Today’s animated Doodle celebrates Alan Rickman, an English actor and director. (Screengrab: Google.com; File Photos)
Google Doodle Today: On this day in 1987, Alan Rickman performed 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 both 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 movies like Harry Potter and Die Difficult.
On this day in 1987, Rickman performed in ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’, a Broadway play that was instrumental in launching his career.
EARLY LIFE
A natural painter, Rickman became interested in various art forms after being encouraged by his teachers and family. He was particularly taken with acting. After appearing in school plays, he earned a scholarship to pursue this interest at London’s Latymer Upper School.
AN ENTREPRENEUR
After high school, Rickman studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art. After graduation, he started a design business with close college friends while participating in the amateur Group Court Drama Club. At the age of 26, Rickman left his company and decided to pursue acting seriously, earning a spot at RADA, one of the most prestigious drama schools in the world.
LOVE TO PLAY
A few years later he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in The Tempest and Love’s Labour’s Lost. He won gold in 1985 when he played the anti-hero Le Vicomte de Valmont in the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons). After earning a Tony nomination for his performance, he started receiving offers to act in films.
HOLLYWOOD DEBUT
In 1988, Rickman starred as criminal mastermind Hans Gruber in the movie Die Hard. The character is now regarded as one of the most iconic villains in movie history. The film’s success led Rickman to take similar antagonistic roles in films such as 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), for which he received an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for the latter.
In 2001, Rickman starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as the scene-stealing Severus Snape. His intimidating, terrifying and captivating performance led him to star in the next seven Harry Potter films and become an international sensation.
Over the course of his career, Rickman received numerous acting nominations and awards and even directed three plays and two films. He is remembered for his iconic on-screen roles, his philanthropy, and his kind and sensitive off-screen nature.
THE TOP MOVIES OF ALAN RICKMAN
- Die Hard (1988)
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
- Feeling and Sensitivity (1995)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
- Love Actually (2003)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Bottle Shake (2008)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
- Eye in the Sky (2015)
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