“It was quite a side-swiper,” explained Rupert Grint, who as Ron Weasley shared the screen many times with Alan during the Harry Potter franchise, and beyond. “I really didn’t see it coming…He was such an amazing man. So many memories. I remember once in the early films, I drew a picture of him in a potions class. It wasn’t the most flattering portrait. I can remember feeling him breathing down my neck as he was watching me do it. I was really terrified, but he was really cool about it in the end. He kept it and he was jut the sweetest guy.”
Bonnie Wright, who played Ron’s sister Ginny in all 8 films, shared Rupert’s sentiment and spoke of how Alan taught all the young actors on the film the importance of being one with your character. “He had this incredible quality of keeping in Snape,” she explained. “[He was Snape] the minute he got out of the car in the morning, which is obviously a chilling experience as a child. But as a child, you have this high sense of energy and you lose concentration really quickly, so having someone like that who was always really professional and a trained actor, it was really interesting to experience that.”
So incredibly sad. Losing Alan so quickly like that clearly took its toll on the young actors who were so inspired by him. However, his influence and talent will also be revered, as fans who attended the Celebration of Harry Potter paid tribute to him in many forms: dressing up in his iconic costume, chanting the word ‘always’, or simply raising their wands in unison to show respect for his passing. All sweet tributes in their own ways.
Hollywoodlifers, share your favorite memories of Alan Rickman below!