Today the world lost a very talented actor. A man that I will always remember as one of my favorite literary characters. Most of the time celebrity deaths don’t effect me too much, but the death of Alan Rickman hit me pretty hard. At first I thought it was a joke, just like when I found out about Cory Monteith‘s death a few years ago. Unfortunately, the news was not a hoax.

I grew up with Harry Potter. I read each book as they were released and saw each movie and enjoyed them immensely. Severus Snape was a character I always liked and hated at the same time. The way he treated Harry always made me angry. Then I read “Deathly Hallows” and my opinion of him changed completely. Snape turned out to be an underrated hero. Someone to root for. He was angry, mean and hated many people when really he was misunderstood.

I cannot picture anyone other than Alan Rickman playing Snape. He truly embodied everything the character stood for and he matched the image I had of Snape in my head when I read the books. Rickman humanized the character and made us want to root for him even when he was not being very nice. I am not one to root for the antagonist but in this case I did.

To me, Snape is an iconic character from my childhood and will always be larger than life for me. Thank you, Mr. Rickman, for bringing to life a character that defined my childhood; for helping me believe that a villain could be a hero and bringing joy to the hearts of millions of people around the world.

Rest in Peace Alan Rickman. Forever in our hearts. Always.

Brittany Frizzell is an avid reader. She enjoys escaping to faraway places and encountering supernatural beings. She also loves writing and spreading her love of reading to those around her. She hopes to eventually write the next great American novel.

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