Emma Thompson has shared heartfelt reflections on the late Alan Rickman’s role in Sense and Sensibility, highlighting how it marked a significant shift in his career. The 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel gave Rickman the opportunity to portray a character that was not only heroic but also kind, something he had long desired.
Thompson, now 66, spoke about this in a recent interview with GQ, revealing that Rickman was finally able to step away from the type of roles that had defined him for years. “Alan Rickman, God rest him, he was so happy to be playing someone heroic and nice,” she said. “Because he was so fed up with people wanting him to be the Sheriff of Nottingham.”
Rickman’s portrayal of the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves earned him critical acclaim, including a BAFTA nomination. His film debut came just three years earlier as Hans Gruber, the antagonist in Die Hard. Despite the success of these roles, Rickman often found himself typecast in similar parts.
However, his performance in Sense and Sensibility offered a different kind of challenge. He played Colonel Brandon, a quiet, honorable older man who falls in love with Marianne Dashwood (played by Kate Winslet). This role allowed Rickman to explore a more complex and nuanced character, one who was neither good nor bad, but deeply human.
Thompson portrayed Elinor Dashwood, the eldest daughter of the Dashwood family, who takes on the responsibility of caring for her family after their father’s death. She and Greg Wise, who played John Willoughby, met on set and later married in 2003.
The collaboration between Thompson and Rickman continued beyond Sense and Sensibility. They appeared together in Love Actually, alongside another Sense and Sensibility co-star, Hugh Grant. Additionally, they both starred in the Harry Potter films, where Rickman played the iconic Professor Severus Snape, and Thompson portrayed Professor Sybill Trelawney.
Excerpts from Rickman’s posthumously released journal, Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman, revealed some of his internal struggles during his time in the Harry Potter franchise. In an entry dated December 4, 2002, he wrote about his desire to leave the series after the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. “Talking to [agent] Paul Lyon-Maris about HP exit, which he thinks will happen,” he noted. “But here we are in the project-collision area again. Reiterating no more HP. They don’t want to hear it.”
Despite his initial reluctance, Rickman ultimately decided to stay with the franchise. This decision came in 2006, shortly after he underwent surgery for prostate cancer. Following the operation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., he wrote in a January 30, 2006 entry: “Finally, yes to HP 5. The sensation is neither up nor down. The argument that wins is the one that says: ‘See it through. It’s your story.'”
Rickman also reflected on his character’s fate in the final book. In a July 2007 entry, he wrote about the emotional impact of Snape’s death. “I have finished reading the last Harry Potter book,” he noted. “Snape dies heroically, Potter describes him to his children as one of the bravest men he ever knew and calls his son Albus Severus. This was a genuine rite of passage. One small piece of information from Jo Rowling seven years ago – Snape loved Lily – gave me a cliff edge to hang on to.”