After a battle with cancer, British actor Alan Rickman passed away on January 14th this year at the age of only 69. The death of Rickman touched many fans that grew to love his various acting roles. Rickman was very well known for his villainous roles as Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” movie franchise and Hans Gruber in the film “Die Hard”. He was a master at recreating himself into the eerie and sinister Snape, and really got into character when wearing the black robes and scowl. The performing arts were his calling, and he spent his 30 year career doing just that.

Alan Rickman was also in plenty of other films such as “Love Actually”, and even directed “A Little Chaos” and “The Winter Guest.” Before all of this success, Rickman was a man with big dreams, but he finally got his big break when he scored the starring role Le Vicomte de Valmont in “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” in 1985. This earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Years later in 2001, Rickman was casted as Severus Snape, Harry Potter’s mysterious and seemingly evil potions master. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, specifically wanted Rickman for the character, as he had the experience and qualities needed to complete the cast. In order to help Rickman play the role as best possible, Rowling gave him a small secret about the character. It was information that nobody else knew about Snape, and it gave Rickman the missing puzzle piece to act exactly how Rowling imagined the character. Severus Snape turned out to be the complete opposite of what he seemed. The part was portrayed in a unique way no other actor would have been able to do, and only Rickman could pull it off.

Many students here at Canyon Vista were deeply saddened when news came through that Rickman had died. “When I first heard that Alan Rickman died I face planted into my pillow,” says 8th grader Sarah Armosky who participates in theater. “I’m a huge fan of harry potter, I read all of the books and I would read them again. Alan Rickman was just the most perfect actor to play Snape and it was just heartbreaking to hear that one of my favorite people died.” Although he is no longer with us, Alan Rickman will live on in the entertainment world and in the hearts of all his fans. This talented man inspired aspiring actors to pursue what they love.