Alan Rickman's Biography
Alan Rickman was a British stage and film actor who gained worldwide fame for roles in action thriller "Die Hard," romantic comedy "Love Actually," and the Harry Potter film series. He was a winner of the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.![Alan Rickman](/images/content/2023/7/21/pictured-alan-rickman_64.jpg)
Childhood and Family
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman was born on February 21, 1946, in London, to an Irish father and a Welsh mother. Though his father worked in a factory, he was a skilled artist, and his mother, a homemaker, was an excellent singer.The family was relatively poor. In addition to Alan, the Rickmans had three other children: older brother David (born 1944), younger brother Michael (born 1947), and sister Sheila (born 1949).
![Alan Rickman in his school years](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-his-school-years_86.jpg)
Alan's father died of cancer in 1954 when Alan was just eight years old. The other children were nine, seven, and five. The death of the family's sole breadwinner was a huge shock for everyone.
![Young Alan Rickman](/images/content/2023/7/21/young-alan-rickman_95.jpg)
Early Steps to Success
Alan Rickman made his debut in a student production of "King Grizzly Beard," followed by countless other school plays. In 1962, after performing in "The Caucasian Chalk Circle," his mentor, Tyner Glyn, said, "Alan, your voice is your guide to life." Even then, everyone around Rickman was certain he was a naturally gifted actor.After finishing college in 1964, Rickman and some friends founded a design firm in Soho. Although Alan claimed he was "having a great time," the business wasn't financially successful.Imagine the family's surprise when, after high school, Alan said, 'Drama doesn’t seem like a practical choice,' and enrolled in Chelsea College of Arts.
![Alan Rickman graduated from the College of Arts](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-graduated-from-the-college-of-art-and-design_22.jpg)
![Alan Rickman performed in plays by Ibsen, Brecht, and Shakespeare](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-played-in-plays-based-on-ibsen-brecht-and-shakespeare_3.jpg)
Finally, his first big break came with the role of Valmont in the play "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," where he won the hearts of English audiences. People loved him so much that they started buying posters featuring Rickman, making it the first time in London history that play posters became an additional source of revenue for the theater.
![Alan Rickman in the play 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-the-play-dangerous-connections_73.jpg)
Career Peak
"Die Hard," a 1988 film directed by John McTiernan about terrorists hijacking a plane, catapulted Alan Rickman to Hollywood stardom.![Alan Rickman in the movie 'Die Hard'](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-the-movie-die-hard_80.jpg)
![Alan Rickman in January Man](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-the-movie-january-man_86.jpg)
![Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-robin-hood-prince-of-thieves_62.jpg)
![A still from Rasputin](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-the-film-rasputin_18.jpg)
![Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-and-emma-thompson_51.jpg)
![J.K. Rowling personally invited Rickman to the role of Severus Snape](/images/content/2023/7/21/j-k-rowling-personally-invited-rickman-to-the-role-of-severus-snape_87.jpg)
Between 2006 and 2012, directors like Marc Evans ("Snow Cake"), Tom Tykwer ("Perfume"), Tim Burton ("Sweeney Todd"), and Michael Hoffman ("Gambit") all recruited Rickman for major and supporting roles.
![Alan Rickman in Love Actually](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-in-the-film-real-love_80.jpg)
![In 2013, Alan Rickman pleased fans with his participation in the film CBGB](/images/content/2023/7/21/in-2013-alan-rickman-pleased-fans-with-his-participation-in-the-film-cbgb-club_86.jpg)
Personal Life of Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman was often called "the last Hollywood monogamist." He met his future and only wife, Rima Horton, in 1965 when he was 19 and she was 18. A chance encounter gradually turned into love that warmed the couple throughout their 51 years together.![Rickman met his future and only wife Rima in 1965](/images/content/2023/7/21/horton-rickman-met-his-future-and-only-wife-rima-in-1965_83.jpg)
![Alan Rickman with his wife](/images/content/2023/7/21/alan-rickman-and-his-wife_20.jpg)
Rima made the decision not to have children, a choice that Alan supported: "The fact that I have no children gives me the freedom to work."
Illness and Death
In 2015, a few months after their wedding, Rima and Alan found out that the actor was seriously ill. Doctors diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer, and the prognosis was grim.
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