Alan Rickman
He brought a voice of velvet menace and profound humanity to roles that made villains compelling and heroes haunted.
1946–2016 (age 70)·English actor·Birthday: February 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Rickman’s path to acting was anything but direct. Born into a working-class London family, he studied graphic design and even ran a successful studio before, at 26, he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His patience and late start forged a technique of meticulous control. Rickman’s breakthrough came not on film but on stage, as the seductive Vicomte de Valmont in 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses,' a performance that earned him a Tony nomination and announced a master of nuanced cruelty. Hollywood soon cast that specific talent, most famously as the sardonic Hans Gruber in 'Die Hard,' a villain so charming he redefined the action movie antagonist. For a generation, he became Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, imbuing the potions master with a tragic, layered bitterness that became the emotional core of the series. Off-screen, he was a fiercely private man, a dedicated theater director, and a generous friend, leaving behind a body of work defined by its intelligence and unexpected warmth.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won a BAFTA TV Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy for his portrayal of Rasputin in the 1996 HBO film.
- Earned a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway debut in 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' in 1987.
- His film debut as Hans Gruber in 'Die Hard' (1988) is consistently ranked among the greatest movie villains.
- Served as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in acclaimed stage productions like 'Private Lives' and 'John Gabriel Borkman.'
Did You Know?
He was a trained graphic designer and co-founded the graphic design agency Graphiti with friends before pursuing acting.
He secretly directed and starred in a music video for the band Texas, featuring his then-girlfriend and future wife, Rima Horton.
He provided the voice of the talking painting in the cult film 'A Little Chaos,' which he also directed.
He turned down the role of Severus Snape twice before being persuaded by the producer's vision for the character.
“Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.”
