Alan Rickman: Daniel Radcliffe Pens Moving Tribute To Late ‘Harry Potter’ Costar

Daniel Radcliffe, who starred alongside Alan Rickman is all eight of the Harry Potter films, paid tribute to the late actor in a moving essay.

Daniel Radcliffe On Alan Rickman

The famously private Radcliffe doesn’t have public social media profiles, nor does he often release statements to the press. However, the 26-year-old actor who got his start in the titular movie adaption of J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular novels, penned a heartfelt note on Google+ to remember Rickman.

“Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I’ve ever met in the film industry,” Radcliffe wrote. “He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I’m pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn’t have to do that.”

“I know other people who’ve been friends with him for much much longer than I have and they all say ‘if you call Alan, it doesn’t matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he’s doing, he’ll get back to you within a day,'” Radcliffe added.

In Harry Potter, Rickman played Professor Severus Snape, a character as severe and frightening as his name would imply. In Die Hard, too, Rickman played the villain – and was lauded by critics for his performance. But, according to Radcliffe, the penchant for villainy was only in Rickman’s characters.

“People create perceptions of actors based on the parts they played so it might surprise some people to learn that contrary to some of the sterner (or downright scary) characters he played, Alan was extremely kind, generous, self-deprecating and funny,” Radcliffe wrote. “And certain things obviously became even funnier when delivered in his unmistakable double-bass.”

Radcliffe went on to note Rickman’s generosity as an actor, as the stage and screen giant helped Radcliffe come into his own in the profession.

“As an actor he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child. Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career,” wrote Radcliffe, who concluded, “Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man.”

Rickman died on Jan. 14 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.