Alan Rickman
Birthday: Born in 1946-02-21 in Hammersmith, London, UK
Deathday: 2016-01-14
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (February 21, 1946 – January 14, 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), performing in modern and classical theatre productions. He played the Vicomte de Valmont in the RSC stage production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985, and after the production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, he was nominated for a Tony Award. Rickman's first cinema role came when he was cast as the German terrorist leader Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988). He also appeared as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), for which he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Elliott Marston in Quigley Down Under (1990); Jamie in Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991); Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility (1995); Eamon DeValera in Michael Collins (1997); Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest (1999); Metatron in Dogma (1999); Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series (2001–2011); Harry in Love Actually (2003); Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005); and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Rickman made his television acting debut playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1978) as part of the BBC's Shakespeare series. His breakthrough role was in the BBC television adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles (1982). He later starred in television films, playing the title character in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), which won him a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and Alfred Blalock in Something the Lord Made (2004). Rickman died of pancreatic cancer on 14 January 2016 at age 69. His final film roles were as Lieutenant General Frank Benson in the thriller Eye in the Sky (2015), and reprising his role as the voice of the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland (2010) in Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
TV Credits
King of the Hill
Character: King Philip (voice)
Set in Texas, this animated series follows the life of propane salesman Hank Hill, who lives with his overly confident substitute Spanish teacher wife Peggy, wannabe comedian son Bobby, and naive niece Luanne. Hank has conservative views about God, family, and country, but his values and ethics are often challenged by the situations he, his family, and his beer-drinking neighbors/buddies find themselves in....
Girls On Top
Character: Dimitri / Voice of RADA(voice)
Four girls share a flat together in London. Having nothing in common aside from their gender, they barely manage to co-exist....
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Character: Self - Guest
Stepping into the late-late slot vacated by David Letterman, Conan O'Brien stars in a show that far outdoes its competition in sheer strangeness. Along with the celebrity interviews and musical numbers typical of late-night talk shows, this program make frequent use of odd walk-on characters and frequent "visits" from celebrity guests....
The Barchester Chronicles
Character: Obadiah Slope
Against the sumptuous background of Peterborough Cathedral and its environs, one is carried into Trollope's world of the intriguing machinations of the clerical establishment of Barchester. Backed by the authenticity of the period detail, the portrayal of all the characters accurately conveys the whole range of human emotions within the stories....
The Hollywood Greats
Character:
Hollywood Greats was a BBC Television series, which began in 1977. The film critic Barry Norman wrote and narrated a series of in depth profiles on major Hollywood film personalities, in which he interviewed surviving associates. He later made a series called British Greats in 1980. A series of books, entitled The Hollywood Greats, The Movie Greats and The British Greats, which were authored by Norman were subsequently published. A series of the same name was later presented by Jonathan Ross fro...
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Character: Tybalt
The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and produced by BBC Television. It was transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to 27 April 1985 and spanned seven series. Development of the series began in 1975 when Messina saw that Glamis Castle would make a perfect location for an adaptation of Shakespeare's play As You Like It. On returning to London, he envisioned an entire series devoted exclusivel...
Smiley's People
Character:
Called out of retirement to settle the affairs of a friend, Smiley finds his old organization, the Circus, so overwhelmed by political considerations that it doesn't want to know what happened. He begins to follow up the clues of his friends past days, discovering that the clues lead to a high person in the Russian Secret service, and a secret important enough to kill for....
Smiley's People
Character: Mr. Brownlow
Called out of retirement to settle the affairs of a friend, Smiley finds his old organization, the Circus, so overwhelmed by political considerations that it doesn't want to know what happened. He begins to follow up the clues of his friends past days, discovering that the clues lead to a high person in the Russian Secret service, and a secret important enough to kill for....
Therese Raquin
Character: Vidal
Therese, an attractive young woman married to her sickly cousin Camille, leads an extremely monotonous life until Camille brings home Laurent, an old schoolmate....
Fallen Angels
Character: Dwight Billings
A neo-noir anthology television series, set in somber Los Angeles right after World War II and before the election of American President John F. Kennedy. The episodes, although filmed in color, mimicked what had been done by Hollywood filmmakers during the film noir era of the 1940s and 1950s in terms of tone, look, and story content....
Honest Trailers
Character: Severus Snape (archive footage)
Trailers that tell you the TRUTH about your favorite movies and TV shows: Honest Trailers. These are the hilarious trailers the producers don't want you to see......
The Directors
Character: Self
Documentary biography series featuring profiles of various famous film directors....
The Movies That Made Us
Character: Hans Gruber (archive footage)
These blockbusters brought us together and gave us the time of our lives. Meet the actors, directors and industry insiders who made them happen....
Tony Awards
Character: Self - In Memoriam (archive footage)
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre....
Golden Globe Awards
Character: Self - Presenter
An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign, bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association....
Movie Credits
Snow Cake
Character: Alex Hughes
A drama focused on the friendship between a high-functioning autistic woman and a man who is traumatized after a fatal car accident....
Galaxy Quest
Character: Alexander Dane
For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA protector - "Commander Peter Quincy Taggart", "Lt. Tawny Madison and "Dr.Lazarus" - set off on a thrilling and often dangerous mission in space...and then their series was cancelled! Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beam up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director and no clue, the actors must turn in the performanc...
Love Actually
Character: Harry
Eight London couples try to deal with their relationships in different ways. Their tryst with love makes them discover how complicated relationships can be....
Die Hard
Character: Hans Gruber
NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down....
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Character: Richis
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the stench of 18th century Paris, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. However, his work takes a dark turn as he tries to preserve scents in the search for the ultimate perfume....
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Character: Severus Snape
Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts into hilarity and even turning back time. But the term also brings danger: soul-sucking Dementors hover over the school, an ally of the accursed He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named lurks within the castle walls, and fearsome wizard Sirius Black escapes Azkaban. And Harry will confront them all....
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Character: Severus Snape
When Harry Potter's name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools—the Triwizard Tournament. But since Harry never submitted his name for the Tournament, who did? Now Harry must confront a deadly dragon, fierce water demons and an enchanted maze only to find himself in the cruel grasp of He Who Must Not Be Named....
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Character: Severus Snape
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione’s magical abilities and courage....
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Character: Severus Snape
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame....
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Character: Severus Snape
Returning for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts, Harry is stunned to find that his warnings about the return of Lord Voldemort have been ignored. Left with no choice, Harry takes matters into his own hands, training a small group of students to defend themselves against the dark arts....
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Character: Severus Snape
As Lord Voldemort tightens his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven. Harry suspects perils may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemorts defenses and to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Even as the decisive showdown looms, romance blossoms...
Michael Collins
Character: Eamon de Valera
Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic....
Dogma
Character: Metatron
An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and reenter Heaven....
Bob Roberts
Character: Lukas Hart III
Millionaire conservative Bob Roberts launches an insurgent campaign against incumbent senator Brickley Paiste, firing up crowds at his rallies by singing '60s-style acoustic folk songs with lyrics espousing far-right conservative social and economic views....
Sense and Sensibility
Character: Colonel Christopher Brandon
The Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne, whose chances at marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. When Henry Dashwood dies unexpectedly, his estate must pass on by law to his son from his first marriage, John and wife Fanny. But these circumstances leave Mr. Dashwood's current wife, and daughters Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, without a home and with barely enough money to live on. As Elinor and Marianne struggle to find romantic fulfillment in a soc...
Something the Lord Made
Character: Dr. Alfred Blalock
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas....
An Awfully Big Adventure
Character: P.L. O'Hara
Liverpool. 1947. Right after World War II, a star struck naive teenage girl joins a shabby theatre troupe in Liverpool. During a winter production of Peter Pan, the play quickly turns into a dark metaphor for youth as she becomes drawn into a web of sexual politics and intrigue and learns about the grown-up world of the theater....
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Character: Marvin (voice)
Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."...
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Character: Sheriff of Nottingham
Nobleman crusader Robin of Locksley breaks out of a Jerusalem prison with the help of Moorish fellow prisoner Azeem and travels back home to England. But upon arrival he discovers his dead father in the ruins of his family estate, killed by the vicious sheriff of Nottingham, Robin and Azeem join forces with outlaws Little John and Will Scarlett to save the kingdom from the sheriff's villainy....
The January Man
Character: Ed
Nick and Frank Starkey were both policemen. A scandal forced Nick to leave the force, now a serial killer has driven the police to take him back. A web that includes Frank's wife, bribery, and corruption all are in the background as Nick tries to uncover the secret of where the killer will strike next, and finally must lay a trap without the police....
Alice in Wonderland
Character: The Caterpillar (voice)
Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny....
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Character: Severus Snape
Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort's bid for immortality. But with Harry's beloved Dumbledore dead and Voldemort's unscrupulous Death Eaters on the loose, the world is more dangerous than ever....
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Character: Severus Snape
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills....
Quigley Down Under
Character: Elliott Marston
American Matt Quigley answers Australian land baron Elliott Marston's ad for a sharpshooter to kill the dingoes on his property. But when Quigley finds out that Marston's real target is the aborigines, Quigley hits the road. Now, even American expatriate Crazy Cora can't keep Quigley safe in his cat-and-mouse game with the homicidal Marston....
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Character: Judge Turpin
The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical....
Bottle Shock
Character: Steven Spurrier
Paris-based wine expert Steven Spurrier heads to California in search of cheap wine that he can use for a blind taste test in the French capital. Stumbling upon the Napa Valley, the stuck-up Englishman is shocked to discover a winery turning out top-notch chardonnay. Determined to make a name for himself, he sets about getting the booze back to Paris....
Judge Not: In Defense of Dogma
Character: Self
An in-depth look about the controversy surrounding Kevin Smith's "Dogma", and the effects it had on those involved in its production....
Judas Kiss
Character: Detective David Friedman
The shooting of a U.S. senator's wife raises the stakes for kidnappers seeking a hefty ransom for a computer magnate....
Nobel Son
Character: Eli Michaelson
Soon after his insufferably arrogant father wins the Nobel Prize for chemistry, Barkley Michaelson is kidnapped by Thaddeus James, a young genius who claims to be Barkley's illegitimate half-brother. Motivated not so much by money as revenge, Thaddeus tries to convince Barkley to help him carry out a multimillion-dollar extortion plot against their patriarch....
The Search for John Gissing
Character: John Gissing
Matthew Barnes is a young exec on the move up who finds himself a pawn in corporate in-fighting when he's sent to London to oversee a merger....
Rasputin
Character: Grigori Rasputin
Into an era seething with war and revolution, a man comes with an incredible power to heal a nation...or destroy it. Based on the true story of one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in Russian history....
Blow Dry
Character: Phil Allen
The annual British Hairdressing Championship comes to Keighley, a town where Phil and son Brian run a barbershop and Phil's ex-wife Shelly and her lover Sandra run a beauty salon....
Truly Madly Deeply
Character: Jamie
Nina is totally heartbroken at the death of her boyfriend Jamie, but is even more unprepared for his return as a ghost. At first it's almost as good as it used to be – hey, even the rats that infested her house have disappeared. But Jamie starts bringing ghostly friends home and behaving more and more oddly....
The Song of Lunch
Character: He
A dramatisation of Christopher Reid's narrative poem that tells the story of an unnamed book editor who, fifteen years after their break-up, is meeting his former love for a nostalgic lunch at Zanzotti's, the Soho restaurant they used to frequent....
Close My Eyes
Character: Sinclair
After some years of tension, Richard begins a sexual relationship with his sister Natalie. Now married, the relationship proves dangerously obsessional....
Closet Land
Character: Interrogator
A young writer is interrogated by a sadistic secret policeman. She is accused of embedding political messages in her children's stories. The entire movie takes place in one room, with only the two actors. The movie is set in an unidentified, modern police state....
Mesmer
Character: Franz Anton Mesmer
A biography of the eighteenth century Viennese physician, Franz Anton Mesmer, who used unorthodox healing practices based on his theory of "animal magnetism."...
Gambit
Character: Lionel Shahbandar
An art curator decides to seek revenge on his abusive boss by conning him into buying a fake Monet, but his plan requires the help of an eccentric and unpredictable Texas rodeo queen....
Dark Harbor
Character: David Weinberg
A bickering couple drive fast through a downpour to catch the last ferry to their island retreat. In a flash, they recognize a crumpled body laying at the side of the road and after much argument they stop, only to find a young man battered and bruised. An offer of summoning the police firmly rejected, the two help the man as best they can although it certainly means missing the ferry... and so starts this thriller: a tale of twisted sexual attraction and ulterior motives....
CBGB
Character: Hilly Kristal
A look at New York's dynamic punk rock scene through the lens of the ground-breaking Lower East Side club started by eccentric Hilly Kristal in 1973 which launched thousands of bands....
Play
Character: Man
The land is filled with people in urns chattering at top speed, but only to themselves, not to one another. The focus goes to three people: a man, his mistress and his wife....
The Butler
Character: Ronald Reagan
A look at the life of Cecil Gaines, who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made....
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
Character: Self
A 2004 documentary on the first three “Harry Potter” films detailing the behind-the-scenes journey of making them....
A Promise
Character: Karl Hoffmeister
A romantic drama set in Germany just before WWI and centered on a married woman who falls in love with her husband's teacher. Separated by the war, they pledge their devotion to one another....
The Boy in the Bubble
Character: Storyteller
Rupert, a ten year old boy, falls hopelessly in love for the first time. When it all goes terribly wrong, he wishes never to experience heartache again. Turning to a book of magic, he invokes a spell to shield him from emotion forever....
A Little Chaos
Character: King Louis XIV
A landscape gardener is hired by famous architect Le Nôtre to construct the grand gardens at the palace of Versailles. As the two work on the palace, they find themselves drawn to each other and are thrown into rivalries within the court of King Louis XIV....
Dust
Character: Todd
A short story of a man who follows a young girl and her mum home from school one day. He waits outside their house until nightfall before breaking in. Once inside, events take an unexpected turn....
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Character: Blue Caterpillar (voice)
Alice Kingsleigh returns to Underland and faces a new adventure in saving the Mad Hatter....
The Winter Guest
Character: Man in street
It's winter in a small Scottish village near the sea, and multiple lives intersect in a day. Frances has just lost her husband to an early death, so her mother, Elspeth, travels to Frances' house to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, Alex. Meanwhile, old women Chloe and Lily go to a funeral, youngsters Sam and Tom cut class, and Alex gets a crush on tomboy Nita....
Eye in the Sky
Character: Lieutenant General Frank Benson
A UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” As American pilot Steve Watts is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of US and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare....
Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie
Character: Self
U.S. network TV special surveying the history of Robin Hood in popular culture, emphasizing the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". Interviews with principal cast and crew from that film highlight the special. Pierce Brosnan hosts....
The Spirit of Man
Character: Israel Yates
In pursuit of faith, God and the Devil, spells are cast, buckets of water thrown and men with black beards dance and sing....
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film
Character: Self
The life story of the film director, movie star and industry figure who furthered the cause of cinema: Lord Richard Attenborough....
Busted
Character: Simon
A ringing phone after midnight can be a disturbing experience but until Simon, a successful barrister, hears from Macy, his friend from university days, he doesn't know just how disturbing....
Revolutionary Witness
Character: Jacques Roux
Four monologues by playwright Peter Barnes celebrating the bicentennial of the French Revolution....
Portraits in Dramatic Time
Character:
A series of 40 art films created by artist David Michalek featuring performances of theater artists and actors of all genres and nationalities both well-known and under-recognized....
Sonnet Number 12
Character: (voice)
An animation of Shakespeare's sonnet....
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
Character: Captain George Fallon
The comedienne stars in this festive sketch show, alongside a host of celebrity guests....
Lumière & Company
Character: (segment "John Boorman")
40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes....
The Wildest Dream
Character: Noel Odell (voice)
Uses astonishing visuals to tell the intersecting stories of George Mallory, the first man to attempt a summit of Mount Everest, and Conrad Anker, the mountaineer who finds Mallory's frozen remains 75 years later....
Muse of Fire
Character: Self
Funny, passionate, exciting, and smart: ‘Muse Of Fire’ will change the way you feel about Shakespeare forever. This unique feature documentary follows two actors, Giles Terera and Dan Poole, as they travel the world to find out everything they can about tackling the greatest writer of them all. Together they have directed and produced an inspiring film that aims to demystify and illuminate Shakespeare’s work for everyone: from actors, directors and students of all disciplines, right through to ...
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
Character: Self
In June 2009, a group Britain's leading actors gathered for one night only to perform a celebration of the work of Harold Pinter at the National Theatre, directed by Ian Rickson. The team who made the acclaimed Harold Pinter documentaries for BBC's Arena was there to record this unique performance....
Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast
Character:
A television comedy special broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day 1992. Sketches, stand-up comedy and songs combine to create the latest daytime show to be hosted by a popular husband-and-wife team. There are tips on female problems like seriously split ends, calorie reports, keep-fit with Jolly Polly, Agony Uncle Gerard's phone-in and Britain's first four times daily soap, set in a cosy corner of a shopping mall....
Romeo & Juliet
Character: Tybalt
Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents' strife....
Falls the Shadow: The Life and Times of Athol Fugard
Character: Self
Director Tony Palmer tells the incredible life story of Athol Fugard, the prolific playwright, novelist, and director who exposed the horrors of South Africa's apartheid system for the entire world to see. Interviews with Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Yvonne Bryceland and others help to illuminate Fugard's remarkable legacy....
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Character: Other Voices (voice)
The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion....
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Burton + Carter + Depp = Todd
Character: Self
A general making-of piece featuring principal members of the cast and crew. A brief history of the demon barber is provided, as well as the actors' preparation for their singing roles and glimpses of the set design and general production....
Wetherby
Character: TV Commentator (archival footage)
The mysterious death of an enigmatic young man newly arrived in the suburb of Wetherby releases the long-repressed, dark passions of some of its residents....
Babitsky's War
Character: Narrator
Documentary of the Second Chechen War, centered on the work of war journalist Andrei Babitsky.....
7 Deadly Sins: Stage Acting
Character: Narrator (voice)
A short satirical film devised by and starring Alan Rickman, Jim Broadbent and Alison Steadman about the seven sins of stage acting....