Although known for his role in one of the highest-grossing film franchises in the world, Alan Rickman had several underrated roles that were dwarfed by the popularity of the Harry Potter movies. Rickman was a rare talent as an actor, with arguably some of Hollywood’s best performances. With his trademark baritone voice and playing intimidating characters, it was easy to identify Alan Rickman from a cast of talented actors.
The English actor and director was the one J.K. Rowling envisioned playing Professor Severus Snape when she created and wrote the character. However, throughout his career (before, during, and after the Harry Potter movies), Alan Rickman played several iconic roles that didn’t get the recognition they deserved. Sadly, Alan Rickman died on January 14, 2016, from pancreatic cancer in London at the age of 69. In appreciation of his amazing talents, here are 6 Alan Rickman’s underrated roles.
Mesmer (1994)
One of Alan Rickman’s earliest underrated roles was portraying Franz Anton Mesmer in the biographical drama Mesmer (1994). The movie’s 107-minute runtime follows the life of a German physician with an interest in astronomy. Set in the 18th century, Mesmer’s popularity began to rise with his unorthodox medical practice that claimed to heal people by drawing out the sickness. However, doctors began questioning his methods, especially when these “healing” were only recorded in young female patients. His methods, which were a form of hypnosis, would leave the patients bound to him. Alan Rickman delivered a spellbinding performance as Franz Mesmer. Although a joint production from Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany, Mesmer suffered from poor marketing and publicity.
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)
Half a decade before he would play Professor Severus Snape, Alan Rickman portrayed Russian mystic and holy man Grigori Rasputin. It was the first time Rickman portrayed a historical figure on the small screen. The TV movie Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996) is based on historical accounts of Grigori Rasputin’s influence on the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
The movie’s story is told in a first-person narration by the heir apparent to the Russian throne, Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia. Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Rasputin earned him his first Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. Rickman won the nomination. He also received his first and only Golden Globe Award nomination (which he won) for his performance.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Cast in an against-type role as Alexander Dane, Alan Rickman co-starred alongside Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, and Sam Rockwell in the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest. In the movie, Rickman’s character is one of five former television stars who aliens mistake to be real-life heroes. Rickman performed as a former actor who hated his work in the fictional TV series. However, he later warmed up to the Thermians, especially Quellek, and helped defeat Sarris. As a parody of movies like Star Trek, Galaxy Quest became a cult classic and is regarded as one of the funniest movies of the 20th century. It is one of Alan Rickman’s underrated roles, especially having him play an alien-like character.
Love Actually (2003)
Alan Rickman was part of the star-studded ensemble cast of Richard Curtis’ British romantic comedy Love Actually (2003). Arguably, it is one of Alan Rickman’s underrated roles, especially since it’s a romantic comedy. Rickman was cast as Harry, a managing director of a design agency, who’s cheating on his wife, Karen (Emma Thompson), with his flirtatious secretary, Mia (Heike Makatsch).
Although he tries to hide it from his wife, she discovers after a Christmas gift she thought was hers wasn’t presented to her at Christmas. Although reviews were mixed to average, it was a commercial success, grossing $248.3 million on a $40 million budget. Some of Love Actually’s notable cast included Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, and Bill Nighy.
Something the Lord Made (2004)
The TV movie Something the Lord Made (2004) goes down in history as one of Alan Rickman’s greatest performances on television. It portrays American surgeon Dr. Alfred Blalock and is based on his life and interesting relationship with black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas. For his performance, Alan Rickman received his second and last Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.
Eye in the Sky (2015)
“Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war.”
The 2015 British thriller Eye in the Sky was Alan Rickman’s final onscreen performance before his death in 2016. Although cast in a supporting role as Lieutenant General Frank Benson, Royal Marines, and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Rickman showed why he should forever be regarded as an acting genius. His character sits behind the screen in a safe zone as they deliberate on actions about a joint operation to neutralize three leaders of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.
As situations on the ground change, like the other characters in the movie, Rickman’s Frank Benson is morally conflicted on the course of action. After the attack kills an innocent Kenyan girl playing hula-hoop in her backyard, Rickman’s character is questioned and rebuked by the under-secretary. The film ends with one of Alan Rickman’s iconic quotes in his career. If you watched any of these Alan Rickman underrated movie roles, check out Alan Rickman’s most iconic movie roles.
Follow Us
