You thought Snape was enigmatic, hard to figure out? Don’t count on Alan Rickman to help you — because once he makes a promise, he keeps it. When we caught up with Alan in London for “Sweeney Todd,” we had to ask what he thought of what’s finally revealed about Snape in “Deathly Hallows,” and he refused to spill. “There may have been people who have not read that book,” he insisted. “I won’t talk about it just in case somebody flips some channel, some computer screen, and they haven’t got that far.”
Guess we should have brought some Veritaserum to the interview, but Alan did give up just “one tiny thing” — that author J.K. Rowling had let him in on a bit of the secret before he filmed his first scenes in the Harry Potter series.
“I had one tiny piece of information right at the beginning,” he revealed. “Because I said to her, ‘You have to tell me something, or else I can’t play this.’ It didn’t tell me how to play him, but it told me who he was a little bit.”
So what did she give up? He won’t say. “I swore to her I never would tell until it’s all done and dusted,” he said. Was it the end? “I never knew what the end was.” Was it who Snape really was? “I never knew who he was.” Was it about … Lily? “I’m not telling you anything!” he said — and was that perhaps a sense of glee we noted? Glee because we hit on a right note, or because he was having so much fun keeping the secret?
“I’m so aware of the kids, and this is for them,” he explained. “There are so many little faces sunk deep into books, and sometimes it’s still a fog because it could take a while for them to read them, and you don’t want to spoil it for anyone.”
Ok, we can accept that. But he’s got to be looking forward to “Half-Blood Prince,” right? “Well,” he relented with a sneaky smile, “maybe.”
December 17th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Oh he is so handsome and such a tease, I cant wait to see him in the next movie. “Well,maybe” with a sneaky smile, how tantilizing!!! he just makes me swoon. and I know he will give an awsome performance in the next movie- to bad we still have to wait!
December 20th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Alan is a genius when it comes to playing what ever role he plays. In Truly, Madly, Deeply I just fall in live with Alan because I have heard that Jaimie is most like Alan. In Rasputin, he amazingly looks so much like the real Grigori Rasputin. He was absolutely brilliant in that movie. He is the quintessential villan in Die Hard, Robin Hood and Quigly: Down Under. Handsome? You bet. He makes my heart skip a beat when ever I see him in pics and film. Only two more HP movies but let’s not forget- We have Sweeny Todd fast approaching.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
I’m here to tell you that it isn’t just little faces pressed into the book; I’m 47 and I’ve got a pretty big face myself. I applaud Mr. Rickman for sticking to his guns and not saying Boo about the last book. Thanks for keeping mum! I hate having surprises spoiled!
Pax,
Nelson
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:21 am
Rickman doesn’t tell what happens to Snape because he doesn’t know. He doesn’t read the books.
December 23rd, 2007 at 3:24 am
Wow, I LOVE it. I love the fact he had to know something to be able to play Snape. Kudos to Alan for being a Loyal Friend to JK by sticking to his guns and keeping his word.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
You’re all STUPID!! You all you left a comment are so freakin full of yourself!! You all just look at the surface of things and nothing else… look more deep to this scratched surface of this conversation and you will find what you need to understand!! LOSERS!!
December 31st, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Hey there Joanne… might I recommend some anger management treatments?
Anyways, I just have to take a moment to say that I just absolutely adore Alan Rickman. He’s a fantastic actor for one and from I’ve read and discovered about him personally only makes me wish more and more that I could actually “know” him… but well - that’s highly unlikely ish’t it?
Everything about him… his acting, his voice, his comments, his personality - he’s just completly irrisistable and I can’t wait to see the next Harry Potter movie, mostly just because of him!
January 10th, 2008 at 10:59 am
J. K. Rowling, in the Pottercast podcast, revealed what she told Alan Rickman at the very beginning of the series. And yes, it was concerning Lily, so the interviewer’s observations about Alan’s glee because of having guessed correctly is probably spot on.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Oooooh I can’t wait for HBP to be in at the cinema lol I heard it’s not going to be in the cinema until november though
But anyway…My friend and I are going to watch the movie in costume, I as Snape and my friend as Dumbledore (Yes we are both adults, I shall be 20 when the movie arrives in cinema’s and my friend will be 23)
*is really excited*
Long live Mr Rickman