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01-09-2012, 11:50 PM
| | Full Alan Rickman NYTimes Arts & Leisure Weekend panel discussion on acting career
Alan Rickman sat down for a lengthy chat at the New York Times Arts and Leisure Weekend on Saturday, where he discussed his theatrical and film work, including of course the Harry Potter series and his portrayal of Severus Snape, his current Broadway production of Seminar, Die Hard, Sense and Sensibility, and much more. The full video can be viewed by clicking the image of Alan here; highlights from the over hour-long panel can be read below. First theater role?
The very first thing I ever did was at what we call primary school, when I was 7 years old. I played the title role in a play called "King Grizzlybeard." I remember my mother cutting a little triangle of fur out of a rug for the beard. When he started his training at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), how similar was his voice then to what we hear now?
What I hear is not what you hear, so I don't even know what you're talking about. Certainly, when I was at drama school it was the source of many complaints, big problems, a great deal of work. A lot of it's just to do with the architecture of your mouth, the sound you make, and it's about the muscle strength in your tongue, so once it all gets taken apart -– you know, I had big problems. What sorts of problems?
That I had very lazy diction, that I had a spastic soft palate ... my voice teacher said, 'You sound as if your voice is coming out of the back end of a drainpipe.' So that's how cruel drama school is. It means, I suppose, basically, that I had to learn to bring it all forward. It was all kind of traveling backward. Differences between the New York and London theater scenes?
It is very different performing here, in a good way, because you really do feel that theater is part of the life of this city, in a way that you don't in London. London's so spread out as a city, anyway. There isn't in any way the same kind of contact between people working. You know, you come out of the theater and we go over the road to a bar or restaurant, and there's a bunch of actors who are all doing a show, so you get to know each other here. Of course, it's kill or be killed here. You get a bad review and you're off anyway. On whether he has a penchant for playing villains.
Well, you'd have to name them and you'd run out after about three, I think. Because, if you say "Die Hard" and "Robin Hood," then you start going "uhh..uhh…" because everything else is a bit more complicated than that. Did [Harry Potter author] J.K. Rowling know ahead of time what would happen with your character, Snape?
Yeah, she knew everything. It's fair to say that she put the ending into a safe. She knew how it would finish. Did she tip you off?
Before I said I would do [the first film] I said I had to talk to her. We spoke the next day, and she gave me a very small piece of information ... that let me know there was more to him than met the eye. Can you share that with us?
No. I promised her I never would. Having played the character all those years, did you have emotional or cathartic moments toward the end?
With the last film, it was very cathartic, because you were finally able to see who he was. It was strange, in a way, to play stuff that was so emotional ... but satisfying on all sorts of levels. You know, Ray [Fiennes, who played Voldemort] and I had a scene where you just thought, well, finally it's just a couple of actors talking to each other, with no special effects. On holding a wand.
Holding a wand is not the most threatening thing. And pointing it at Dame Maggie Smith, who you've grown up worshipping from the cheap seats at the National Theatre, and she's pointing it at you … and she can arch an eyebrow like nobody. Thank god for the sheets of flame. Did he ever consider not acting in all eight of the movies?
No, I wasn't going to let anyone else finish him. On differences between acting and directing.
It's satisfying to be in control of the visual aspect, as much as anything else. I'm passionate about storytelling, and sometimes you want to tell a story as an actor, and sometimes, now, you want to tell a story as a director. It takes a long time -- or it did for me -- to get to the point where you've actually got something to say. All these hopeful faces staring at you on the first day, it's a bit challenging. But over the years you've learned that one of the greatest things a director can say to an actor, that will make them immediately trust you, is the actor will ask a question and the director will say, 'I don't know.' What about Leonard, your character in Seminar?
The story is of four young writers in New York who hire a mentor, pay him $5,000 each for a ten-week mentoring period, and pretty early on are pretty resentful of the money they've given him. He's a truth-teller. Relentlessly truth-telling … but fortunately he's also a human being. You do wonder whether that's going to be the case or whether he's just a destroyer, but he's not. What would Leonard think of Jo Rowling's writing?
He'd probably be very jealous of what she's achieved. I'm sure he'd have to say -– her storytelling. You can't fault it, really.
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01-10-2012, 12:46 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| Puffskein
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wherever Snape is!
Posts: 1,593
| direct diva
Well I think we can all pretty much guess exactly what little tidbit of information JK shared with him!
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01-10-2012, 01:13 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| Jobberknoll
Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mexico.
Posts: 4,063
Hogwarts RPG Name: Ginny First Year |
He's such a great actor!
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01-10-2012, 01:58 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| Chizpurfle
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: EST (GMT -5)
Posts: 10,679
Hogwarts RPG Name: Finnlay 'Finn' Cameron Muir Fifth Year x5
| Ravenpuff | Cap'n Crunch | Bedtime Queen | O Minion, My Minion
Ahhhh, I just want to know what Jo told Alan!!!!
__________________ Thanks, Kitakins <3 |
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01-10-2012, 03:33 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| Red Cap
Join Date: May 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia USA
Posts: 70
Hogwarts RPG Name: Paisley Renea Summers First Year |
I just cannot even imagine his voice ever being the source of problems. I could listen to this man talk all day long...
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01-10-2012, 07:23 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| Billywig
Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Philippines (GMT+8)
Posts: 3,551
Hogwarts RPG Name: Olivia Hurst First Year | Vine|| Erin Heyman <3 || Tagalog Forum || RonMione forever || ENGR <333
Really? The beard.
There was more to Snape than met the eye. What did JK told him? |
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01-10-2012, 09:09 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| Firecrab
Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Hogwarts
Posts: 880
| "Always" // "all was well."
I know, JK told Alan that Snape is Harry's real father! Just kidding
Only they two know for certain, I so wanna see this.. He's a great actor and his interviews are always interesting.
Long live Alan Rickman!
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01-10-2012, 12:19 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| Puffskein
Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 1,029
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great interview!
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01-10-2012, 03:58 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| Gnome
Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Godric's Hollow
Posts: 302
Hogwarts RPG Name: Evangeline (Evy) Fenwick Fourth Year Ministry RPG Name:
Fenice Fawcett Accidents & Catastrophes |
Alan portrayed Snape so well
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01-11-2012, 12:47 AM
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#10 (permalink)
| Puffskein
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wherever Snape is!
Posts: 1,593
| direct diva
I do have to wonder though if he's ever going to be able to escape Snape, it seems like from now on people are going to be comparing anything and everything he does to Harry Potter!
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01-11-2012, 03:52 AM
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#11 (permalink)
| Bundimun
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 26
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An excellent AR interview. Good to see an interviewer who has done his homework.
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01-11-2012, 10:33 AM
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#12 (permalink)
| Horklump
Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 44
Magical Creatures |
Great Interview Alan Rickman
....I really can't imagine anyone else playing snape!!!
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01-11-2012, 12:32 PM
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#13 (permalink)
| Bugbear
Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Down Under
Posts: 32,132
Hogwarts RPG Name: Cody Liam Evans Seventh Year Ministry RPG Name:
Marie Bonnie Potter Magical Games & Sports | HP, Harry & Ginny ♥ | Music Girl ♫ | | BW, JB, CS, 1D, Glee, AVPM/S Lover | Pray &
Alan Rickman is outstanding!
__________________ ♥ HARRY POTTER FOREVER ♥ Thank You For The Three Best Years! I Am Busy As A Bee. Please Bear With Me As I Will Come On SS As Much As Possible. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |
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01-12-2012, 03:07 PM
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#14 (permalink)
| formerly: PhoenixStar Hippogriff
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 21,878
Graduated | <--- Random | Funfetti | Lima Bean | Slytherpuff | PURPLE | Hoarder of pens | ALWAYS Severus
Awww I really would like to know what they talked about, but am glad that he kept his promise to Jo!
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