Excerpts From Alan Rickman's Diary Reveals His Intimate Thoughts About 'Harry Potter'
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With a career spanning nearly a quarter of a century and roles cemented in nostalgia and pop culture, the loss of Alan Rickman was one felt deeply. One of his pivotal roles in which he spent the most time was Potions Master and tragic figure Severus Snape of the “Harry Potter” franchise. Spanning eight movies and ten years, Rickman’s role as the harsh and morally gray Professor and brief Headmaster was nothing short of excellent casting on Chris Columbus’s part. With such a perfect choice, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of Professor Snape. However, excerpts from the late actor’s diary reveal unfiltered thoughts about his career including those of the Potions Master.
According to HuffPost UK, excerpts from Rickman’s upcoming memoir “Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman” detail honest thoughts about his film roles and the actors he filmed with. From his opinions about working with Daniel Radcliffe and commenting that John Williams’ score was “hideous”, possibly the most shocking revelation made was Rickman’s original plan to leave the “Harry Potter” franchise after the release of “The Chamber of Secrets”.
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In Rickman’s diary entries published online by The Guardian, Rickman noted his wanting to leave the franchise in 2002. This was one month after the release of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”. In Alan’s words, "Talking to [agent] Paul Lyon-Maris about HP exit, which he thinks will happen….But here we are in the project-collision area again. Reiterating no more HP. They don't want to hear it." As we would come to realize, the choice to leave the “Harry Potter” franchise was abandoned. Despite being diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, Rickman persevered.
As Rickman continued with the iconic role, he details his frustrations with the other cast members going as far as to say “[Daniel, Emma, Rupert] need directing. They don’t know their lines.” In addition, Rickman stated, “I still don’t think he’s really an actor but he will undoubtedly direct/produce.” Despite these critiques, Rickman was kind to the crew and viewed young Daniel as “sensitive, articulate & smart.”
Amid health concerns, Rickman maintained fond memories of being part of the franchise and crew of “Harry Potter.” “This was a genuine rite of passage,” Rickman reminisced. “One small piece of information from Jo Rowling seven years ago — Snape loved Lily — gave me a cliff edge to hang on to.” And with that edge he held onto, the world has Snape and many other Rickman roles that live on.
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Sources:, The Guardian, HuffPost UK, MSN