A distinguished member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Alan Rickman was an English actor who doubled as a director. His career trajectory took many turns before he gained mainstream fame. Rickman made his screen debut in 1978, portraying Tybalt on The BBC Television Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. His debut film role as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988) paved the way for more critically acclaimed performances in projects such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011), and Alice in Wonderland (2010).
Despite his illustrious screen career, Alan Rickman’s first love was the theater, and his initial success was recorded on stage. Trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Rickman performed on different stages, including Broadway and West End. He got his career breakthrough after playing the Vicomte de Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Royal Shakespeare Company which earned him a Tony Award. Rickman spent most of the 1980s blazing the trail in the theater before launching his screen career. Several decades afterward, he is still considered one of the best actors to have graced the screen.
Alan Rickman’s Early Life and Educational Background
Named Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman, the English actor was born on February 21, 1946, in the Acton district of London. His mother, Margaret Doreen Rose was a housewife while his father, Bernard William Rickman worked in a factory. Bernard was also a house painter and decorator who served in the Second World War as an aircraft fitter. Rickman hailed from a mixed background consisting of Welsh from his mother’s side and Irish from his paternal grandmother. He was raised alongside his two brothers – David and Michael and a sister – Sheila.
Born with a tight jaw, Alan Rickman developed an interest in the performing arts early. He acquired his early education from West Acton First School and Derwentwater Primary School in Acton. He later attended Latymer Upper School where his interest in drama was piqued. He furthered his education at Chelsea College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968 before jetting off to the prestigious Royal College of Art in 1968. He also worked for the Royal College of Art’s in-house magazine, ARK, and the Notting Hill Herald as a graphic designer while studying.
Following his graduation in 1970, Rickman teamed up with some friends to launch a graphic design studio which thrived for a few years before he decided to pursue acting professionally. Subsequently, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1972 to 1974. During his days at RADA, Rickman supported himself by getting a job as a dresser for Nigel Hawthorne and Ralph Richardson.
Tracing Alan Rickman’s Acting Career
Renowned for his deep baritone voice, Alan Rickman was active as an actor from 1974 until he died in 2016. He first made a name for himself in the theatre in the budding stage of his acting career. Rickman performed in numerous classical theater productions as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. One of his notable performances at this time was in the stage production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985. Rickman made his screen debut on television, playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1978). The show was a part of BBC’s Shakespeare series.
Alan Rickman landed his first film role when he was cast as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988). Playing the German terrorist leader in the popular American action film propelled him further to the spotlight. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). Rickman went ahead to gain critical acclaim with his performances in notable ’90s films such as Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991), An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Michael Collins (1960), Dogma (1999), and Galaxy Quest (1999).
Until his death, Alan Rickman continued to prove his mettle as an actor to watch. He graced the screen during the 2000s with appearances in movies such as the Harry Potter series (2001–2011), Love Actually (2003), Something the Lord Made (2004), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and CBGB (2013). Some of his popular final film roles can be seen in Eye in the Sky (2015) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016). The two films were dedicated to him.
Alan Rickman Was Married With No Biological Children
Alan Rickman was 19 when he met Rima Elizabeth Horton, 18, in 1965. He began dating Horton in the early 1970s and they remained partners for decades before getting married in 2012. Their wedding was a private event held in New York City in 2012 and was only made public in 2015. Their marriage produced no children. Rickman’s widow served as a Labour Party councilor on Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council from 1986 to 2006. She was also an economics lecturer at Kingston University in London before her retirement.
Alan Rickman Died At The Age Of 69
Unknown to his fans, Alan Rickman was battling a deadly disease while he continued to churn out great performances. The Harry Potter actor began treatment for prostate cancer in 2005 which resulted in a prostatectomy in January 2006. However, he kept the details private and away from media scrutiny. Again, he suffered a minor stroke in August 2015 and was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
After years of battling cancer, Alan Rickman passed on at the age of 69. The actor died in London on January 14, 2016, just over a month shy of his 70th birthday. Rickman’s remains were cremated on February 3, 2016, and his ashes were given to Horton.
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