This month we have lost one of the best and worst professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alan Rickman, who played Professor Snape, passed away on January 14 from cancer at the age of 69. With his passing came a flood of tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram tributes in his honor.
Many know him from his popular role as Snape in all of the "Harry Potter" movies. However, Rickman had a hand in many films and plays throughout his 40 years as an actor. He was known for his distinct and powerful voice as well as being a kindhearted person.
Fans all over the world paid tribute to his memory.
J.K. Rowling was among the many people who wrote heartwarming statements about Rickman.
There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death. He was a magnificent actor & a wonderful man.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January">https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/687642690301... 14, 2016Daniel Radcliffe also wrote a heart whelming statement about Rickman on his Google+ page.
"Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I've ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn't have to do that. I know other people who've been friends with him for much much longer than I have and they all say "if you call Alan, it doesn't matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he's doing, he'll get back to you within a day".
People create perceptions of actors based on the parts they played so it might surprise some people to learn that contrary to some of the sterner(or downright scary) characters he played, Alan was extremely kind, generous, self-deprecating and funny. And certain things obviously became even funnier when delivered in his unmistakable double-bass.
As an actor he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child. Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career. Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man." Radcliffe said.
It was very insightful, seeing into what people had to say about Rickman. Like most celebrities, we as the public will never meet them, it's an odd feeling looking at the actor as more than their characters.
Waking up that Thursday and reading the headlines was a strange experience. Just a few days prior, David Bowie passed of cancer as well. As we get older, so do our favorite actors and celebrities, but for some reason, seeing our icons pass away seems so much more unlikely than losing our own loved ones.
With Rickman and Bowie's death came a strange sense of mortality to me. People pass away everyday but we never know because they live lives we aren't able to see. For many of us, we grew up with Rickman. We loved to hate him, and when the series ended, we just loved him.
Rickman was an amazing actor, having committed his whole life to the art of theater. His drive and motivation gives me hope for my own future dreams. Rickman was an amazing inspiration to many of us and he will be dearly missed. Always.
Here are some of my favorites of his work that you should check out if you haven't already.
-"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
-"The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy"
-"Galaxy Quest"
-All of the "Harry Potter" Films
-"Die Hard"
-"Sense and Sensibility"
