Alan Rickman on Severus Snape. Severus Snape - actor Alan Rickman: biography, best roles Interview Alan Rickman Harry Potter

British actor Alan Rickman, known for his films " Die Hard", "Dogma", "Perfume" and the Harry Potter film series. In the last years of his life, the artist suffered from cancer.

Rickman was known to many as the performer of the role of Severus Snape in Harry Potter. In fact, the artist played in more than 50 films. But it so happened that one of his most significant roles was Professor Severus Snape in the film adaptation of JK Rowling’s Potter series.

The artist’s first major role in the theater was the Viscount de Valmont (“Dangerous Liaisons”). From 1985 to 1987, the play was performed in England, and then was shown on Broadway, and was a great success.

This role predetermined Rickman's film career. After the premiere of the play in New York, producers Joel Silver and Charles Gordon came to Rickman's dressing room. Impressed by the image he created on stage, they offered Rickman a second role in the Die Hard project along with Bruce Willis. The film was released in 1988.

His next role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1992) reinforced the idea that Rickman was very good at playing villains. For this work he received the British BAFTA Award.

He was given his first “positive” role in the melodrama “Sincerely, Madly, Strongly” (1991). Rickman's most romantic role was Colonel Brandon in the film adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility (1995).

In 1996, Rickman played main role in the film "Rasputin", for which he received Golden Globe and Emmy awards.

Other famous paintings with the participation of Rickman - "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Alice in Wonderland", "Love Actually" and "Judas Kiss".

The actor played like British theaters, and on Broadway. On theater stage In particular, he embodied the image of the Viscount de Valmont in the play “Dangerous Liaisons” based on the novel of the same name by Choderlos de Laclos.

In 1997, Alan tried himself as a director. He staged the play and then directed the film “The Winter Guest” based on the play by Sharman MacDonald. The debut was successful, the film was awarded two awards during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Many fans of Alan Rickman consider his voice to be one of the most important components of his success. In addition to the unusual timbre, the actor had an ideal English pronunciation and a peculiar manner of speech. Research into the "ideal voice" has determined that Rickman's voice is one of the best. Viewers and critics have repeatedly expressed the opinion that it was Rickman’s voice that gave his character Professor Severus Snape from the film adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels a special charm.

Pottermania brought him increased attention from Snape fans. Many believe that this role should have been given to a younger candidate. But during the casting, Rowling herself approved the actor’s invitation. In a 2011 online poll conducted by MTV, 7.5 million people voted for Alan Rickman as Snape. As a reward, the actor was presented with a commemorative cup at the premiere of the final part of the film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” in London.

In 2006, Rickman played one of the main roles in the film “Snow Pie”, as well as the role of a merchant in the film adaptation of P. Suskind’s novel “Perfume. The story of a murderer." In 2007, he played the role of Judge Turpin, the antagonist of the main character, in Tim Burton's film Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In 2010, he voiced the blue caterpillar in the film Alice in Wonderland. The same year, the television film The Lunch Song, based on the poem of the same name by Christopher Reed, was released.

On November 20, 2011, the premiere of the enchanting comedy “Seminar” took place on Broadway, in which Rickman played Leonard - talented writer, giving private lessons in craftsmanship.

Cough... I understand that I'm boring everyone with these unfortunate facts, but... I can't find another topic for posts yet..

15 Facts about Alan Rickman and Severus Snape that you didn’t know [or maybe you did...]

[I tried my best on the GIF, I hope it turned out okay]

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:heavy_check_mark: 1 fact: Alan Rickman was the only person, to whom J. K. Rowling told what awaits ahead of his hero, Severus Snape, and how, in fact, the novel will end. And while fans of Rickman (and his hero) wore T-shirts with the inscription “I believe Severus Snape!”, and argued hoarsely with those who did not believe Snape, Alan already knew: Professor Snape was a double agent, he had been in love with Harry Potter's mother, the lovely Lily, he was never able to survive her death and he will give his life to avenge Voldemort for her.

:heavy_check_mark: Fact 2: Alan Rickman, like Severus Snape, is monogamous. He met his first and only love, Rima Horton, in college in 1965 and lived with her until the very end... until his death. Surprisingly, Severus Snape met Lily Potter not far from this date - in 1970.

:heavy_check_mark: 3 fact: In the summer of 2000, a phone rang in Alan Rickman’s apartment and director Chris Columbus said: “Alan, for a new project I need your face of a typical villain!” Many felt that the role should have been given to a younger candidate. But during the casting, Rowling herself approved of the actor.

:heavy_check_mark: 4th fact: Alan Rickman expressed Severus Snape in all his multifaceted complexity. He influenced the image of the professor in the books so much that Joan Rowling, in subsequent volumes, correlated the character’s actions not only with her original plan, but also with the way Snape appears in the films.

:heavy_check_mark: 5 fact: Alan coped with his role so well that his silent, gloomy professor broke all records of popularity among Potter characters.

:heavy_check_mark: 6th fact: To the question of one fan, “Did Lily experience reciprocal feelings of love for Snape?” J. K. Rowling replied: “Yes. She might even have truly loved him (there is no doubt that she loved him as a friend), but he became very interested in Dark Magic, got involved with the wrong people, which turned Lily away from him ".

:heavy_check_mark: Fact 7: Alan Rickman once answered a journalist’s question:

Did you ever think that you might not have made all eight films, and then someone else might have continued to play Severus Snape?

No. I wouldn't let anyone do this.

:heavy_check_mark: 8 fact: JK Rowling based the prototype of Snape on John Nettleship, her school chemistry teacher. It was his character (in childhood, he seemed unfair and overly strict to her) that she was guided by when she began to create the image of a potions professor.

:heavy_check_mark: Fact 9: Alan Rickman did not live five weeks before his 70th birthday. In honor of Alan Rickman's 70th birthday, fans from all over the world planned to publish letters and creative works to his fans in the form of a book and send it as a gift to the actor. After his death, it was decided that the book would still be published and given to the actor’s wife, Rima Horton. And so it happened. The book was published in hardback, in a single copy.

:heavy_check_mark: 10 fact: Alan Rickman, like Professor Snape, has no children.

:heavy_check_mark: 11th fact: Rickman was once asked why he didn’t marry a twenty-year-old who would bear him children. After all, he has so many fans! He was so outraged that he didn’t even know what to answer. He just squeezed out that this was completely unacceptable for him.

:heavy_check_mark: 12 fact: Alan is perfectly preserved in appearance, he began playing the role of Snape when he was 54 years old, while the book Snape was 31 years old.

:heavy_check_mark: Fact 13: Snape's portrait should not have hung in the Headmaster's office, since he essentially abandoned his post during the Battle of Hogwarts. However, Harry, using his authority, insisted that Severus's portrait should hang there. And this is quite fair.

:heavy_check_mark: 14 fact: Some time after the death of Severus Snape, Rita Skeeter published a book about his life, calling it “Severus Snape: Bastard or Saint?”

:heavy_check_mark: 15 fact: Snape cannot be called a light or dark wizard. As a magician, he is universal, which means that if he wanted, he would become invulnerable to the Dark Lord. He invented spells, at least one of which could easily take a person's life. He knew how to summon a physical Patronus. He was an outstanding potion maker, improving the compositions and methods of preparing potions. A talented and very powerful occlumenist. He could move through the air without any vehicle, as only Voldemort could do.

And finally, we will all raise our wands and say: great Alan and Snape, you will forever remain in our hearts!

Well, that's all.

Arivederchi, gentlemen!

"What did Snape do that was so terrible?"

AlanRickman was on Rowling's list of actors, so it's no surprise that Snape he just came out like a real one(just don't be offended, Severus, he really looks a lot like him! Well, maybe the hair just looks cleaner than it should... - approx. Looney). It is also known that Rowling held a short consultation with him, in which she told him about Snape’s past, which is still unknown to readers. Therefore, Rickman is now the keeper of a TERRIBLE secret and is under potential threat of kidnapping: suddenly, especially tired of waiting next books will the fans capture him to extract information from him? However, I digress...

" My nieces were not so much delighted as they simply insisted that I should take this role..."– says Rickman about how he was offered to play in Harry Potter. When asked how fascinated he is by this kind of literature, he shared: "Yes, when I read the book... I couldn't stop and kept turning the pages... It's an amazing story... coming from a rich tradition..."

Who is Professor Snape as described by Mr. Rickman?
"He's the Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin House at Harry's Hogwarts School of Wizardry, but he harbors a secret dream of being a Dark Arts teacher. (Yes, yes, that’s exactly what it says - not the words about “Protection from ...” An actor’s mistake? A journalist’s mistake? Or does Mr. Rickman really know something that we don’t know? - Looney’s note). He doesn't like Harry, probably because he thinks the boy is too popular for a first-grader. I think that deep down Snape is full of doubts, he strives to be someone that people would truly respect, like a dark wizard, and not just school teacher. This is why he is jealous of more popular and successful boys like Harry. However, he has his own positive side, because although Harry constantly annoys him, he doesn't let it bother him too much."

When it was hinted to him that he, as always, was playing a villain, Rickman was indignant:
“I don’t understand what he (Snape) did that was so terrible, besides saving Harry Potter’s life?”

Why did he decide to participate in the film?

“It’s great to be part of something that will be like a new starting point in the history of cinema. No matter what people say about the film, no matter how much they criticize it, it’s an event... like the Beatles.”

How does he see his participation in this “event”?
"...I think my job is to tell a story...on one side - literary work, and the actor is between the work and the audience, and my job is to be the most skillful storyteller."

Regarding the film, for the premiere of which Rickman was late, and slowly crawled into the hall only in the last third, the actor says:

“I thought he was amazing... When I was on set and children came to us, and we constantly heard: “Wow! It's just like in the book!" And I think that was the goal of Chris Columbus and the producers - to be true to the imagination of J.K. Rowling. And I think that, given the fact that at the end of the screening last night, everyone in the theater stood up and applauded - they achieved it."

Unfortunately, Snape's role was cut significantly in the first film, and the cuts are even more significant in the second. Chris Columbus admits:
"When we made the first film, I wanted there to be more Alan Rickman. When we made the second film, I wanted there to be more Alan Rickman. But we had to focus on the story that happens to the children."

Despite such “censorship,” with Rickman’s help, such a wave of Snapomania has rolled across the world that sometimes it becomes simply scary. And Rickman's Potter colleagues speak very positively of him. Kenneth Branagh, who was lucky enough to fight Alan in a magical duel, admitted:
"I'm a big fan of his. Just sitting there and talking was exciting. He's so smart and always has a million stories to tell. It was a lot of fun."

Alan calls the creator of "Harry Potter" JK Rowling amazing interesting woman. And when asked if he plans to star in Harry Potter films all his life, he replies:
"Fortunately or unfortunately, there will be only seven books".

Interview with Alan Rickman

-Are you not bothered by the constant attention of women who view you more as a bed partner than a talented actor?
- Rather, it amuses! In the game I try to be as honest, open and direct as possible. And he noticed that actors who play openly seem more accessible to the public as people, or at least the audience would like to believe. Perhaps it is directness that creates an aura of attractiveness; It's not about appearance, but about the emotions of the actor.

- Don’t you think that after playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood and the bad guy in Die Hard, you’re moving towards the “bad boy market”?
- No. My track record is full of variety. All my creations are completely different - truthful, slightly crazy, deep, as in Sense and Sensibility, and there are some with dark natures.

- How does it feel to run into an ex-girlfriend, or rather Emma Thomson, while filming Love Actually?
- It's like it's back to square one. We worked on the same set in four films - “Sense and Sensibility”, then I filmed Emma in “The Winter Guest”, and in “The Kiss of Judas” we managed to portray a romantic affair. Perhaps Emma and I have too developed a sense of humor to accept creative novels seriously. I must admit, the constant bursts of laughter are terribly unsettling. Each of us always lacked time to fully develop the character, and if you are going to say: “Here is a couple who managed to be married and also have children,” you better resort to a high-speed style a la short strokes. In short, friendship helps us a lot. Maybe that’s why Richard Curtis, the director and screenwriter of the film “Love Actually,” chose us for the roles.

- Do you spend a lot of time in Hollywood?
- Only when busy with a project.

- Can you remember a time when your thoughts flashed: “I did it!”
- Haven't seen it yet!

- Yes, he was!
- Nothing of the kind, there will always be people who strive to slash with a machete. As soon as success flashes in your head, someone will immediately hit you on the head. Cate Blanchett once told the absolute truth. She said the horizon is forever changing, and that's beautiful. It's nice to think that I still have everything ahead of me.

Have you noticed a change in your career since Snape in the Harry Potter series?
- “Harry Potter” is a completely separate, almost unique part of my life. Somehow, I was not in “Private Lives”, released on the West End stage, or in the direction and dramaturgy of “Love Actually”. Only “Harry Potter” could become a segment of life to which I return from time to time.

Have you read the Harry Potter books? Can you call yourself a fan?
- Once you start, you can’t help but devour the pages, right? But, to be honest, I didn’t read everything – I’ll have to catch up during filming.

You and Snape are quite organic... There is something about him that makes you tense and relax at the same time. Don't you think so?
- Actually, right on the bull's eye. That's the whole point of Snape. It is still dominated by calm waters. The problem is that there is a lot we don't know, because Rowling chose to keep us in the dark. Of course, I know some points, but I’ll probably keep silent...

Do you have a dream theater role?
- Well, with age, roles increasingly slip away from under your nose. You always have to deal with the thoughts: “Oops! I didn’t get the role” or “she slipped past!” As you get older, you lose your knack for hunting for roles.

What do you like more – cinema or theater?
- Definitely not a theater. After a year on stage, the last thing I want to do is take on another play. The scaffolding is too shaky.

Is theater really more effort?
- One hundred percent.

What about the return?
- Not always. Sometimes the theater squeezes more than it gives. You see, it's very specific, almost like a scientific discipline, especially if the critics are trumpeting success, the theater is packed, and crowds are begging for tickets at the door. What can you do, you're just a little actor. The premiere on Broadway squeezes out all the juice, but you have to work hard. A trivial part of the job. It’s a thrill when the curtains come down at the end, but the process itself is cool. Two hours of total concentration just knock you off your feet. At least the film has some takes in store.

Tell me any phrase you proclaimed in the film?
- Hmm, perhaps it sounded in some ancient television series. The final lines of my freshly beaten character concerned two types who committed an act of violence. He hissed: “May you live forever!”»

Rickman's death was reported by the British publication The Guardian, and the actor's death was confirmed by his immediate family. Last year the actor unsuccessfully fought cancer, keeping his illness a closely guarded secret. He rarely appeared in public, trying to spend as much time as possible with his family, because, as it turned out last year, just three years ago Rickman married the love of his life, Rima Orton, with whom the relationship lasted almost fifty years.

The news of the death of the idol of millions instantly spread throughout the world - this face is probably familiar to everyone who has ever watched the Harry Potter films, where Rickman played the role of potions professor Severus Snape. Russian film fans also remember him for the films “Die Hard”, “Love Actually”, “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, “Dogma”. Known outside his own country for his work in films, Alan Rickman was also a master of the stage - in his native England he became famous, first of all, as a theater actor. Rickman was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. For thirty years in the acting profession, Rickman has tried on, it seems, all possible roles, from a noble hero to a soulless villain. On screen and stage, Alan Rickman was unsurpassed master of his business, professional and talented actor, whose name is forever inscribed in the history of world art.

Alan Rickman is a winner of the Golden Globe, Emmy, BAFTA and many other awards.

History of creation

It was not without reason that the potions teacher was invented by a literary woman. The fact is that Severus has a prototype. According to rumors, Joan came up with the image of this character, “copying” him from her chemistry teacher John Nettleship, nicknamed Sting. Surely such a pseudonym was not given to this person by chance, because Rowling and her classmates did not have the most pleasant memories of school lessons chemistry.

John once learned that he was being compared to Snape and was initially upset, although he later stated that, although this hero was terrible, he was pleased that he may have contributed to the appearance and description of this gloomy professor. Nettleship himself stated that Rowling was a quiet and calm girl in class, but she was reminiscent of Harry Potter, not one who had the reputation of being a know-it-all.

But Sting was not the only stern teacher at the school where the future writer studied. For example, Sylvia Morgan, who taught at primary classes, also had a peculiar disposition. Joan recalled how she scored less than half the points on the test, so Sylvia moved the girl to the “stupid” seat. True, Rowling later managed to rehabilitate herself, but she paid too much for another desk: she had to change places with her friend.

Biography

The life of a professor is a sealed book, but JK Rowling still lifted the curtain of secrecy. The life of the wizard became known from his memoirs, which are located in different parts franchises. Snape was born on January 9, 1960. It is noteworthy that he is a half-blood, because this is rare for Death Eaters. Severus's mother, Eileen Prince, was a purebred sorceress, but the teacher's father, Tobias Snape, was an ordinary Muggle.

The childhood of this eccentric hero was spent in a house located on a nondescript street called Spider Dead End, as if it had appeared from stories or.

Snape's home is a poor old building, inside of which there are shabby furniture and mountains of dilapidated books. Not far from the house there is an abandoned weaving factory, from the chimneys of which poisonous smoke rises, like fog, filling the entire street. The surrounding forest and the nearby river became uninhabitable. When Severus was little, his parents constantly quarreled, so the boy wanted with all his might to quickly go to the place where young wizards studied.

The Potions professor's apartment looks empty because Snape spends most of his time at Hogwarts. But, nevertheless, the magician did not want to buy a comfortable apartment, because this shaky building probably reminds him of. As you know, in the past, young Severus was friends with this sorceress, but in his seventh year of study at Hogwarts, their connection was broken because he began to court Lily, and later the girl received a marriage proposal from her lover.

Plot

Severus Snape appears before readers in the first book and plays key role throughout the epic. Initially, the teacher does not make the most pleasant impression. It is worth remembering how the teacher behaved towards Harry and encouraged the Slytherin house, where only purebred wizards are honored. It is worth saying that the essence of this controversial character is revealed throughout all parts of the franchise. Let's look at Snape's role in Joan Rowlig's books in order.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (1997)

Professor Snape's appearance is repulsive. A thin man with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and cold eyes, who also resembles a bat because of his robes, was forever remembered by the students of Hogwarts. His eccentric character also left its mark: there wasn't a Potions lesson where Harry didn't get a reprimand or a stern look for even the slightest mistake. However, Severus treats all Gryffindors harshly and unfairly.

Book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger begin an investigation. All analyzed facts lead to the fact that it is Snape who wants to master philosopher's stone and kill the boy who lived. But everything is not so simple, because Severus, on the contrary, protected Lily's son.

"Harry Potter and Secret room"(1998)

Even though Snape saved Harry Potter, the professor and student do not become friends. In addition, Severus is allegedly looking for opportunities to expel Harry and his friends from the magical institution. One day, Harry and Ron violated the law on the use of magic outside Hogwarts, for which they received a reprimand, and Snape advised his colleague Minerva McGonagall to return the guys to the Muggle world.

Book "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

It is worth noting that the teacher finds fault with the main characters throughout the books. In the second part of the fairy-tale novel, he plays a less fundamental role, but thanks to him, Harry learned the Expelliarmus spell.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (1999)

This story explains why Snape is prejudiced against the Boy Who Lived. The fact is that during their studies, Harry Potter's father James and his friend bullied Severus and even tried to disgrace him in front of the whole class by lifting him into the air and taking off his pants. And at the end of the fifth year, Severus almost died, because he accidentally ended up in the Shrieking Shack, where Remus Lupine was hiding during his transformation into a werewolf. But James Potter managed to save Snape.

Book "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

The professor also does not believe in Black’s innocence and contributes to his arrest. In addition, it turns out that the hero is able to make a complex potion that helps Lupine for a long time remain in "human form". Therefore, Remus, willy-nilly, depends on his former school enemy.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2000)

Readers learn that Snape was among the Death Eaters, but when the hero went over to Dumbledore’s side and became an embedded agent, he was rehabilitated in the eyes of others.

Book "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

The reason why Severus betrayed the black magician Voldemort is still unclear.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2003)

Snape returned to the evil wizard again at the request of Professor Dumbledore: he secretly monitors Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and then reports what he heard at a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, whose headquarters are located in the apartment of Severus’s parents.

Book "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

However, the relationship between Snape and Black never becomes friendly. It is also known that Harry Potter takes Occlumency lessons from Severus.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2005)

Narcissa Malfoy asks Severus to protect her son Draco and help him complete the task received from Voldemort. They seal the agreement with an Unbreakable Vow. Plus, Snape has finally become a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Harry is annoyed that Snape talks about his subject with respect.

Book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

In addition, the young wizard learns that Severus conveyed information about the prophecy to the villain. It turns out that at the end of this book, Snape kills the headmaster of Hogwarts, since Malfoy did not fulfill the desire of the black magician. But at the same time, while running away from school, the professor did not attempt to kill Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (2007)

In the final part of the Harry Potter novels, Severus Snape again plays the main role. He tells the Dark Lord information about Harry's whereabouts and also becomes the headmaster of Hogwarts. The contradictory Snape sends a patronus to Potter, which shows where the Sword of Gryffindor is hidden, with the help of which the Horcruxes are destroyed.

Book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

In this book, Severus died at the age of 38, but managed to give Harry memories that tell the reasons for his actions. The reader learns that, despite all his actions, he helped Potter and his friends to the end, because he loved Lily all his life. And Dumbledore himself asked Severus to kill him, because he knew that he would live no more than a year.

• Severus Snape is revered in the fan subculture, and fans of Rowling's books, who previously built theories about Snape's past and the reasons for Dumbledore's death, are now shocking with shocking fantasies. For example, those who love to write stories write slashes about Snape and Remus Lupine - love stories. Main characters there are two men in them.
• In the Russian dubbing, the character was voiced by Alexey Ryazantsev.
• The magazine "World of Science Fiction" ranked Snape in the TOP 10 most famous traitors in science fiction, where the character took second place. Moreover, the journalists noticed that the plan of betrayal was invented by Dumbledore, and Snape skillfully brought his plan to life.

• Roman crown holder Septimius Severus served as inspiration for Rowling's award to Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher similar name. And the name of the village of Snape in North Yorkshire became the surname of the teacher.
• Rowling called Severus "a hero with many flaws."
• Harry managed to reconsider his attitude towards the professor, whom he later considered a very brave man. No wonder Potter's son was named Albus Severus.

Quotes

“Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy good weather.”

“You may not have noticed yet, but life in general is not fair.”

“I will try to teach you how to bewitch the mind and deceive the senses. I will tell you how to bottle fame, how to brew fame, and even how to bottle death.”

"You know, fame isn't everything, right, Mr. Potter?"

“The mind is not a book that can be opened at will. Thoughts are not printed inside the skull for anyone to study. The brain is a complex and multi-layered organ. At least for most people..."