Top 10 Alan Rickman Performances

To bring one of the bloodier musicals in existence to life, Tim Burton cast some of his favorites. Seamlessly joining Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter is AlanRickman as the absolute villain in a world of wrongdoers. As Judge Turpin, the Englishman revels in how evil he can be - and he must be in order to set himself apart from the cannibalistic pie-makers and butchering barbers of this world. Meanwhile, Sweeney Todd would be nothing without Turpin, and the film would be missing the darkness and villainous flavor that Rickman effortlessly brings. One thing’s certain: Alan Rickman’s deep bass voice, whether spoken or sung, can cut like a razor. 
 

This next entry is a little bit out there… in a galaxy far, far away. The film may be hard to grasp for those of us who haven’t binged on the Douglas Adams sci-fi series that inspired it. But even so, Marvin the Paranoid Android, with G.P.P. (Genuine People Personality) technology, is definitely someone we’ve all known at some time or another. Called a “terminal kvetcher” by Roger Eber, this manically depressed robot was brought to life by Rickman in a deadpan fashion that he absolutely mastered. One thing to remember if you ever cross paths with the android [though]: you may not want to talk to Marvin about life.
 

Rickman’s character isn’t exactly a villain in this rom-com, but we still don’t really like him. However, thanks to Rickman’s skill, we can empathize with Harry’s choices regardless. “Love Actually” boasts a star-studded cast with colliding plots. It also sees the reunion of frequent co-stars Rickman and Emma Thompson in a story where they really had to act like they had no on-screen chemistry whatsoever. Though he seems too nice to play a cheating husband going for a younger woman,Rickman manages to bring an aloof quality to Harry, breaking our hearts as his wife gets wise. And that scene where Rickman’s buying the necklace from Rowan Atkinson? Nail-biting and unforgettable.



If you want to see Alan Rickman sing and recite Spanish poetry, this is the film for you. When Rickman’s character – the cellist Jamie – dies, his girlfriend – Juliet Stevenson’s Nina – is inconsolable. So Jamie returns – as a ghost! - to liven up Nina’s world once more. It’s sometimes unclear how both Nina and the audience are supposed to feel about Jamie, who seems like a nuisance when he lets friends come over unannounced (oh and we should probably mention that, these are… dead friends). When his hidden agenda for his loutish behavior is revealed, however, it’s truly heart-breaking.
  

So there’s a movie where Jay and Silent Bob are prophets who have to stop two angels from exploiting a loophole in Catholicism? Okay… And Alan Rickman is the Voice of God? Now that we can believe! As you may expect, “Dogma” was met with some controversy, but even so, it’s introspective, witty, and ironically down-to-earth – just like Rickman and his character, Metatron. Rickman’s part in this land of misfits, is to help drive the plot along. With his performance being a sarcastic take on biblical figures for a modern world, he is the exact type of angel we hope to meet. 
 

Ah, Jane Austen. This adaptation of one of her earlier works sees Rickman as an older suitor to Kate Winslet’s Marianne, the younger sister of Elinor, as played by Emma Thompson. The sisters and their mother, in typical Austen fashion, are at a disadvantage financially, and therefore their marriage prospects are limited - until they look in the right direction. Colonel Brandon, as portrayed by Rickman, is an honest and truthful man. He is willing to sacrifice knowledge about his past mistakes to save the woman he loves and her family from both scandal and an unhappy marriage - and the emotion Rickman puts into the role is what really makes it work.