The late actor Alan Rickman, celebrated for his iconic role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, has never been shy about expressing his concerns surrounding the films or the actors. From criticizing Emma Watson’s performance to locking horns with producers over Dumbledore’s death scene, Rickman has shared a lot in his memoire Madly, Deeply: The Diary of Alan Rickman.
Considering his impressive career even before landing the role in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter adaptation, Alan Rickman kept a journal of his observations that was published as his memoire, posthumously. Therein, the actor had cited his opinions on things that mattered to him, including his concerns over one particular scene from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Alan Rickman Disapproved a Scene from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Appearing as Severus Snape in all eight Harry Potter films, Alan Rickman left a sizable impression on the franchise and its fandom with his role as the intimidating professor. However, through his journey alongside the Golden Trio, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, Rickman had jotted down a few concerns in his diary, about his character and a few sequences in the film.
Following his untimely demise in 2016, from pancreatic cancer, as Alan Rickman’s diary was published posthumously, the world got to learn about his issues with a few sequences from the franchise. Among all, one particular event that left an indelible mark on fans was overly criticized by Rickman. It’s none other than Dumbledore’s death scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
According to a passage of his diary (published as Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman) shared by Business Insider, Rickman had touched upon the scene wherein Snape killed Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) with the unmistakable death spell. Stating how he believed that the sequence lacked drama, the actor claimed that the moment was not done justice.
The scene seems oddly lacking in drama — on the page — but that is absolute cause and effect of screenplays that have to conflate (deflate) the narrative. We don’t know — or remember — enough about individual characters’ concerns to understand their issues. Or care… To wit, I argue (successfully, today) that a line of Snape’s, ‘I gave my word. I made a vow,’ was confusing and diluting.
Although Dumbledore’s death marked a significant moment in the Harry Potter saga, Alan Rickman felt that the book-to-script translation did not have much gravitas. Stating that the characters’ motivations weren’t properly conveyed, Rickman even mentioned fighting with the producers to remove one of his own concise lines from the scene.
Alan Rickman Almost Quit the Films Due to His Lack of Character Development
Although Alan Rickman’s role as Severus Snape stands as one of the most iconic and deeply misunderstood characters in the history of cinema, it seems the actor wasn’t quite happy with his role. Considering Rickman’s above-mentioned concerns about the scene from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, alongside his desire to quit the role, it’s quite evident that the star wasn’t satisfied with the franchise as an artist.
Following Alan Rickman’s death, an auction of his belongings unearthed a personal letter sent to producer David Heyman. The letter revealed Rickman’s desire to quit his role after Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets since he felt that Snape was still underdeveloped after two movies. This very information shared by ScreenRant thus highlights Rickman’s deep dissatisfaction with his character.
Thankfully, Rickman changed his mind and decided to stick around, even while battling cancer. However, according to reports, the change in decision happened after JK Rowling secretly entrusted him with information about emerging narratives. So it seems that letting Alan Rickman know about the reality or significance of Snape’s arc paid off well. Thereafter, although Rickman had concerns about the film series, he at least had faith in his character’s development.
The Harry Potter films are available on Max.
