Today's Entertainment Monday is a tribute to Alan Rickman. I wish to share
some words and thoughts about the man and his career.
Rickman, who passed away on January 14th is a British born actor who played
many memorable rolls in films like Die Hard, Robin hood: Prince of Thieves,
Sense and Sensibility, and Love Actually among many others.
While best known for his ability to play the villain, Rickman was a
versatile actor who's professionalism and commitment to his craft exuded
from the movie screen in a way few actors can replicate. You don't
need a roll call of awards or honors to appreciate what a talented actor
Mr. Rickman was.
His most memorable performance for me and many young adults and children
today was his portrayal of Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie
series.
I love the Harry Potter films and Rickman's ability to bring Severus Snape
from off the pages of JK Rowling's classic to the big screen was unparalleled
among what can easily be called an all star cast of many of Great Britain's
greatest actors.
I don't think it is easy to get lost in the characters that a person plays
when you see them in multiple films. Often times there are challenges in
capturing the essence of a character and making them unique in a such a way
that they stand out. What Rickman did so masterfully was to make you forget
past characters he portrayed in past films, because he always so embodied the
roll he was playing at the time.
Rickman would make me forget those other films and I could simply admire the
character that he made his own in each and every film roll he took on.
Of course, fame and the entertainment industry allows the general public a
certain level of access to people whom we may have otherwise never met. As
such while we try to identify with many celebrities in reality we often know
little about who they really are. Our opinions are largely shaped and formed by
the media or through film. While I never knew Alan Rickman and I
never met him, I don't want to ignore the fact that he had a personal
life and a family as well as personal relationships that he made with
the many people he worked with professionally. The many online
tributes I have read and the televised tributes are all a testament to
the way Mr. Rickman touched the lives of the people whom were closest to
him and not just his fans.
These tributes are not passing sentiments but I've read many in depth and personal
accounts of admiration and appreciation for Mr. Rickman on line after his passing.
So God Bless his family and friends as they do their best to remember the
best of Mr. Rickman as a man and honor that legacy, which seems to have
dwarfed even the amazing legacy he has left the cinematic world.
RIP Alan Rickman. I was sad to hear the news about his death, I didn't know that he was sick.
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