Remembering Alan Rickman

We'll let actor Daniel Radcliffe have the final word on this one, for yet another untimely passing of an entertainment celebrity this week.  (The seven-time Tony nominated actor Brian Bedford -- who had one Tony win -- also passed away.)  Radcliffe posted an eloquent tribute to his Harry Potter co-star Alan Rickman who passed away at the age of only 69.  

I've worked with enough actors to know that they generally don't respond like Daniel Radcliffe did when asked for a comment. And if something longer is required, they often have a PR person write it. This most-certainly was not that.  It was too personal, without an out-of-place, overly-structured word.  It was simply a thoughtful, gracious statement.

 Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I've ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn't have to do that. I know other people who've been friends with him for much much longer than I have and they all say "if you call Alan, it doesn't matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he's doing, he'll get back to you within a day".People create perceptions of actors based on the parts they played so it might surprise some people to learn that contrary to some of the sterner(or downright scary) characters he played, Alan was extremely kind, generous, self-deprecating and funny. And certain things obviously became even funnier when delivered in his unmistakable double-bass.As an actor he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child. Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career. Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man.