We remember Alan Rickman on the anniversary of his death

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Alan Rickman, who played Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.

Alan Rickman was always going to play Professor Severus Snape. He was one of several actors J.K. Rowling specifically requested when Warner Bros. started making the Harry Potter movies, and from the moment he turned up onscreen in 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, everyone knew it was a perfect fit. With his dark hair, withering glare and careful cadence, he nailed the character to such a degree that many fans probably can’t help but picture him when they reread the books. That’s how powerful his performance was—he’ll own the character from now until the end of days.

Of course, Rickman’s talent extended far beyond Harry Potter. He jumpstarted his film career by playing Tybalt in a 1978 BBC production of Romeo and Juliet, rose to fame in America for playing the villainous Hans Gruber in 1988’s Die Hard, and over the next 10 years carved out a reputation as a rock solid character actor capable of everything from dry humor to pastoral romance in movies as diverse as Sense and Sensibility, Dogma and Galaxy Quest. And that was all before he took up the mantle of Professor Snape.

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Alan Rickman died one year ago today, at the age of 69, of pancreatic cancer. Fond remembrances from his colleagues promptly poured in, painting a picture of a man who was as good a person as he was an actor. J.K. Rowling revealed that she’d divulged secrets about Snape’s backstory to Rickman long before they came to light in print, trusting in him to incorporate them tastefully into his performance. He did not disappoint.

Rickman’s Legacy

Alan Rickman was many things to many people, but to Harry Potter fans, he will always be the Snape to end all Snapes. A moment of silence as we remember his finest moments.

How long will we continue to honor Alan Rickman for wonderful work? Always.