Age, Biography & Wiki
- Full Name: Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman
- Born: February 21, 1946 (Hammersmith, London, England)
- Died: January 14, 2016 (London, England)
- Age at Death: 69
- Cause of Death: Pancreatic cancer
Alan Rickman was best known for his roles as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, Hans Gruber in Die Hard, and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He was a classically trained actor with extensive experience in stage and screen, earning critical acclaim and numerous accolades throughout his career.
| Occupation | Voice Actors |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 21 February 1946 |
| Age | 79 Years |
| Birth Place | Acton, London, England |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | England |
| Date of death | 14 January, 2016 |
| Died Place | London, England |
Height, Weight & Measurements
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
- Weight: Not publicly available (typically estimated as average for his height)
- Measurements: Not widely documented
Despite lacking detailed public records on weight and body measurements, Rickman was recognized for his tall, imposing stature, which contributed to his memorable screen presence.
| Height | 185 cm |
| Weight | |
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Dating & Relationship Status
- Partner: Rima Horton (together for over 40 years; married in 2012)
- Children: None by choice
- Other Family: Three nieces, each of whom received £25,000 in his will
Alan Rickman and Rima Horton maintained a long-term, private relationship before quietly marrying in 2012. They did not have children but remained devoted to each other and their respective careers.
His mother was Welsh, and his paternal grandmother was Irish. Rickman would later say in April 2015, "I was talking to Sharleen Spiteri about being a Celt, how you smell each other out, because my mother's family is Welsh. There's not a lot of English blood in me." His father was Catholic and his mother was a Methodist. He had two brothers named David and Michael and a sister named Sheila.
He said that a vocal coach told him he had a "spastic soft palate". When Rickman was eight years old his father died of cancer, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings mostly alone. According to biographer Maureen Paton, the family was "rehoused by the council and moved to an Acton estate to the west of Wormwood Scrubs Prison, where his mother struggled to bring up four children on her own by working for the Post Office". Margaret Rickman married again in 1960, but divorced Rickman's stepfather after three years.
Rickman directed The Winter Guest at London's Almeida Theatre in 1995 and the film version of the same play, released in 1997, starring Emma Thompson and her real-life mother Phyllida Law. Rickman's stage performances in the 1990s include Antony and Cleopatra in 1998 as Mark Antony, with Helen Mirren as Cleopatra, in the Royal National Theatre's production at the Olivier Theatre in London, which ran from October to December 1998. Rickman appeared in Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000), a BBC One Christmas special with Victoria Wood, playing an aged colonel in the battle of Waterloo who is forced to break off his engagement to Honeysuckle Weeks' character.
In 2003, Rickman starred in the ensemble Christmas-themed romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) as Harry, the foolish husband of Emma Thompson's character. The film, written and directed by Richard Curtis, has been called "a modern classic" by The Independent. Rickman was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for his work as Dr. Alfred Blalock in HBO's Something the Lord Made (2004). In 2005, he lent his voice to Marvin the Paranoid Android in science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) starring Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, and Zooey Deschanel.
He starred in the independent film Snow Cake (2006) with Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss, and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (also 2006), directed by Tom Tykwer. He appeared as Judge Turpin in the critically acclaimed Tim Burton film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) alongside Johnny Depp, and his Harry Potter co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Timothy Spall. The same year he also played the egotistical, Nobel Prize-winning father in the black comedy Nobel Son (2007). Rickman starred in the 2008 movie Bottle Shock as a Paris-based wine expert named Steven Spurrier, who heads to Napa Valley California in search of worthy wines to bring back to France for the competition that year (based on a true story). In 2009, Rickman was awarded the James Joyce Award by University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society. In October and November 2010, Rickman starred in the eponymous role in Henrik Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin alongside Lindsay Duncan and Fiona Shaw. The Irish Independent called Rickman's performance breathtaking. He reprised the role in a production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
In August 2015, Rickman had a minor stroke, which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He revealed that he had terminal cancer to only his closest confidants. On 14 January 2016, he died in London at the age of 69. His remains were cremated on 3 February 2016 in the West London Crematorium in Kensal Green. His ashes were given to his wife, Rima Horton. His final two films, Eye in the Sky and Alice Through the Looking Glass, were dedicated to his memory, as was The Limehouse Golem, which would have been his next project.
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| Husband | Rima Horton (m. 2012) |
| Sibling | |
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Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth at Death (2025 Value): Approximately $16 million
- Assets: Included real estate in New York’s West Village (valued at $1.69 million in 2020) and Italy, among other investments
- Will Provisions: Left the majority of his estate to Rima Horton; donated £100,000 to charities; gave £25,000 to each of his three nieces
- Career Earnings: Films featuring Rickman have grossed over $3.4 billion worldwide
Career, Business and Investments
- Stage Career: Member of the Royal Shakespeare Company; performed in London’s West End and on Broadway
- Film Breakthrough: Played Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988)
- Iconic Roles: Severus Snape (Harry Potter series), Sheriff of Nottingham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility)
- Awards: BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Tony Award nomination for Les Liaisons Dangereuses; James Joyce Award (2009)
- Investments: Owned real estate in New York and Italy; smart investments in property
Rickman’s career spanned stage and screen, with a reputation for versatility and depth. He was not only a celebrated actor but also an astute investor in real estate, particularly in New York and Italy.
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, 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 met his longtime partner Rima Horton at the age of 19; he stated that his first crush was at 10 years old on a girl named Amanda at his school's sports day. As a child, he excelled at calligraphy and watercolour painting. Rickman was educated at West Acton First School followed by Derwentwater Primary School in Acton, and then Latymer Upper School in London through the Direct Grant system, where he became involved in drama. Rickman went on to attend Chelsea College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968. He then attended the Royal College of Art from 1968 to 1970. His training allowed him to work as a graphic designer for the Royal College of Art's in-house magazine, ARK, and the Notting Hill Herald, which he considered a more stable occupation than acting; he later said that drama school "wasn't considered the sensible thing to do at 18".
Following graduation, Rickman and several friends opened a graphic design studio called Graphiti, but after three years of successful business, he decided that he was going to pursue acting professionally. He wrote to request an audition with RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), which he attended from 1972 until 1974. While there, he supported himself by working as a dresser for Nigel Hawthorne and Ralph Richardson.
Rickman was given the male lead, the Vicomte de Valmont, in the 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by Howard Davies. After the RSC production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, Rickman received both a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance. In 1988, Rickman played the antagonist Hans Gruber in the action thriller Die Hard in what was his first feature film. His portrayal, starring opposite Bruce Willis, earned him critical acclaim and a spot on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list as the 46th-best villain in film history. Rickman later revealed that he almost did not take the role, for he did not think Die Hard was the kind of film he wanted to make.
During his career, Rickman played comedic roles, including as Sir Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus in the cult classic sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest (1999) with Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, and Tony Shalhoub. Rockwell said that Rickman "was very instrumental in making sure the script hit the dramatic notes, and everything had a strong logic and reason behind it". He also played the angel Metatron, the voice of God, in Kevin Smith's Dogma (also 1999).
Rickman starred with Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz in Gambit (2012) by Michael Hoffman, a remake of the 1966 film. In 2013, he played Hilly Kristal, the founder of the East Village punk-rock club CBGB, in the CBGB film with Rupert Grint. In 2014, he directed and starred as King Louis XIV in the costume drama film A Little Chaos starring Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jennifer Ehle, and Stanley Tucci. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film received mixed reviews with its critics' consensus reading, "Stylish and well-acted without ever living up to its dramatic potential, A Little Chaos is shouldered by the impressive efforts of a talented cast."
Social Network
- Twitter: Not active on social media; used a private, low-key profile
- Instagram/Facebook: No official accounts; no public presence
Alan Rickman was known for maintaining a private life, eschewing the public spotlight outside of his professional work. His legacy is carried on through his films, stage performances, and his foundation’s charitable work.
After graduating from RADA, Rickman worked extensively with British repertory and experimental theatre groups in productions including Chekhov's The Seagull and Snoo Wilson's The Grass Widow at the Royal Court Theatre, and appeared three times at the Edinburgh International Festival. He performed with the Court Drama Group in 1978, gaining roles in Romeo and Juliet and A View from the Bridge, among other plays. While working with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), he was cast as Jaques in As You Like It, contributing an essay about his process to the RSC's book Players of Shakespeare 2. He appeared in the 1981 BBC adaptation of Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin, opposite Kate Nelligan and Brian Cox. He made a brief appearance in one episode of the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's Smiley's People (1982). His breakthrough role was in The Barchester Chronicles (1982), the BBC's adaptation of Trollope's first two Barchester novels, as the Reverend Obadiah Slope.
In 2001, he first appeared as Severus Snape, the potions master, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. His portrayal of the role throughout the Harry Potter series (2001–2011) was dark, but the character's motivations were not clear early on. In 2002, Rickman performed onstage in Noël Coward's romantic comedy Private Lives. After its successful run at the Albery Theatre in the West End, it transferred to Broadway and ended in September 2002; he reunited with his Les Liaisons Dangereuses co-star Lindsay Duncan and director Howard Davies in the Olivier and Tony Award-winning production. Rickman also voiced the character of "King Philip" in the 2002 King of the Hill episode, "Joust Like a Woman".
Throughout 2005, Rickman received treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, culminating in a prostatectomy in January 2006. The operation coincided with the casting for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and he deliberated over whether to return to the series, but decided in favour, stating: "The argument that wins is the one that says: 'See it through. It's your story.'"
Soon after his death, his fans created a memorial underneath the "Platform 9¾" sign at London King's Cross railway station. His death has been compared to that of David Bowie, a fellow British cultural figure who died at the same age as Rickman four days earlier; like Rickman, Bowie died of cancer and kept his cancer diagnosis from the public.
Tributes from Rickman's co-stars and contemporaries appeared on social media following the announcement. Since his cancer was not publicly known, some—like Ralph Fiennes, who "cannot believe he is gone", and Jason Isaacs, who was "sidestepped by the awful news"—expressed their surprise. Sir Michael Gambon told BBC Radio 4 he was a "great friend" and "a real man of the theatre and the stage". At a West End performance of the play that made him a star (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), he was remembered as "a great man of the British theatre".
Kate Winslet, who gave a tearful tribute at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards, remembered Rickman as warm and generous, adding, "And that voice! Oh, that voice." Dame Helen Mirren said his voice "could suggest honey or a hidden stiletto blade". Emma Thompson remembered "the intransigence which made him the great artist he was—his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me... I learned a lot from him." Colin Firth told The Hollywood Reporter that, as an actor, Rickman had been a mentor. John McTiernan, director of Die Hard, said Rickman was the antithesis of the villainous roles for which he was most famous on screen. Sir Ian McKellen wrote, "behind [Rickman's] mournful face, which was just as beautiful when wracked with mirth, there was a super-active spirit, questing and achieving, a super-hero, unassuming but deadly effective." Writer/director Kevin Smith told a tearful 10-minute story about Rickman on his Hollywood Babble On podcast. Rickman's family offered their thanks "for the messages of condolence".
Education
- Education: Attended Latymer Upper School, London; Chelsea College of Art and Design; Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
- Degrees/Certifications: Graduated RADA with honors
Alan Rickman’s classical training at RADA and his early education in the arts prepared him for a distinguished career in acting and directing.
Rickman is featured in several musical works, including a song composed by Adam Leonard entitled "Not Alan Rickman". Credited as 'A Strolling Player' in the sleeve notes, the actor played a "Master of Ceremonies" part, announcing the various instruments at the end of the first part of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells II (1992) on the track "The Bell". Rickman was one of the many artists who recited Shakespearian sonnets on the album When Love Speaks (2002), and also featured prominently in a music video by Scottish rock band Texas entitled "In Demand", which premiered on MTV Europe in August 2000.
In 1965, when he was 19, Rickman met 18-year-old Rima Horton, who became his partner in the early 1970s and would later be a Labour Party councillor on Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council (1986–2006) and an economics lecturer at Kingston University in London. In 2015, Rickman confirmed that they had married in a private ceremony in New York City in 2012.
His last recorded work prior to his death was for a short video to help Oxford University students raise funds and awareness of the refugee crisis for Save the Children and Refugee Council. According to his diaries, Rickman declined a CBE in 2008.
Summary Table
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman |
| Born | February 21, 1946 |
| Died | January 14, 2016 |
| Net Worth | $16 million |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Spouse | Rima Horton (married 2012) |
| Children | None |
| Notable Roles | Severus Snape, Hans Gruber, Sheriff of Nottingham |
| Education | RADA, Chelsea College of Art and Design |
| Real Estate | New York (West Village), Italy |
