Severus Snape is one of the most intriguing characters in the Harry Potter universe. As a potions teacher, he was a mysterious authority figure. A close confidante of Dumbledore with a Death Eater past, he was an ambivalent character whose side one could never be quite sure. But above all, he was one thing: a hero with a tragic love story that tied him tightly to Harry Potter.
This differentiated character image was the reason Alan Rickman decided to play Snape for the first time in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. He only got excited about it after talking to JK Rowling. In it, she revealed to him what she intended to do with the character. So Rickman could see that Snape was more than a simple opponent. He did not want to embody one at the time, as he feared he would only be cast for the role of the villain.
Fortunately, Rowling was able to convince him. Rickman was the perfect cast for Snape. It could well have been that he would have stepped down from the role in the upcoming sequels. For one thing, he sometimes didn’t feel like seeing any more Potter movies. On the other hand, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2005 from which he died in 2016. It was possible that his health did not allow him to participate further.
“Go ahead with it. It’s your story”
Earlier this year, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special was released to mark the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter film adaptations. In it, the actors* had the opportunity to look back on this great period in their lives and explain what Hogwarts meant to them. It was also a big event for fans, who couldn’t help but pay tribute to the stars who had passed away in recent years.
Among them Alan Rickman, who knew about his illness more than a decade before his death. His diaries were published last year under the title Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries. In this you can read why Rickman stuck to the role of Severus Snape despite his illness and how to bring this to a successful conclusion.
collected some fragments chronologically and published them in advance. Including this 2006 confession in the course of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”: “The mood is not good or bad. The argument that counts is what says: Go for it. It’s your story.” Rickman wanted to finish what he started. But that wasn’t the only reason.
A few months later he wrote: “I have finished the last ‘Harry Potter’ book. Snape dies heroically, Potter describes him to his children as one of the bravest men he has ever known and names his son Albus Severus […] A little hint from JK Rowling seven years earlier – Snape loved Lilly – gave me something to hold on to.”
Alan Rickman will not be forgotten!
The love between Snape and Lilly and the belief that Snape was more than just a villain made Rickman hang on. This is especially surprising given that Rickman was already considering turning down the role before he was diagnosed. Since 2002, after the publication of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, his diaries repeatedly contain thoughts about leaving.
Rickman complained partly about a lack of interest in show business, partly about a feeling that familiar things would be repeated over and over again in the sequels. In the end, however, he stuck with it. We are very happy with that! But even if he had prematurely relinquished the Professor of Potions chair, Alan would not have forgotten Rickman. Not only because of his performance as Snape, but also because of the roles he played before and after.