"Returning to university in Manchester in the mid-90s for a new term, she was attempting to put on an enormous rucksack full of books (she did English). As she managed to get the thing on, she experienced an error in balance, fell backwards and laid on the platform, wiggling her arms and legs like an inverted tortoise, unable to move. Along came Alan Rickman, clearly intending to board the same train."
"He was one of the all-time greatest and nastiest screen villains in Die Hard, completely opposite of course to the real Alan Rickman off-screen, with perhaps the most extraordinary and most deserved death scene for any villain. At a tribute event some years later for Bruce Willis, Rickman turned up with a bandaged head, and crutches or similar to mockingly show his character had somehow survived (he must have landed on a cushion or something), summing up his good-natured sense of humour."
"What a strange irony that such a wonderful human will be primarily remembered as a movie baddie, but I can't think of another actor who relished those roles as much as he did. Most film stars want to be liked way too much to play them with the conviction Alan brought. He didn't need our adoration he clearly had enough of that from his friends."
Alan Rickman combined an imposing on-screen presence with a warm, mischievous off-screen personality. He earned fame for villainous roles, most memorably Hans Gruber in Die Hard, featuring a singularly dramatic and fitting death scene. He embraced dark roles with conviction, unbothered by public adoration. Colleagues and fans recalled his mastery of silence and expressive stares, conveying character thoughts beyond dialogue. Personal anecdotes show his playful humor and gentle reactions, such as laughing at a student who had fallen on a station platform. He maintained friendships and good-natured pranks, leaving a widely missed presence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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