Alan Rickman’s private letter reveals he was frustrated with Harry Potter role

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape (Photo Credits: Facebook)


Late actor Alan Rickman, considered one of the most talented performers of his generation, was apparently frustrated with his Harry Potter character, Severus Snape.

According to a report in Deadline, the revelation was made in a letter that was released for an auction.

Rickman, who has portrayed the character of Snape for more than 10 years in eight films, was not satisfied with the attention his character was given in the film Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.

Rickman wrote in the note “Inside Snape’s Head”, “It’s as if David Yates (director) has decided that this is not important in the scheme of things i.e teen audience appeal.”

In one of the letters, director David Yates wrote to Rickman, “Thank You for making ‘Harry Potter and The Chambers of Secrets’ a success. I know you get frustrated but please know that you are an integral part of the films and you are outstanding.”

The archive which has been valued at more than €950,000 also includes some sweet letters from actor Kate Winslet and Nicole Kidman, who have worked with Rickman at some point of their careers, and author JK Rowling, who has thanked the actor for justifying her favourite character in the HP films.

Apart from his iconic character in the Harry Potter series, Rickman is also known for his film credits such as Die Hard, Dogma, Love Actually, Michael Collins, Gambit and The Song of Lunch.

Rickman was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away at the age of 69 in 2016. His last two films Alice Through The Looking Glass and Eye in the Sky were released posthumously in memory of the late actor.