gave a tearful tribute at theLondon Film Critics' Circle Awards, remembered Rickman as warm and generous,[115] adding, "And that voice! Oh, that voice." DameHelen Mirren said his voice "could suggest honey or a hidden stiletto blade".[94]Emma Thompson remembered "the intransigence which made him the great artist he was—his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me... I learned a lot from him."[112]Colin Firth toldThe Hollywood Reporter that, as an actor, Rickman had been a mentor.[116]John McTiernan, director ofDie Hard, said Rickman was the antithesis of the villainous roles for which he was most famous on screen.[117] SirIan McKellen wrote, "behind [Rickman's] mournful face, which was just as beautiful when wracked with mirth, there was a super-active spirit, questing and achieving, a super-hero, unassuming but deadly effective."[112] Writer/directorKevin Smith told a tearful 10-minute story about Rickman on hisHollywood Babble On podcast. Rickman's family offered their thanks "for the messages of condolence".[118]
An edited collection of Rickman's diaries from 1993 to 2015 was published on 4 October 2022 under the titleMadly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries.[119][120]
On 30 April 2023, search engine Google commemorated Rickman with aDoodle.[121]
On 13 November 2025, Rickman's personal scripts and mementoes went up for auction.[122]
^England & Wales births 1837–2006. Vol. 11A. p. 1224. Print.
^England & Wales deaths 1837–2007. Birth, Marriage & Death (Parish Registers). District no. 6001F. Register. no. F56C. Entry no. 094. Print.
^abSolway, Diane (August 1991)."Profile: Alan Rickman". European Travel and Life.Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved3 October 2007.
^England & Wales births 1837–2006. Vol. 1A. p. 515.
^England & Wales deaths 1837–2007. Vol. 5F. p. 247. Print.
^1939 United Kingdom Census.1939 Household Register. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, England; family 4, dwelling 45, lines 11–13; 1939. Print.
^"Leonardism (2007)". Themessagetapes.com (Adam Leonard's website). 12 October 2010.Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved12 February 2011.
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