113-735: Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company , performing in modern and classical theatre productions. He played the Vicomte de Valmont in the RSC stage production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985, and after
226-424: A Celt , how you smell each other out, because my mother's family is Welsh. There's not a lot of English blood in me." His father was Catholic and his mother was a Methodist . He had two brothers named David and Michael and a sister named Sheila. Rickman was born with a tight jaw, contributing to the deep tone of voice and languid delivery for which he would become famous. He said that a vocal coach told him he had
339-482: A GCSE in drama, he was singled out by the BBC for his "excellent diction and articulation". Rickman is featured in several musical works, including a song composed by Adam Leonard entitled "Not Alan Rickman". Credited as 'A Strolling Player' in the sleeve notes, the actor played a "Master of Ceremonies" part, announcing the various instruments at the end of the first part of Mike Oldfield 's Tubular Bells II (1992) on
452-534: A Labour Party councillor on Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council (1986–2006) and an economics lecturer at Kingston University in London. In 2015, Rickman confirmed that they had married in a private ceremony in New York City in 2012. Rickman was the godfather of fellow actor Tom Burke . Rickman's brother Michael is a Conservative Party district councillor in Leicestershire. Rickman
565-605: A "spastic soft palate". When Rickman was eight years old his father died of cancer, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings mostly alone. According to biographer Maureen Paton, the family was "rehoused by the council and moved to an Acton estate to the west of Wormwood Scrubs Prison , where his mother struggled to bring up four children on her own by working for the Post Office ". Margaret Rickman married again in 1960, but divorced Rickman's stepfather after three years. Rickman met his longtime partner Rima Horton at
678-656: A Lover " which reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart , and No. 77 on the US Billboard Hot 100 . Later singles released from Southside were not as successful, " Thrill Has Gone " which charted at No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart, " Everyday Now " at No. 44 and " Prayer for You " at No. 73. Only four singles were released from Southside before going on a tour and return to the studio to start work on their second album Mothers Heaven . Around
791-575: A UK tour throughout April and May 2015. The band released their ninth studio album, Jump on Board in May 2017 to critical acclaim, with "Let's Work it Out" serving as the lead single from the new album. Jump on Board performed well commercially in the band's native Scotland, debuting at number one on the Scottish Albums Chart. The album reached number one in France and performed well in
904-530: A US activist who advocated for Palestinian rights and was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza , he was motivated to produce My Name Is Rachel Corrie ; the film was well-received and popular in London. Throughout 2005, Rickman received treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer , culminating in a prostatectomy in January 2006. The operation coincided with the casting for Harry Potter and
1017-401: A fellow British cultural figure who died at the same age as Rickman four days earlier; like Rickman, Bowie died of cancer and kept his cancer diagnosis from the public. Tributes from Rickman's co-stars and contemporaries appeared on social media following the announcement. Since his cancer was not publicly known, some—like Ralph Fiennes , who "cannot believe he is gone", and Jason Isaacs , who
1130-598: A further 1-week falling to No. 56 on the UK Album Charts before leaving the charts. The album's lead single " So Called Friend " charted at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart and the second " You Owe It All To Me " charted at No. 39. The further three singles released, " So in Love with You " charted at No. 28 in the United Kingdom. The further two singles "You've Got To Give a Little" and "Fade Away" did not chart in
1243-443: A healthy reminder to me that subtlety isn't everything". Despite gaining acclaim within the media for his ability to portray villainous roles in films Rickman took issue with being typecast as a villain. During this decade he would portray a range of characters that would defy media perceptions. Rickman soon started to play leading roles such as Man, in the enigmatic film Closet Land (1991) alongside Madeleine Stowe ; and he also
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#17327913396241356-520: A hiatus. In 2013, Texas's worldwide album sales were counted at 40 million records. Texas returned from their hiatus in 2013 with The Conversation , which debuted at No. 4 on the UK Album Chart, No. 3 on their native Scottish Album Charts as well as No. 8 in France. A 25th-anniversary album followed in 2015 entitled Texas 25 , followed by the band's ninth studio album, Jump on Board (2017), which achieved mainstream chart success, topping
1469-458: A hidden stiletto blade". Emma Thompson remembered "the intransigence which made him the great artist he was—his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me ... I learned a lot from him." Colin Firth told The Hollywood Reporter that, as an actor, Rickman had been a mentor. John McTiernan , director of Die Hard , said Rickman was the antithesis of
1582-459: A list of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Two researchers, a linguist and a sound engineer, found "the perfect [male] voice" to be a combination of Rickman's and Jeremy Irons ' voices based on a sample of 50 voices. The BBC states that Rickman's " sonorous , languid voice was his calling card—making even throwaway lines of dialogue sound thought-out and authoritative." In their vocal range exercises in studying for
1695-419: A new album entitled Texas 25 . The collection features eight songs from the band's back catalogue completely reworked with the help of New York production team Truth & Soul , as well as four brand new songs, and was released on 16 February 2015. Deluxe packages include a second disc of the hits in their original form. The lead single, "Start a Family", premiered online on 6 January 2015. The band embarked on
1808-1058: A particular standout." All three of Rickman's performances in Close My Eyes , Truly Madly Deeply and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves would win him the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor , and the same performances along with his work in Quigley Down Under would also win him the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year . In 1995, he was cast as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility , Ang Lee 's film adaptation of Jane Austen 's novel . The film also starred Emma Thompson , Hugh Grant , and Kate Winslet . Thompson noted that Rickman could express
1921-473: A promo video that also includes footage of Texas, RZA and Method Man performing " Say What You Want " at the BRIT Awards in 1998. In April 2021, the second single from Hi was released. Called "Mr Haze", the track sampled the melody from " Love's Unkind " (a Giorgio Moroder production which was a Top 10 hit for Donna Summer in the late 1970s) and was performed on The One Show on BBC One. Hi
2034-458: A singing window-dresser. Spiteri is of Maltese, Egyptian and French descent through her father and of Italian, Irish and German descent through her mother. When she was young, the family moved from the Glaswegian suburbs to nearby Balloch , close to the shores of Loch Lomond , and she went to Vale of Leven Academy school there. As a teenager, she was interested by pop culture. Music
2147-652: A sneer." Media coverage characterised Rickman's performance as worthy of nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . His last appearance as Snape saw him receive award nominations in 2011, including at the Saturn Awards and the Scream Awards . In November 2011, Rickman opened in Seminar , a new play by Theresa Rebeck , at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway. Rickman, who left
2260-588: A soloist, and her seventh UK top-40 album both as a soloist and a member of Texas. To promote the album, she performed in front of 55,000 fans supporting Paul McCartney on his Up and Coming Tour at Hampden Park in Glasgow. In 2010, Spiteri appeared as a judge on the Sky 1 reality show Must Be the Music . Spiteri has a large lesbian fanbase, although she is heterosexual. In February 2013, Music Week announced
2373-521: A surprise that Alan Rickman is the only actor to make it onto this Greatest Villains list twice—he does bad deeds with such gusto. Legend has it he kept refusing the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham until it was agreed he could do whatever he liked with it—which, to Kevin Costner's rumoured chagrin, included stealing the whole damn show. Every sneer, every eye-roll, every flourish of splenetic exasperation
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#17327913396242486-474: A wonderful man." Emma Watson wrote, "I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor. I'll really miss our conversations." Daniel Radcliffe appreciated his loyalty and support: "I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in Britain and America. He didn't have to do that." Evanna Lynch said it was scary to bump into Rickman in character as Snape, but "he
2599-532: A year. In 2011, she appeared in the French version of The X Factor with Henri Padovani who was managing groups for the competition. In 2016, she appeared on the British programme Top Gear , along with Seasick Steve and Tinie Tempah in a South African SUV challenge. Spiteri had a long-term relationship with the editor of Arena magazine, Ashley Heath. The couple have a daughter, Misty Kyd (named after
2712-452: Is a Scottish singer–songwriter and guitarist who has a contralto vocal range, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Texas , who rose to prominence in 1989 with the release of their debut single " I Don't Want a Lover ". Their debut album, Southside (1989) was a commercial success, selling over two million copies. Follow up albums were less successful, however, the release of their fourth album White on Blonde (1997) returned
2825-591: Is a joy to behold. Whether he's cancelling Christmas or cutting your heart out with a spoon, Rickman's crowd-pleasing pantomime villainy is downright heroic. — Empire on Rickman, ranking his portrayals of the Sheriff of Nottingham (number 14) and Hans Gruber (number 4) on their list of the greatest villains. Rickman was given the male lead, the Vicomte de Valmont, in the 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Christopher Hampton 's adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses , directed by Howard Davies . After
2938-421: Is certified Platinum in France and peaked at No. 4 on the UK Album Charts. In November 2014, Texas contributed to BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the '80s album with a cover of "Don't Talk to Me About Love" by Altered Images , a band which also included current Texas member Johnny McElhone in its lineup. To celebrate the band's 25th anniversary, it was announced that some of their biggest hits would be re-recorded for
3051-511: Is shouldered by the impressive efforts of a talented cast." The following year he starred in Gavin Hood 's Eye in the Sky (2015) starring Helen Mirren , Aaron Paul , and Barkhad Abdi . This would be Rickman's final onscreen performance. The film debuted at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival to great acclaim, receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, based on 175 critics, with
3164-431: Is the reason he's still here. When he asked what was happening with Texas, I said it was up to him. He told me he wanted to get back into the studio." After the release of Texas's 2005 album Red Book the band members confirmed that they would enter a hiatus. Spiteri performed as guest vocalist on Rammstein 's Rosenrot album. She began work on her debut solo album, working with some of her former bandmates. She wrote
3277-410: Is the tenth album released by Texas and includes collaborations with Richard Hawley and Altered Images' Clare Grogan, the latter duetting with Spiteri on the song "Look What You've Done". In 2023, Texas released another career-spanning greatest hits collection, The Very Best of 1989–2023 , was released on 16 June 2023. On 8th June 2023 Texas recorded a video documentary in association with ARTE at
3390-587: The CBGB film with Rupert Grint . In 2014, he directed and starred as King Louis XIV in the costume drama film A Little Chaos starring Kate Winslet , Matthias Schoenaerts , Jennifer Ehle , and Stanley Tucci . The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . The film received mixed reviews with its critics' consensus reading, "Stylish and well-acted without ever living up to its dramatic potential, A Little Chaos
3503-668: The Harry Potter series (2001–2011). He also appeared in numerous films including Die Hard (1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves , Truly, Madly, Deeply (both 1991), An Awfully Big Adventure , Sense and Sensibility (both 1995), Michael Collins (1996), Dogma , Galaxy Quest (both 1999), Love Actually (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Eye in
Alan Rickman - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-681: The Harry Potter series, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). His other notable film roles include those in Quigley Down Under (1990), Dogma , Galaxy Quest (both 1999), Love Actually (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), its 2016 sequel , and Eye in
3729-756: The Albery Theatre in the West End, it transferred to Broadway and ended in September 2002; he reunited with his Les Liaisons Dangereuses co-star Lindsay Duncan and director Howard Davies in the Olivier and Tony Award -winning production. Rickman also voiced the character of "King Philip" in the 2002 King of the Hill episode, "Joust Like a Woman". In 2003, Rickman starred in the ensemble Christmas-themed romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) as Harry,
3842-529: The Beatles ' " I've Got a Feeling ", and Ashford & Simpson 's " You're All I Need to Get By ." On 11 September 2009, Ally McErlaine was hospitalised after he collapsed with a massive brain aneurysm at age 41. As of February 2010, he is on the road to recovery, as reported by Spiteri in The Sunday Mail : "Ally is the most stubborn person I have ever come across, and I think his sheer pigheadedness
3955-560: The HBO film Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), which won him a Primetime Emmy Award , Golden Globe Award , and Screen Actors Guild Award and played Alfred Blalock in the HBO film Something the Lord Made (2004). In 2009, The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Rickman died of pancreatic cancer on 14 January 2016, at
4068-690: The Royal College of Art from 1968 to 1970. His training allowed him to work as a graphic designer for the Royal College of Art's in-house magazine, ARK , and the Notting Hill Herald , which he considered a more stable occupation than acting; he later said that drama school "wasn't considered the sensible thing to do at 18". Following graduation, Rickman and several friends opened a graphic design studio called Graphiti, but after three years of successful business, he decided that he
4181-826: The Royal Court Theatre , and appeared three times at the Edinburgh International Festival . He performed with the Court Drama Group in 1978, gaining roles in Romeo and Juliet and A View from the Bridge , among other plays. While working with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), he was cast as Jaques in As You Like It , contributing an essay about his process to the RSC's book Players of Shakespeare 2 . He appeared in
4294-626: The Theatregoers' Choice Awards for Best Director. The play was to be transferred to the New York Theatre Workshop the following year, but when it was postponed indefinitely over the possibility of boycotts and protests from those who saw it as "anti-Israeli agit-prop ", the British producers denounced the decision as censorship, and withdrew the show. Rickman called it "censorship born out of fear". Harold Pinter , Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Kushner among others, criticised
4407-469: The UK Album Charts and returned to the top spot in the United Kingdom three times (including its debut peak at number one). The album managed 91 weeks on the UK Album Charts. After the success of "Say What You Want", Texas released the track " Halo " on 7 April 1997. "Halo" became one of the band's biggest charting UK singles (the band's third UK Top 10 single at that point) charting at No. 10 on
4520-492: The refugee crisis for Save the Children and Refugee Council . According to his diaries, Rickman declined a CBE in 2008. Rickman was political until his last days. His last onscreen performance was with Helen Mirren in the drama Eye in the Sky , which he had described as "a film about the moral responsibilities governments face regarding the use of drones." In 2003, after reading published emails by Rachel Corrie ,
4633-581: The "extraordinary sweetness [of] his nature," as he had played "Machiavellian types so effectively" in other films. For his performance, Rickman earned his third BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination and his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. The following year he portrayed Éamon de Valera in the Neil Jordan period drama, Michael Collins starring Liam Neeson , Julia Roberts , and Stephen Rea . Rickman earned his fourth BAFTA Award nomination. In 1996, Rickman starred as
Alan Rickman - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-480: The "mad monk" Rasputin in the HBO television biopic Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny , a role for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie , a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film . Rickman directed The Winter Guest at London's Almeida Theatre in 1995 and
4859-687: The 15th-century church of St. Tyrnog in Llandyrnog , North Wales. She wore a dress designed by her friend Stella McCartney . Despite being married to a chef, Spiteri does the cooking in their home, as she revealed on the Fuelling Around podcast in 2021. At Hogmanay on 31 December 2022, she joined Dame Judi Dench in an impromptu performance of Abba 's " Waterloo " at the Fife Arms hotel in Braemar , where they were both staying. In
4972-557: The 1981 BBC adaptation of Émile Zola 's novel Thérèse Raquin , opposite Kate Nelligan and Brian Cox . He made a brief appearance in one episode of the BBC adaptation of John le Carré 's Smiley's People (1982). His breakthrough role was in The Barchester Chronicles (1982), the BBC's adaptation of Trollope 's first two Barchester novels, as the Reverend Obadiah Slope. It shouldn't be
5085-577: The 46th-best villain in film history. Rickman later revealed that he almost did not take the role, for he did not think Die Hard was the kind of film he wanted to make. In 1990, he played the Australian Elliott Marston opposite Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under (1990). The following year, Rickman was cast as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Kevin Reynolds 's film adaptation of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). In
5198-613: The BPI (UK) with sales of over 100,000. Spiteri released her second solo studio album The Movie Songbook which consists of film covers chosen by Spiteri herself was released on 1 March 2010. The album's lead single " Xanadu " was released in February 2010, and charted at No. 71 on the UK Singles Chart in March 2010. As for the album, it charted at No. 13 on the UK Album Charts on 7 March 2010, thus becoming Spiteri's second UK top-40 album as
5311-663: The Belgium Album top 100, No. 48 on the Spanish Albums Top 100 charts, No. 60 on the Irish Album Charts and No. 72 in Switzerland. The Greatest Hits saw the release of a second single titled " Inner Smile ". The song was released at the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001 in certain countries. Inner Smile reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's ninth UK top-ten single at
5424-716: The Belgium Flanders Charts and No. 13 on the Belgium Wallonia Charts. The song " Don't Keep Me Waiting " was released as a single in Switzerland only, in which it charted at No. 78 on the singles charts there. A further two singles were released worldwide, " Stop, I Don't Love You Anymore " and " It Was You " which were both unpopular in the United Kingdom, missing the UK top 100, with "Stop, I Don't Love You Anymore" charting at No. 107 and "It Was You" at No. 178. By 2009, Melody has been certified Gold by
5537-633: The Chateau d'Herouville. On 23 June 2023, the band played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival , UK. Spiteri landed the part of a detective opposite Edward Furlong in the thriller 3 Blind Mice , but backed out due to pregnancy. She was also cast in Moulin Rouge! starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor , but she told Jonathan Ross on his show on 4 November 2005 that she declined because she did not want to move to Australia for
5650-466: The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Throughout the series, his portrayal of Snape garnered widespread critical acclaim. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said Rickman "as always, makes the most lasting impression", while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine called Rickman "sublime at giving us a glimpse at last into the secret nurturing heart that ... Snape masks with
5763-425: The Galaxy (2005) starring Martin Freeman , Sam Rockwell , and Zooey Deschanel . In early 2005, My Name is Rachel Corrie , a play composed from Rachel Corrie 's journals and emails from Gaza and compiled by Rickman and journalist Katharine Viner , in a production directed by Rickman, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London and was later revived in October 2005. The West End production saw Rickman win
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#17327913396245876-412: The Order of the Phoenix , and he deliberated over whether to return to the series, but decided in favour, stating: "The argument that wins is the one that says: 'See it through. It's your story.'" In August 2015, Rickman had a minor stroke , which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer . He revealed that he had terminal cancer to only his closest confidants. On 14 January 2016, he died in London at
5989-455: The RSC production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, Rickman received both a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance. In 1988, Rickman played the antagonist Hans Gruber in the action thriller Die Hard in what was his first feature film. His portrayal, starring opposite Bruce Willis , earned him critical acclaim and a spot on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list as
6102-477: The Sky (2015). He received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award , a Primetime Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Award , and a Screen Actors Guild Award in addition to nominations for two Drama Desk Awards , a Drama League Award , a Laurence Olivier Award , and two Tony Awards . Soon after his death, his fans created a memorial underneath the " Platform 9¾ " sign at London King's Cross railway station . His death has been compared to that of David Bowie ,
6215-401: The Sky (2015). He directed the films The Winter Guest (1997) and A Little Chaos (2014). Rickman made his television debut playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1978) as part of the BBC 's Shakespeare series . His breakthrough role was Obadiah Slope in the BBC adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles (1982). He later starred in television films, portraying Grigori Rasputin in
6328-495: The Trimmings (2000), a BBC One Christmas special with Victoria Wood , playing an aged colonel in the battle of Waterloo who is forced to break off his engagement to Honeysuckle Weeks ' character. During his career, Rickman played comedic roles, including as Sir Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus in the cult classic sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest (1999) with Tim Allen , Sigourney Weaver , Sam Rockwell , and Tony Shalhoub . Rockwell said that Rickman "was very instrumental in making sure
6441-463: The UK Album Charts and only managed Gold status awarded by the BPI for sales of over 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. A second and final single, " I'll See It Through ", was released on 8 December 2003. The single became the band's lowest charting single in the UK since " In My Heart " in 1991. The song only managed to make it to No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the UK Top 100 for another two weeks. The band returned in mid-2005 with
6554-401: The UK Album Charts in its first week of release. The Hush received fair reviews with 'All Music Guide' stating the album was "Blessed with a stylish production and sharp commercial songs". In the album's second week, it dropped two places to No. 3 but in its third week rose back to No. 2. The album managed 43 weeks on the UK Album Charts. With the continued Texas success, the band followed up
6667-412: The UK Singles Chart and No. 29 on the French Singles Charts, as well as charting at No. 68 in Germany and No. 23 on the Irish Singles Charts . In the United Kingdom, the song received strong radio play. The song managed 6 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. The album's fourth single; " Put Your Arms Around Me " was released on 3 November 1997. The single became the band's fifth United Kingdom top-ten single at
6780-457: The UK Singles Chart, No. 15 on the Denmark Singles Charts, No. 41 in Switzerland, No. 43 on the Irish Singles Charts, No. 57 on the French Singles Charts top 100, and No. 94 on the German top 100. On 30 October 2003, Texas released their long-awaited sixth studio album, Careful What You Wish For . The album did not make No. 1 in the United Kingdom like the past three albums (two studio releases and one Greatest Hits) but however, made No. 5 on
6893-439: The UK Singles Chart. Like "Say What You Want", "Halo" received strong airplay on British radio stations and received fairly positive reviews from music critics. The song stayed on the UK Singles Charts for a total of seven weeks. Texas went on to release a third single from the album; " Black Eyed Boy " was released on 28 July 1997 and became the band's fourth UK top-ten single at the time of its release. The song charted at No. 5 on
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#17327913396247006-432: The UK Top 10, reaching No. 13 and becoming the band's nineteenth UK Top-40 single. The band's seventh studio album, Red Book , followed on 7 November 2005. The album reached No. 16 in the UK albums chart. Red Book became the band's third album to miss the UK Top 10 after Mothers Heaven in 1991 and Ricks Road in 1993. The band's third and final single " Sleep " from the album was released on 9 January 2006. The song
7119-430: The UK chart. In support of the album, the band embarked on the Jump on Board Live Tour world tour. On 28 February 2020, the band announced on Twitter that its next album was called Hi , which was released on BMG on 28 May 2021. A single, also called "Hi", was released in December 2020 and reunited the band with the Wu-Tang Clan after 22 years. A video was released for the song with Small Axe actor Kadeem Ramsay,
7232-461: The United Kingdom. In 1997, Texas came back to the music scene with the international hit " Say What You Want ". The song was released internationally on 6 January 1997. The song became the band's highest-charting single to date on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 3. In February, Texas released their fourth, multi-platinum selling album. White on Blonde , it went on to become the band's most successful album to date. The album charted at No. 1 on
7345-493: The age of 19; he stated that his first crush was at 10 years old on a girl named Amanda at his school's sports day. As a child, he excelled at calligraphy and watercolour painting. Rickman was educated at West Acton First School followed by Derwentwater Primary School in Acton, and then Latymer Upper School in London through the Direct Grant system , where he became involved in drama. Rickman went on to attend Chelsea College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968. He then attended
7458-414: The age of 69. Alan Rickman was born on 21 February 1946 in the Acton district of London, to housewife Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett) and factory worker, house painter and decorator, and former Second World War aircraft fitter Bernard William Rickman. His mother was Welsh, and his paternal grandmother was Irish. Rickman would later say in April 2015, "I was talking to Sharleen Spiteri about being
7571-406: The age of 69. His remains were cremated on 3 February 2016 in the West London Crematorium in Kensal Green . His ashes were given to his wife, Rima Horton. His final two films, Eye in the Sky and Alice Through the Looking Glass , were dedicated to his memory, as was The Limehouse Golem , which would have been his next project. Rickman gained acclaim for his portrayal of Severus Snape in
7684-404: The albums charts in Scotland and debuting within the top ten in France, the United Kingdom and Belgium. Their tenth studio album, Hi was released in May 2021 and became their highest-charting album in the UK since 1999's The Hush , reaching number three on the official UK Albums Chart, number one on the UK Independent Albums Charts and debuting at number one in their native Scotland. During
7797-425: The band had signed a new record deal with PIAS Recordings and were to release their first new album since reuniting. The Conversation was released on 20 May 2013. Physical formats included a single disc and double-disc deluxe edition. The latter featured a bonus disc entitled Live in Scotland . Also in 2013, a UK tour was announced and the album launched at two gigs, one at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and
7910-406: The band to prominence, spawning the internationally successful singles " Say What You Want ", " Halo ", " Black Eyed Boy " and " Put Your Arms Around Me ". Their commercial success continued during the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, with singles " In Our Lifetime ", " Summer Son ", " In Demand " and " Inner Smile ". Following the release of their seventh album Red Book (2005), the band began
8023-401: The band while working at the Irvine Rusk salon as a hairdresser in Glasgow. The band, composed of Spiteri, Johnny McElhone , Ally McErlaine , Tony McGovern , Eddie Campbell, Michael Bannister and Neil Payne, first released an EP titled Everyday Now before releasing their debut album Southside in July 1989. The band gained international success with their debut single " I Don't Want
8136-630: The competition that year (based on a true story). In 2009, Rickman was awarded the James Joyce Award by University College Dublin 's Literary and Historical Society . In October and November 2010, Rickman starred in the eponymous role in Henrik Ibsen 's John Gabriel Borkman at the Abbey Theatre , Dublin alongside Lindsay Duncan and Fiona Shaw . The Irish Independent called Rickman's performance breathtaking. He reprised
8249-423: The consensus being, "As taut as it is timely, Eye in the Sky offers a powerfully acted – and unusually cerebral – spin on the modern wartime political thriller." Critic Stephen Holden of The New York Times in particular praised his role, writing: "General Benson is Mr. Rickman's final screen performance, and it is a great one, suffused with a dyspeptic world-weary understanding of war and human nature". Rickman
8362-507: The critically acclaimed Tim Burton film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) alongside Johnny Depp , and his Harry Potter co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Timothy Spall . The same year he also played the egotistical, Nobel Prize-winning father in the black comedy Nobel Son (2007). Rickman starred in the 2008 movie Bottle Shock as a Paris-based wine expert named Steven Spurrier, who heads to Napa Valley California in search of worthy wines to bring back to France for
8475-403: The decision to indefinitely delay the show. The one-woman play finally opened off-Broadway on 15 October 2006 for an initial run of 48 performances. Despite the adverse reaction from pro-Israel groups, overall, the play was very popular, especially in London. "I never imagined that the play would create such acute controversy," Rickman said. He added, "Many Jews supported it. The New York producer
8588-619: The film version of the same play, released in 1997, starring Emma Thompson and her real-life mother Phyllida Law . Rickman's stage performances in the 1990s include Antony and Cleopatra in 1998 as Mark Antony , with Helen Mirren as Cleopatra , in the Royal National Theatre 's production at the Olivier Theatre in London, which ran from October to December 1998. Rickman appeared in Victoria Wood with All
8701-511: The film, Rickman acted opposite Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman . Entertainment Weekly proclaimed that while Robin Hood "left critics and movie goers underwhelmed, Rickman's gleefully wicked villain became the summer's most talked-about performance". For his performance he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . Upon winning the award Rickman stated, "This will be
8814-479: The foolish husband of Emma Thompson 's character. The film, written and directed by Richard Curtis , has been called "a modern classic" by The Independent . Rickman was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for his work as Dr. Alfred Blalock in HBO 's Something the Lord Made (2004). In 2005, he lent his voice to Marvin the Paranoid Android in science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to
8927-482: The messages of condolence". An edited collection of Rickman's diaries from 1993 to 2015 was published in 2022 under the title Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries . On 30 April 2023, search engine Google commemorated Rickman with a Doodle . languid#Etymology 1 Read the Wiktionary entry "languid" You can also: Sharleen Spiteri Sharleen Eugene Spiteri (born 7 November 1967)
9040-589: The other at the 100 Club in London. Spiteri performed a cover of " River Deep – Mountain High " at these gigs as well as a selection of new tracks from The Conversation . Tracks are written mainly by Spiteri herself and Johnny McElhone , with Richard Hawley and Bernard Butler as collaborators. The album's lead single of the same name joined BBC Radio 2 's playlist in April 2013 with two more singles, "Detroit City" and "Dry Your Eyes", following later that year. The album
9153-578: The period Texas were on hiatus during 2005–2013, Spiteri released her debut solo album Melody which was released in 2008, followed by a second solo album, The Movie Songbook , in March 2010. During this time, Spiteri was a judge on the Sky music talent show, Must Be the Music . Spiteri was born in Bellshill Maternity Hospital in Bellshill , Scotland, to father Eddie, a guitar-playing merchant seaman, and mother Vilma,
9266-512: The phrase from the Clint Eastwood film Play Misty for Me and Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid ), born on 9 September 2002. The birth prompted her close friend Thierry Henry to dedicate a goal to her daughter by revealing the slogan "For the new born Kyd" beneath his shirt later that day. The couple separated in 2005. Spiteri married celebrity chef Bryn Williams in September 2018 at
9379-574: The production in April, won the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite Actor in a Play and was nominated for a Drama League Award for Outstanding Distinguished Performance. Rickman starred with Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz in Gambit (2012) by Michael Hoffman , a remake of the 1966 film . In 2013, he played Hilly Kristal , the founder of the East Village punk-rock club CBGB , in
9492-816: The production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, he was nominated for a Tony Award . Rickman made his film debut as the German criminal mastermind Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988). He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). He earned critical acclaim for Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991), An Awfully Big Adventure , Sense and Sensibility (both 1995), and Michael Collins (1996). He went on to play Severus Snape in all eight films of
9605-693: The role in a production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music . In 2010, he starred in the BBC television production The Song of Lunch alongside Emma Thompson . That same year he provided the voice of Absolem the Caterpillar in Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland (2010). Rickman again appeared as Severus Snape in the final instalment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and
9718-648: The run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , Spiteri expressed support for Scotland remaining in the Union, stating "As far as I'm concerned, I'm British. And, yeah, I'm Scottish but I feel I'm part of the UK." In September 2021, Texas announced that Spiteri and all her bandmates now supported Scottish independence after Brexit . In September 2021, Spiteri appeared on BBC 's RHS Chelsea Flower Show to showcase her garden in North Wales in which she grows produce for use in her husband's restaurant. She
9831-541: The same time as Southside was being recorded, Spiteri's cousin Mark Rankin was founding his own band, the hard rock band Gun , and Spiteri contributed backing vocals to two tracks from their debut album Taking on the World , also released in 1989. In 1991, Texas's second studio album Mothers Heaven was released, soon after the band released an extended play to help promote the album; Extracts from Mothers Heaven
9944-554: The screen, and know you have seen somewhere, and rattle your memory all during the movie without making the connection that he was the villain in Die Hard ." Rickman also starred in Stephen Poliakoff 's Close My Eyes (1991) with Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves . Jonathan Rosenbaum of The Chicago Reader praised the film and all three lead performances, calling them "edgy, powerful, and wholly convincing, with Rickman
10057-687: The script hit the dramatic notes, and everything had a strong logic and reason behind it". He also played the angel Metatron , the voice of God, in Kevin Smith 's Dogma (also 1999). In 2001, he first appeared as Severus Snape , the potions master, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . His portrayal of the role throughout the Harry Potter series (2001–2011) was dark, but the character's motivations were not clear early on. In 2002, Rickman performed onstage in Noël Coward 's romantic comedy Private Lives . After its successful run at
10170-791: The single " Getaway ", which entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 6, becoming the band's tenth UK top-ten single. The song also charted at No. 6 on the Denmark Singles Top 40, No. 18 in Norway, No. 34 on the Irish Singles Charts, No. 41 in Sweden, No. 43 in Belgium No. 45 in Switzerland, No. 59 in France, and 59 in Germany. " Can't Resist " was released as the second single on 31 October 2005. The song failed to make
10283-440: The success of their album with a second single. " Summer Son " was released on 16 August 1999. Summer Son charted in the UK top 10 at No. 5, making Summer Son the band's seventh UK top-ten single at that point. "Summer Son" received a lot of radio airplay in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe and received a fair amount of positive reviews. The song serves as one of Texas's biggest and best known songs to date. One more single
10396-449: The time of the single's release. The video for "Inner Smile" featured a homage to Elvis Presley (and specifically his '68 Comeback Special shows) with Spiteri dressed as Presley in his black leather suit and using prosthetics to resemble him. It had some black and white stills showing her in distinct situations (in one of them, Sharleen/Elvis proudly holds a belt with the word "SHAR" instead of "ELVIS", formed with diamonds). The video clip
10509-575: The time when it was released in November 1997 and also made White on Blonde one of a few albums to spawn five UK top-ten Singles. The song managed a strong eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart. In 1998, Texas's song "Put Your Arms Around Me" was the lone vocal track for the Andy Tennant film, Ever After: A Cinderella Story , starring Drew Barrymore . In 1999, Texas released their first single from their new fifth studio album. " In Our Lifetime "
10622-462: The track "The Bell". Rickman was one of the many artists who recited Shakespearian sonnets on the album When Love Speaks (2002), and also featured prominently in a music video by Scottish rock band Texas entitled " In Demand ", which premiered on MTV Europe in August 2000. In 1965, when he was 19, Rickman met 18-year-old Rima Horton , who became his partner in the early 1970s and would later be
10735-483: The vast majority of the tracks on the album. She released her debut solo album Melody on 14 July 2008 with " All The Times I Cried " serving as the album's lead single. The song charted at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart. Melody was proven popular in the United Kingdom, debuting at a high No. 3 on the UK Album Charts. In other European countries where Texas were popular like in Belgium, the album charted at No. 15 on
10848-487: The villainous roles for which he was most famous on screen. Sir Ian McKellen wrote, "behind [Rickman's] mournful face, which was just as beautiful when wracked with mirth, there was a super-active spirit, questing and achieving, a super-hero, unassuming but deadly effective." Writer/director Kevin Smith told a tearful 10-minute story about Rickman on his Hollywood Babble On podcast. Rickman's family offered their thanks "for
10961-403: Was "sidestepped by the awful news"—expressed their surprise. Sir Michael Gambon told BBC Radio 4 he was a "great friend" and "a real man of the theatre and the stage". At a West End performance of the play that made him a star ( Les Liaisons Dangereuses ), he was remembered as "a great man of the British theatre". Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling called Rickman "a magnificent actor and
11074-657: Was ' Spit the Dog ', after the character on the TV show Tiswas . Sharleen Spiteri worked as a hairdresser in Muirhead , North Lanarkshire , until Texas became her sole priority in 1988. Spiteri's musical influences include the Clash (the main reason she plays a black Fender Telecaster ), Blondie , Marvin Gaye and Prince . She is also a dedicated Diana Ross fan. Spiteri co-founded
11187-423: Was Jewish and we held a discussion after every performance. Both Israelis and Palestinians participated in the discussions and there was no shouting in the theatre. People simply listened to each other." He starred in the independent film Snow Cake (2006) with Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss , and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (also 2006), directed by Tom Tykwer . He appeared as Judge Turpin in
11300-579: Was an active patron of the research foundation Saving Faces and honorary president of the International Performers' Aid Trust, a charity that works to fight poverty amongst performing artists all over the world. When discussing politics, Rickman said he "was born a card-carrying member of the Labour Party". His last recorded work prior to his death was for a short video to help Oxford University students raise funds and awareness of
11413-525: Was chosen by Empire as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (No. 34) in 1995, and ranked No. 59 in Empire 's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in October 1997. In 2009 and 2010, he was ranked once again as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars by Empire , both times placing No. 8 out of the 50 actors chosen. He was elected to the council of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1993; he
11526-538: Was going to pursue acting professionally. He wrote to request an audition with RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), which he attended from 1972 until 1974. While there, he supported himself by working as a dresser for Nigel Hawthorne and Ralph Richardson . After graduating from RADA, Rickman worked extensively with British repertory and experimental theatre groups in productions including Chekhov 's The Seagull and Snoo Wilson 's The Grass Widow at
11639-424: Was her escape: "I used to love going to the record shop on a Saturday and I'd buy a single and a plastic sleeve. I'd go back to my bedroom where [singer] Siouxsie Sioux was painted on my bedroom wall". She later stated: "I guess what people never realise is that real bands and musicians are geeks, we spend our youth as geeks and we turn into these rock stars." While a student at Vale of Leven Academy, her nickname
11752-429: Was more successful, reaching No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart. Promotion had stopped for Mothers Heaven and again the band returned to the studio to work on their third album, Ricks Road . Ricks Road was released in 1993, again, not as successful as the band and fans had hoped for, but chart and sales wise, the album did better than Mothers Heaven . Ricks Road charted at No. 18 on the UK Album Charts, only spending
11865-567: Was released 2 October 2000. The song reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and also reached high positions in various European countries such as No. 80 in Germany, No. 10 in Spain, No. 20 on the Irish Singles Charts and No. 49 in Switzerland. When The Greatest Hits was released, it went straight to No. 1 in the United Kingdom like the previous two studio albums White on Blonde and The Hush . The album also charted at No. 24 on
11978-526: Was released from The Hush , " When We Are Together ". The song was released on 15 November 1999 and missed the UK top 10, but became the band's 13th UK top-40 singles (including their UK top-ten singles). The song charted at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart behind Garbage's 1999 James Bond film theme " The World Is Not Enough ". The Hush has become one of the band's biggest selling albums worldwide. In 2000, Texas released their debut Greatest Hits album on 23 October 2000. The album's lead single " In Demand "
12091-451: Was released in 1991. The album was released on 23 September 1991 and was not as successful as Southside . The album charted at a low and unexpected No. 32 on the UK Album Charts and two singles " Why Believe in You " which charted at No. 66 in the UK, " In My Heart " which charted at No. 74 in the United Kingdom were not as successful. However, the album's third and final single " Alone with You "
12204-485: Was released in April 1999 and became the band's second highest-charting single in the United Kingdom, debuting at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also was included on the Notting Hill soundtrack. With the success of "In Our Lifetime", Texas continued to go ahead with the released of their fifth studio album; The Hush was released in May 1999, and like its predecessor White on Blonde , charted at No. 1 on
12317-527: Was shot in London in November 2000 with a live audience and with the band members playing different roles as musicians and/or audience members (with Spiteri portraying various groupies). In September 2002, Spiteri gave birth to her daughter Mysty Kyd, although this did not prevent her from working on another album. On 6 October 2003, Texas released their first single from their upcoming sixth album titled " Carnival Girl ", which featured rapping vocals by Canadian artist Kardinal Offishall . The song reached No. 9 on
12430-537: Was so kind and generous in the moments he wasn't Snaping about." Rupert Grint said, "even though he has gone I will always hear his voice." Johnny Depp , who co-starred with Rickman in two Tim Burton films , commented, "That voice, that persona. There's hardly anyone unique anymore. He was unique." Kate Winslet , who gave a tearful tribute at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards , remembered Rickman as warm and generous, adding, "And that voice! Oh, that voice." Dame Helen Mirren said his voice "could suggest honey or
12543-453: Was subsequently RADA's vice-chairman and a member of its artistic advisory and training committees and development board. Rickman was voted No. 19 in Empire magazine's Greatest Living Movie Stars over the age of 50 and was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actor (Play); in 1987 for Les Liaisons Dangereuses and in 2002 for a revival of Noël Coward 's Private Lives . The Guardian named Rickman as an "honourable mention" in
12656-640: Was the band's eleventh UK Top 10 single, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart as well as making No. 37 on the Irish Singles Charts. The song featured vocals from Paul Buchannan from the Scottish band, the Blue Nile . On 21 February 2006, a promo -only single, "What About Us", was released. On 24 September 2007 the band released The BBC Sessions , including radio sessions spanning from 1989 to 2005, with extensive liner notes and interviews with Spiteri. Cover songs include Elmore James 's " It Hurts Me Too ",
12769-409: Was the romantic role of Jamie in the independent romance film Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991) which earned him another BAFTA Award nomination. The film, directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Rickman and Juliet Stevenson , proved to be a critical success. Rickman was able to break out of the mould of the movie villain, with critic Roger Ebert noting, "The man is Rickman, who you will look at on
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