You can't blame a girl for trying.
Ever time I have to chance to talk to Alan Rickman, I try to ask him about Snape -- but he won't spill. I'm not the only reporter who has this problem -- Rickman is notorious for not saying anything about the Harry Potter series, because he doesn't want to ruin it for the kids who have yet to finish reading "Deathly Hallows." And while I can respect that in theory, it's been a year. Even J.K. Rowling herself talks about what he won't.
So, when he was doing press for "Bottle Shock", I thought perhaps he might respond to a spoiler-free type question. Instead of asking about Snape's motivations, or the great Snape debate -- which prompted its own book -- I thought something more general, something connective, might work. His character Steven Spurrier runs the Academy of Wine, and cares deeply about the art and science of winemaking. His other character Severus Snape is a professor of potions, and cares deeply about the art and science of potionmaking (so much so he can invent his own, or improve on pre-existing ones -- see "Half-Blood Prince"). Wouldn't the two characters have so much in common -- despite being from disparate worlds -- that they would have a lot to talk about?
"Sneaky question!" Rickman laughed. Read more...
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."