French Magazine: Total Stars
Issue: No. 6, Summer 2004
Interview: Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman seems tied to the roles of villains and/or shadowy
characters…which suits him perfectly, since he portrays them with enormous
talent. In the Harry Potter movies, Alan
lends his talents to the mysterious Severus Snape. But in
reality, he is much more smiling than his character!
Has your career changed
since your role as Severus Snape?
Honestly, I don't think so.
I was already being offered a lot of interesting parts before I ever
became acquainted with Harry and Snape. Of course the Harry Potter films are a part
of my life, but they haven't modified it in any major way. At least, I don't think so. (smiles)
Snape hides many secrets, can
you reveal a few to us?
If I did that, I believe that JK Rowling would make me pay dearly
(laughs).
In fact, I don't know everything, either, of Snape's
past or his motivations. JK Rowling
hasn't revealed all of his secrets yet.
She alone truly knows Snape and what he could
be hiding. A bit more of the character
is revealed in the course of the novels, so one just has to be patient and see
what unfolds (smiles). I can simply say
that Snape is very rigid and full of himself. As for what I know about him because JK
Rowling agreed to discuss him with me, that must
remain secret for the moment.
Did Snape
appreciate seeing himself dressed as a woman in Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?
(laughs)
I would say he must have been truly vexed and unhappy! Snape isn't one who
enjoys jokes and I strongly fear that his sense of humor is extremely
limited. You could say that he deserves
his name! But in his defense, I will add
that he didn't have an easy adolescence, particularly during his studies at
Hogwarts. His interactions with
Professor Lupin aren't made any easier since they
knew each other at that time. But oops,
I won't say more!
What do you think of your
young colleagues in the Harry Potter movies?
They are all fantastic. True professionals. I
can attest to the degree to which they take their work seriously, all the while
remaining children. Their performances
have equally progressed enormously in the course of the films. It's a true joy to perform with these actors
who believe so much in what they're doing.
They've all grown up so much since the first Harry Potter, just like
their characters. I think it's great
that they can all develop together.
Will you take part in
the future Harry Potter films?
If all goes well, it would be with pleasure. I like very much the way in which the story
is evolving. It's more and more dark and
more and more interesting.
Do you prefer to act in
the theater or in films?
They're very different…Performing an entire year in the same play
is quite sufficient for me. It doesn't
make me want to jump into another right away.
The theater is something very unique.
It gives a lot, but takes a lot in return. You don't have the right to make a mistake,
and you have to give all of your energy for two hours on end. When you do a film, the pressure is not the
same. You can redo a scene several times
and rest between takes. It's very
different but the two genres are interesting experiences.