Sad news arrived this morning with the passing of yet another celebrity, and this one hurt more than any other that I can recall. Alan Rickman died of cancer at the age of 69.
Rickman may not have been as prolific an actor as some, but whenever he appeared on screen, he totally owned it. Die Hard ranks in my top three movies of all time, and depending on the day, would definitely occupy the top spot. It is as close to perfect as an action movie can be, and great credit goes to Rickman’s portrayal of the big bad, Hans Gruber. I’ve watched this movie many dozens of times and never get tired of watching him. Not too long after Die Hard, Rickman starred alongside Kevin Costner in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, another staple of my teenage years. More recently, he was Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films, and the philandering husband in Love Actually, one of my favorite romantic comedies.
I’m not one to cry in my beer over people I don’t know, but when celebrities such as Rickman, David Bowie, Paul Walker, and others leave us, it just makes me think how short our time here can be. I knew the day would come where my generation’s idols would start dying off, but I’m clearly not ready for it. I can only take solace in thinking that they are all sitting around a poker table in the sky, telling each other amazing stories and reciting lines from their favorite roles…
Sheriff of Nottingham: [to a wench] You. My room. 10:30 tonight. [to another wench] You. 10:45… And bring a friend.
He played Sherlock Holmes on stage once, and I would love to see a video of it one day.
That would be something to see! He would certainly have given the character a different kind of presence than we’re used to seeing.
He stole the show in Robin Hood.
“I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon!”
Later…
“Why a spoon brother? Why not a knife or an ax?”
“Because it’s dull – it will hurt more!”
RIP
“…and cancel Christmas!”
Brian – thanks for the great commentary. Although we don’t personally know these great performers, they bring so much to our lives with their talent, and it is hard not to miss them. Always a pleasure to see you at shows. Your friend Mitch
Well said. Thanks Mitch.
I agree that he was awesome in anything he did. It’s definitely sad that some of the influential people from my earliest days are starting to slowly leave us. One of my favorite lines from “Prince of Thieves”….. “It’s dull you twit! It’ll hurt more!!!!”