Five roles that made Alan Rickman a cult icon
After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and becoming a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company following the end of his studies, Alan Rickman had no designs on becoming a Hollywood star.
The first decade of his career saw him work exclusively on stage and on television, but it was his Broadway debut in a 1987 production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses that would end up changing his life forever when his first professional foray into America saw him end up signing on for a film called Die Hard.
From his entrance to the Nakatomi Plaza the following year right through to his death in January 2016 at the age of 69, Rickman was recognised as one of the most reliable actors in the industry. Showcasing a mastery of multiple genres and mediums, his grounding as a classically-trained thespian made him equally adept at drama and comedy as he was in sweeping period pieces and epic fantasies.
Although you’d imagine it happened completely by accident, given his background, Rickman’s career choices also saw him become a cult hero. Knowing exactly how to tailor his style to suit any given project, the following five films best display the traits that made him a hero and icon to many.
Five iconic Alan Rickman roles:
5. Metatron (Dogma, Kevin Smith, 1999)
Rickman was always defined by his signature gravitas and ominous baritone, which is precisely what made him so adept at comedy. Delivering his lines with a completely straight face and with the utmost conviction, his turn in Kevin Smith’s Dogma was so stoic it was scene-stealing.
Inspired casting as an angel present in several prominent religious texts, Rickman, acting as the voice of god, sees his Shakespearean stylings come in fantastically handy, especially when it transpires that he’s acting on behalf of Alanis Morrissette of all people.
Playing the straight man in a zany – and unsurprisingly controversial – comedic caper sounds a lot easier than it is, but Rickman knew exactly what was expected of him and pitched his performance as such.
4. Severus Snape (Harry Potter, Chris Columbus/Alfonso Cuarón/Mike Newell/David Yates, 2001-2011)
Tim Roth was the first choice to play Daniel Radcliffe’s academic arch-nemesis, but by the time Philosopher’s Stone had ended, it was impossible to imagine anyone other than Rickman embodying Severus Snape to anything even remotely approaching the same level of sinister charm.
His thoughts on the franchise at large fluctuated during his tenure, but he was so invested in adding hidden complexities and subtleties to his ongoing contributions that he was one of the very few allowed to find out precisely how the book series ended, to get a better handle on how to evolve his approach.
Plenty of actors take recurring gigs in major properties for the steady paycheque, but Rickman became the bearer of one of the literary world’s most closely-guarded secrets for the sole purpose of being able to do the greatest justice to the part.
3. Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus (Galaxy Quest, Dean Parisot, 1999)
Development on the long-rumoured Galaxy Quest sequel continues, with Paramount+ currently putting together an episodic continuation, but it won’t be anywhere near the same without Rickman’s Alexander Dane.
A hero to millions trapped in the body of an actor who despises the fact his whole career has been boiled down to a catchphrase and a prosthetically enhanced head, the resignation is apparent in every syllable he utters, leaving Dane entirely resentful of his own success and the people he shared it with.
Voted one of the greatest Star Trek movies ever made by fans of Star Trek, Galaxy Quest pokes fun at its thinly-veiled inspiration without ever being mocking, and Rickman steals the show as a deadpan delight who swears that by Grabthar’s hammer, by the Sons of Warvan, his fallen comrades shall be avenged.
2. Sherriff of Nottingham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Kevin Reynolds, 1991)
Having turned down the role twice before he accepted it on the condition he would be given free rein, Rickman openly called the script for Prince of Thieves “terrible”, bringing in his own people to punch up the Sherriff of Nottingham’s dialogue.
Kevin Costner may be the straight-laced title hero, but Rickman decides to perform as if he’s in a completely different and altogether sillier movie, dialling his performance way past 11 and inhaling the scenery for every second he’s on screen. It was the right call because his hammy histrionics are glorious.
Threatening to cancel Christmas and cut somebody’s heart out while delivering the most ridiculous pronunciation of the word “spoon” that’s ever been uttered only adds to the charm, Rickman aims for the back rows every time he opens his mouth and never fails to hit the target.
1. Hans Gruber (Die Hard, John McTiernan, 1988)
It couldn’t really be anything else, considering the stage and small screen veteran’s first-ever role in a feature film saw him cement his place in the history books by playing one of the action genre’s best-ever villains in one of its greatest movies.
Rickman wasn’t entirely convinced that his future lay in Hollywood, never mind in the blockbuster arena, but whether it was deliberate or not, Hans Gruber proved to be so iconic that the actor would never again appear in a straightforward actioner for the remainder of his career.
Cool, calm, collected, and the smartest person in any room he walked into, Gruber’s ice-cold demeanour made him the perfect foil for Bruce Willis’ out of his depth everyman John McClane, with his maiden silver screen outing yielding unforgettable results.
