British actor Alan Rickman passed away, losing a battle against cancer at the age of 69. Like film fans the world over, at the HFPA we mourn the consummate professional and beloved thespian (a term ever so appropriate for this classically trained actor). Among his accomplishments, Rickman counts a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television for his titular role in HBO’s Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. That was in 1997; a couple of years later, in 1999, we spoke to him on the promotional tour for the Dean Parisot Star Trek parody Galaxy Quest. It was still a couple of years before Rickman would create the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, the character for which he likely will be remembered for by most. Coincidentally we asked him about being identified with roles. Here is what he told us then.

Luca Celada