Alan Rickman, the magnificent actor who interpreted Severus Snape from the Harry Potter saga, died at the age of 69 in London, as his family reported on Thursday.
His death has shaken thousands of admirers who appreciate his work as an actor and his personality out of his characters. J.K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books and Daniel Radcliffe, who interpreted Harry Potter, have declared their condolences.
According to Rickman’s family, the actor had been fighting cancer and died “surrounded by family and friends”, the Guardian reported. Alan Rickman has been considered to be one of the favorite actors of people for interpreting roles of villains. He was first recognized in the acting world for interpreting Hans Gruber in Die Hard, who appeared on cinemas in 1988.
Besides his grace when interpreting characters, he was also immersed in the world of politics. Rickman contributed to charities such as Saving Faces, who fights against facial disease such as oral cancer, and donated to the International Performer’s Aid Trust, which aims to impulse artists in poor countries.
Rickman was even admired by scientists, who concluded in a study published in 2008 after analyzing the the formula to find the perfect human voice, that the most appealing male sound belonged to Alan Rickman. Later this year, people will have the opportunity to enjoy what he most loved, since will appear in a film called Eye in the Sky, and his voice will be heard in Alice Through the Looking Glass.
“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. My thoughts are with Rima and the rest of Alan’s family. We have all lost a great talent. They have lost part of their hearts,” wrote J.K Rowling, on her Twitter account on Thursday.
The actor that received a Golden Globe, a Bafta and an Emmy also collaborated in December last year with a campaign from the UK Refugee Council. So it appears he was always a supportive person, even in the hardest moments, as many actors have declared after his death was announced.
Before he died he left very positive messages encouraging people from the world of arts, he said that actors are agents of change and remarked that a film, a piece of theatre, a song or a book can change the world.
“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. Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man,” wrote Daniel Radcliffe –who interpreted Harry Potter character.
Source: The Guardian