Today’s animated Doodle celebrates Alan Rickman, an English actor and director. (Screenshot: Google.com; Photos File)
Google Doodle Today: On this day in 1987, Alan Rickman starred in ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’, a Broadway play that was instrumental in launching his career.
GOOGLE DOODLE TODAY 30.04.2023: Today’s animated Doodle celebrates Alan Rickman, an English actor and director, best known for his roles in theater and film. He was born on February 21, 1946 in London and died on January 14, 2016 at the age of 69. With a deep, magnetic voice and endless charm, he is known for his magical performances in films like Harry Potter and Die Dur.
On this day in 1987, Rickman starred in “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” a Broadway play that was instrumental in launching his career.
EARLY LIFE
A natural painter, Rickman became interested in different art forms after being encouraged by his teachers and family. He was particularly drawn to acting. After acting in school plays, he won a scholarship to pursue that interest at Latymer Upper School in London.
AN ENTREPRENEUR
After high school, Rickman studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art. After graduating, he started a design business with close college friends while participating in the amateur Group Court Drama Club. At 26, Rickman quit his business and decided to pursue acting in earnest, earning a place at RADA, one of the most prestigious acting schools in the world.
LOVE OF THE GAME
A few years later he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he appeared in The Tempest and Love’s Labour’s Lost. He struck gold in 1985 when he played the role of anti-hero Le Vicomte de Valmont in the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses. After earning a Tony nomination for his performance, he began receiving offers to act in films.
DEBUT IN HOLLYWOOD
In 1988, Rickman starred as criminal mastermind Hans Gruber in the movie Die Hard. The character is now considered one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. The film’s success led to Rickman playing similar antagonistic roles in films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
His career trajectory continued through the 1990s with roles in Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), the latter for which he received an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award.
In 2001, Rickman starred in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as scene stealer Severus Snape. His daunting, chilling and captivating performance saw him star in the next seven Harry Potter films, becoming an international sensation.
During his career, Rickman received numerous acting nominations and awards and even directed three plays and two movies. He is remembered for his iconic on-screen roles, his philanthropy, and his kind and sensitive nature off-screen.
BEST ALAN RICKMAN FILMS
- Die Hard (1988)
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
- Reason and Sensibility (1995)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
- Love Actually (2003)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Bottle Clash (2008)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
- Eye in the Sky (2015)
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