re: Alan Rickman Dead at 69

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Rickman being cast as Snape must've been one of the greatest casting choices in any role I've ever seen

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Agreed.

My son pointed out that Adam Driver looks like a young Snape during his interrogation of Rey in TFA.

Yeah, apparently she personally recruited him for the film. Snape could only be played by Alan Rickman.

Now, can we get some Truly Madly Deeply love going on? The man should have won every award for that one.

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I know the man had a highly distinguished career

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Particularly in the U.S., we often think of actors only by their Hollywood film (or, perhaps, major dramatic roles on U.S. television) roles.

In Rickman's case, I fear he will always be viewed as a "poor man's" Gary Oldman. Oldman is very malleable, and appears different in almost every supporting role. Rickman, on the other hand, brought a consistent, familiar weight (and quite often a substantial malevolence) to most of his roles, even comedic stints such as in Dogma and Galaxy Quest. He elevated films like that, as he did Harry Potter, by his stage-quality presence and acting ability. His villainous roles were especially good, as the first time most U.S. cinema goers noticed him was as Hans Gruber - a "thinking man's" bad guy. He was in great demand after that and rarely disappointed or turned in a half effort like some fantastic actors we could name (*cough* Deniro *cough* - Pacino *cough*).

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I know the man had a highly distinguished career outside of the Harry Potter series but I've said it for years that I think Rickman being cast as Snape must've been one of the greatest casting choices in any role I've ever seen.

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I was just coming here to post this. He was absolutely born to play that role

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He was in great demand after that and rarely disappointed or turned in a half effort like some fantastic actors we could name

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This was his greatest ability. There was no role too small. He was an actor's actor, it seemed. It didn't matter if it was a small TV movie (Rasputin), an independent film (Bottle Shock), a relatively small role in an ensemble cast (Love Actually), the main villain in a blockbuster (Harry Potter 1, Die Hard, Robin Hood), or a comedic sidekick (Hitchhiker's Guide), he was always in it, always present, never simply there to collect a paycheck, and he did it all over the course of two and a half decades in Hollywood, and four decades in total. To hear Daniel Radcliffe tell it, he was also a singular human, willing and able to offer help at the first call.

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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.'

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Kevin Smith saying goodbye

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One of my favorite people who ever lived has died. The legendary ?#?AlanRickman? played Metatron, the Voice of God, in my 4th film ?#?Dogma?. Alan was the first non-friend who signed up to the flick, but he became a great friend in record time. In this pic, he holds the Ken doll his Dogma character's lack of genitalia was modeled after. I'll never forget his incredible dulcet tones guffawing at the rubber crotch makeup he was wearing: one of the greatest actors who ever lived, tickled by a cinematic lack of a dick. I loved Hans Gruber the minute I saw ?#?DieHard? but I fell in love with the soft-spoken gentle soul who brought Gruber to life. Thank you for lending a hack like me your artistry and your credibility, Alan. You were never Snape to me as much as you were the adult Harry Potter himself: a bonafide wizard who could conjure absolute magic using merely words. He was a HUGE cauldron of win, this man. I'll miss him forever. Rest in Peace, Voice of God. Back to Heaven, where you came from...

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Bruce Willis tweet

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Another dear friend gone ... Yippe Kaye aye dear chap. We will always have Nakatomi. RIP Alan Rickman.

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