Alan Rickman immortalized the role of Professor Severus Snape in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. He was among the few actors to appear in all of the Harry Potter movies. Interestingly, Rowling convinced him to stay in the role, personally disclosing the big secret at the end of the last movie. This revelation meant that Rickman always knew he wasn’t a villain but rather a silent protector of Harry Potter.
The role of Severus Snape was initially offered to another actor, Tim Roth, who had to turn down the role for Planet of the Apes. Rickman impressed the producers with his witty yet menacing performance in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, ultimately securing the role.
J.K. Rowling Revealed Snape’s Secret To Alan Rickman Early On
The late Alan Rickman made a heartwarming revelation after the release of his final Harry Potter film in 2011. It was a secret he carried for many years, much like his character Severus Snape. Rickman shared that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling gave him “one tiny, little, left-of-field piece of information” that helped him portray the character better.
Rickman told HitFix magazine that when he was filming the first movie, he and the crew had little idea where the story or his character was headed. At that time, Rowling had only written three or four books, but she alone knew what would happen in the end. According to the Die Hard actor, Rowling felt it was important to reveal a bit of that information to Rickman.
While he did not disclose what this “tiny information” was, he revealed that it helped him figure out an ambiguous route for the character. The Sweeney Todd actor shared with HitFix (via EW):
“If you remember when I did the first film she’d only written three or four books, so nobody knew where it was really going except her. And its was important for her that I know something, but she only gave me a tiny piece of information which helped me think it was a more ambiguous route.”
Rickman further shared that from Rowling’s information, he was able to work out that his character had “some sense of protection for Harry.” He realized that his character could be some kind of “double agent” in the film, which turned out to be true.
J.K. Rowling Revealed The Information She Shared With Alan Rickman
J.K. Rowling made the best decision when she revealed the crucial plot information to Alan Rickman years before the final film. Shortly after the saddening death of Rickman in 2016, Rowling was asked on X about what she had told the Love Actually actor. Rowling responded in a manner that resonated poignantly with all Potterheads, leaving a lasting memory of the character and the actor.
I told Alan what lies behind the word 'always'. https://t.co/NHTJ5J6kxb
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 18, 2016
Fans of the books will recognize this as a heartfelt reference to the emotional exchange between Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore regarding the former’s eternal love for Lily Potter. This moment stands out as one of the most emotionally charged scenes in both the final Harry Potter book and its film version.
Harry Potter is set to make a return to screens in a new series format, and the production is already in progress. Fans eagerly await to see how the new cast and crew will approach the more detailed adaptation of the beloved books. Meanwhile, all Harry Potter films are now available for streaming on Max.
