We were, by and large, really blessed to have such a versatile actor live amongst us for as long as he did. Nonetheless, my heart, already broken from the loss (again too soon) of David Bowie was utterly crushed by the loss of Alan Rickman. He was, and has been, my not so secret crush for many years.
He was, by all accounts, the very best of men. Kind, generous, loyal. A giver of time, of love, of joy and advice to the many young (and older) actors who were fortunate to work with him. One can see a bit of his humor in the helium Rickman-off with Jimmy Fallon not so long ago (you will find it on youtube).
While people remember him so well as villains, he was equally wonderful in comedy. Blow Dry is one of my all time favorite of his films. Also featuring the brilliant Bill Nighy.
He was, of course, perfect, note perfect as the Potions Master (later Professor of the Dark Arts) Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. From the beginning, you knew his Snape really was nobody to be trifled with. But, but, behind the eyes, you saw the heart, and there was one. Magic.
No heart ached more longingly than Rickman's Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. The cadences of his voice, like a complete orchestra, seduced every woman I know (myself included). One wished to slap poor Marianne up the side of her head, here was the man worth waiting for, not the flashy Willoughby.
In a performance that I am sure Leonard Nimoy could identify, was Rickman's in the hilariously fun Galaxy Quest.
Even playing a bit of a louse in Love Actually against his good friend Emma Thompson, there were scenes of real poignancy.
His loss, to me is so very personal. Shocking as I never saw him on stage, never met him, except in a darkened movie theater. Reading the tweets from those who knew him makes his early demise so much more heartbreaking.
Of course, I cannot fail to mention his (and Juliet Stevenson) in Truly Madly Deeply. For a really wonderful tribute, run, do not walk, and read Farran Smith Nehme's beautiful tribute.
We are all much richer for the gifts he left us. It's been a very bad week.
I never had the opportunity to see him on stage either, but certainly felt close to him after so many years and so many films. He could be charming or menacing, often in the same film or even the same scene. I have a number of "favorite" roles - but two really standout at this time: Dr Lazarus/Alexander Dane in "Galaxy Quest" and Steven Spurrier, an Englishman making very little headway in the French wine community who inadvertently triggers a wine-making revolution in "Bottle Shock". But he was good in everything. Looking over his credits, I realized I had seen him as far back as my junior year in High School for he played Tybalt in the BBC TV version of Romeo and Juliet back in 1978. I must see if I can find a copy of that and revisit my earliest exposure to one of my favorite actors!
Yes, I've felt this loss rather more keenly than I would have expected. He was a great, versatile actor, and I'm sad that we will never have more of his fine performances to savor.
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