Both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds were devastated by the news that veteran actor Alan Rickman, who played Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" films, passed away at 69 years old on Thursday, after losing a battle with cancer.
Rickman has brought life to some of the film industry's most memorable characters, regardless of the film's genre, but it is really his portrayal of villains - or at least non-protagonists - that ingrained his name, face and voice into the minds of fans and moviegoers. After all, Rickman took on what could easily have been stock villain roles and transformed them into brilliantly portrayed characters.
Rickman also played other lead roles throughout his career. His performance, combined with his iconic voice, allowed him to quickly cross the threshold from hopeless romantic to venomous villain - one who won't hesitate to kill you. After all, researchers did name Alan Rickman as one of the two men considered to have the best male voice.
"Character(s) whose wickedness of mind, selfishness of character and will to power are sometimes masked by beauty and nobility, while others may rage unmasked," is the American Film Institute's (AFI) definition of a villain.
Rickman was 42 when he first entered the world of feature film. Prior to that, his brilliant acting was seen on the stage as a valuable member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It's only fitting that he would come to be known as a great villain following his portrayal of the treacherous Vicomte de Valmont in Howard Davies' stage adaptation of "Les liaisons dangereuses." Rickman was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance.
Hans Gruber
In his very first feature film where he took on the role of Hans Gruber, the cunning villain in Bruce Willis' John McClane in the 1988 action film, "Die Hard," Rickman, an Englishman, played the part of a German pretending to be an American - an incredibly convincing one, needless to say. He played the sly terrorist mastermind in the beginning of the film who, unlike other villains in films, you quickly realize is not one who should be messed with. He's slowly stripped off his pretenses until we all get to see the core of Gruber towards the end of the film, or rather, his life.
Rickman's portrayal of Gruber was so brilliant, not only did he become the standard for the next "Die Hard" villains, Gruber is also the American Film Institute's (AFI) No. 46 Greatest Villain.
"Rickman brought Shakespearean-level acting chops... And he introduced to action films the notion that the villain can be just as compelling, if not more so, than the hero - and that, in the hands of the right kind of enormously skilled actor, he can be a figure of devilish complexity," Adam Sternbergh wrote. We completely agree.
Sheriff Of Nottingham
Many of us know the tale of Robin Hood, the incredible archer who steals from the rich, gives to the poor and always has the upper hand when against the Sheriff of Nottingham. The characters themselves, both from the folklore and in various adaptations do not stray from set tropes but Rickman's presentation of the corrupt sheriff set another standard.
He may have been pitted against another legend in action movies but Rickman's brilliance did not dim beside Kevin Costner's Robin Hood portrayal in "Robin Hood: King of Thieves." If anything, the Sheriff of Nottingham's character became even more dynamic and, instead of being just that antagonist Robin Hood always defeats, he gave people a reason to remember the Sheriff.
"He embodied the character. He disappeared inside of them and allowed you to get fully swept up in the magic of cinema," Susie McBeth wrote. There is no doubt many were swept by his performance.
Judge Turpin
Okay, Rickman was not exactly a villain in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" but he was not a protagonist either and gave a fine and chilling performance. Tim Burton may have given special attention to Burton film veterans, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, but Rickman was never outdone in the few scenes he had.
Professor Severus Snape
Is he a villain or a hero? That has been the question in everyone's mind regardless of whether they had read the "Harry Potter" septology or just watched the film adaptations. Again, Rickman showed his brilliance in portraying a villain type character who is actually just all sorts of complicated. Even without reading the book, viewers can sense the complexity of Professor Snape's character and Rickman made sure to keep everyone guessing. The biggest complaint we have on the film adaptations, however, is the obvious lack of screentime of Professor Snape in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
Alan Rickman will definitely be remembered by the Harry Potter fandom as the scary Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, the man whose pure love for Lily gave him courage to go against the Dark Lord and eventually cause his downfall despite being thought of as Lord Voldemort's trusted Death Eater. The bravest man Harry Potter has ever known. Always.
Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen | Flickr
