As I’m sure is the case with many, my first cinematic experience of British actor Alan Rickman was in John McTiernan’s 1988 “Die Hard.” Rickman would forever embroider Hans Gruber in the minds of action fans as the quintessential villain. I even remember the day: my friend, Todd, invited me over to test his subwoofer with the movie’s keystone scene, where Bruce Willis drops a desk chair loaded with explosives down an elevator shaft. His room shook, the television glowed with fire, and under the ecstasy you could hear one of Gruber’s minions mutter, “They’re using artillery on us,” implicating hoards of police outside. As Gruber, Rickman’s response was indignant, blasé, and utterly perfect: “You idiot. It’s not the police…it’s him.” A new villainous icon was born. All hail Hans Gruber.
I was saddened, as were countless others, to hear of the passing of Rickman today, aged just 69 years, losing a battle to cancer. This comes mere days on the coattails of the passing of rock icon David Bowie, and the death of metal group Motorhead’s frontman Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, also both to cancer. Rickman leaves behind his wife, Rima, whom he met as a teenager and married only last year. (via BBC news).
He also leaves friends behind, many of them co-workers, such as “Love Actually” co-star Emma Thompson. Of Rickman, Thompson writes in a tribute, “He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again” (read her tribute here). J.K. Rowling, who penned the “Harry Potter” series for which Rickman would become known for playing the character Severus Snape, was also saddened by the news. “There are no words to describe how devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman’s death,” she said, and described him as “a magnificent actor and a wonderful man.”
Rickman is one of those actors who could warm his way into your heart both as a villain, or as a good guy. His roles were plentiful, appearing in 68 films during his career. While “Die Hard” would cement him as a crafty villain, other roles showed different sides to this talented actor. He appeared as a reluctant cheater in Richard Curtis’ “Love Actually,” alongside such accomplished actors as Thompson, noted above, as well as Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Laura Linney. One of the funniest scenes in the movie certainly involves his interaction with “Mr. Bean,” Rowan Atkinson as he wraps a present Rickman’s character buys not for his wife, but a saucy girl at the office. “Could you be quite quick?” he quips as Atkinson showers the present in all manner of adornment.
Rickman tackled other genres with ease, appearing in a multitude of memorable films through the years. Some were of the serious nature, such as 1995’s “Sense and Sensibility,” playing Colonel Brandon (again alongside Emma Thompson), which was nominated for ‘Best Picture.’ He would also appear in the Tom Selleck action/adventure film “Quigley Down Under” (1992). Paul Crowson, member of the movie podcast “Dr. Action and the Kick Ass Kid Commentaries,” cites “Quigley Down Under” as one of his favorite Rickman films, tied with “Die Hard.” Says Crowson, “Alan Rickman’s acting style was as unique as his voice, and was the first to set a standard in movie villainy, where the bad guy was as interesting as the good guy. He set a standard few will ever reach. A master of his art. R.I.P. Alan Rickman.”
Rickman would win an award for “Quigley” for ‘British Actor of the Year’ at the London Critics Circle Film Awards. Fitting, as Rickman’s early career and schooling were anchored in his British upbringing. Of Welsh, English, and and Irish ancestry, Rickman was born in 1946 in Hammersmith, London, and had an early career in graphic design before his first starring role on Broadway as ‘Vicomte de Valmont” in the play “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” (the play would ultimately be turned in the motion picture “Cruel Intentions” under the wing of director Roger Kumble). Not to be constrained, Rickman has since appeared in comedies such as “Dogma,” “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” and, of course, the aforementioned romantic comedy “Love Actually.”
That Rickman’s first Hollywood movie appearance was none other the iconic “Die Hard” is a testament to the interesting and unique scope of his career. The movie, aside from cementing Bruce Willis as an action hero extraordinaire, was just as successful for Rickman, creating a suitable antihero to Willis’ John McClane. Some of the film’s most iconic lines (such as Gruber discovering a dead colleague with the words ‘Now I have a machine gun. Ho Ho Ho’ scrawled across his shirt) are only as humorous as they are due to Rickman’s dry speech and dialogue. He blended humor with menace, fright with sophistication. Moments prior to murdering the head of the corporation he has taken over, Gruber takes time to remark on the man’s fashion sense: “Nice Suit. John Phillips, London. I have two myself. Rumor has it Arafat buys his there” (click for video).
Co-founder and critic at The Movie Buff Matt Christopher said about Rickman, “He played one of the greatest and most memorable movie villains of all time. When I watch “Die Hard,” I find myself rooting more for Hans Gruber than John McClane, and that’s all Rickman. He embodied the character and brought it to natural life.” And Gruber wasn’t the only time Rickman would play the villain. The 1991 movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” would pit him against Kevin Costner as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
As is the case with most of my favorite actors, Rickman was also no stranger to independent films, appearing in one of my favorite films from the last few years, Marc Evans’ 2006 film “Snow Cake.” The film stars Rickman and “Ghostbusters” alum Sigorney Weaver, and is just subtle and marvelous. One of the most memorable scenes in the film occurs not with Rickman delivering lines of dialogue, but a steady shot of him as he listens to a song named “Just Looking” by Stereophonics through oversized headphones that belonged to a girl he met a day ago, who was killed in a car accident shortly thereafter. The song embodies all the character of this deceased girl, Vivienne, and sells to us her life story. But the scene only works because of Rickman. It’s because of the look on his face that we buy it.
A tribute article can in no way encapsulate a man’s life, nor can listing a few movies show the span and depth of Rickman’s career. “Harry Potter” fans loved him, co-stars and colleagues cite him as a pleasure to work with, and he just leaves a tremendous void that many others will be hard pressed to fill. He is a remnant of a different time, a thespian and a movie star, but an unlikely one. Having the charm of an English gentlemen, yet able to imbue humor, villainy, and sincerity into his various roles, Rickman had a staying power that saw him through a lustrous career. As was the case with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rickman’s swan song is not yet sung, as several completed but not-yet-released films are on their way, such as “Eye in the Sky,” about drone warfare in Kenya, and “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” by Tim Burton. These films provide a sense of finality on the man’s life, a second chance to view his unspoken life before his untimely death.
Rickman will be missed. Legions of movie lovers (this writer included) will doubtless ring in the Christmas season each year with a viewing of “Die Hard,” others with “Love Actually,” although next year it will be with Rickman’s passing at the back of our minds.
For a movie career launched with a villain, Rickman has spread enough drama, laughter, and joy to last a lifetime. A devastating loss for his family, the film community, and movie screens everywhere. Rest in peace, Alan.
