When A Part of Your Childhood Leaves You Twice: Alan 'Professor Snape' Rickman Dies of Cancer
Avid "Harry Potter" fans are possibly mourning right this very moment, because apparently, their beloved Hogwarts professor left them again and, for real, he's never coming back. The world renowned actor dies at the age of 69, but this time his death has nothing to do with neither Lord Voldemort nor Nagini. Alan Rickman lost his long time battle with cancer.
On Thursday, January 14, Rickman's family confirmed his death through a statement that reads: "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends."
The British actor is known for showing his exemplary skills in acting through the films "Die Hard" (1988), "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1990), "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (1991), "Close My Eyes" (1991), "An Awfully Big Adventure" (1995), "Sense and Sensibility" (1995), "Dark Harbor" (1998), "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" (2006), "Eye in the Sky" (2015), of course the "Harry Potter" film series (2001-2011), and a lot more other movies that made their marks in the entertainment history. Not only did he work as an actor in both the big screen and the theatre stage, Rickman also shared his knowledge in the field of directing.
Though he may have won several awards from the famous Golden Globes, Bafta, and Emmy's, he shockingly hasn't received an Oscar. However, these awards are no big deal for Rickman, he sees his work in a much deeper purpose.
According to him, "Actors are agents of change." He believes that there is more to being an artist than just bagging home trophies. "A film, a piece of theatre, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference." Rickman said, "It can change the world."
The current generation may know him as the Slytherin Professor in the 8-part flick, "Harry Potter". But unbeknownst to these young ones, their so-called Prof. Severus Snape was loved and known in the industry for decades of sharing his remarkable talent. Before he became the professor, our fathers probably know him as Bruce Willis' nemesis in "Die Hard" as Hans Gruber or the maniacal Judge Turpin of the "Sweeney Todd" film for the musical enthusiasts.
He may have been always casted as the "bad guy" in the movies, but in reality, Rickman is a very emotional and sentimental man. In a letter addressed to JK Rowling published in Empire Magazine in 2011, the seasoned actor wrote a heartfelt goodbye to the "Harry Potter" fans and paid his sincere gratitude to its author for the "stories that need to be told". It is indeed a "beautifully written note" as Mirror UK puts it, since that simple and short letter clearly stated how the author and her masterpieces touched Rickman's life and how effortlessly made tears stream down the face of any reader of that note in his recount where a "lifetime seems to have passed in minutes."
Rickman's character as Snape may be one of the, if not the top, most memorable roles he has portrayed. And though he began the saga as the disgusting, nosy professor and an ally of the dark lord, when he morbidly died, he actually replaced Harry as the most loved character in the movie. As a proof, Empire Online (and probably anyone's list would approve) listed Snape in the top of the "25 Greatest Harry Potter Characters".
But then, at some point, everybody has to leave and so is Alan Rickman. He has suffered long enough from cancer and now's his time to rest. RIP, Sir Alan Rickman.