Alan Rickman represents a lot of different characters for a lot of different people. Some see him as Hans Gruber from Die Hard. For others, Rickman is Galaxy Quest‘s Dr. Lazarus of Tev’Meck. The role of Rickman’s career that most obviously comes to mind, though, is his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films.
Those movies have captured the imagination of so many moviegoers young and old, and Rickman’s portrayal of a surprisingly noble-hearted antagonist is a huge part of the film’s lore. That’s a big part of why the world is taking Rickman’s death so hard, and some fans have found a touching way to honor the actor.
At King’s Cross railway station in London–where Harry and his pals pass through the hidden Platform 9 3/4 to access the Hogwarts Express–there is half of a shopping cart embedded into the wall where Potter fans can pretend to be on their way to Hogwarts. For the past two days, fans have been leaving flowers, handwritten messages, and other tokens of appreciation in memory of Rickman.
Massive thank you to everyone who left flowers and notes. Potterhead solidarity. #RIPAlanRickman pic.twitter.com/72eF4fjqUZ
â J Fernandez (@imjfernandez) January 14, 2016
2016 has gotten off to an unfortunate start with the deaths of Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie, and now, Alan Rickman, but the touching responses and numerous tributes in honor of each of them have been a happy reminder of the impact talented and charismatic people can have on our lives.
Let us never forget Rickman, his contributions to entertainment, or the time he inhaled helium and said “Harry Potter.”
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HT: ScreenCrush
IMAGE: @helloimclaire