Who knew Oliver Wood and Severus Snape were super tight in real life? Despite only starring in the first two Harry Potter films together, Sean Biggerstaff and Alan Rickman were great friends. On Thursday, Biggerstaff wrote Rickman a tribute, in which he was kind enough to share with his Twitter followers. Like his fellow HP cast members, the 32-year-old's tribute showcases exactly the kind of man Rickman was — a real-life "fairy Godfather" who extended a helping hand whenever anyone needed it.
Throughout his lengthy post, Biggerstaff details the very first time he met Rickman (he was just 11 years old) during a casting call, in which Biggerstaff did not get the part. From that moment on, the two formed a bond that evolved into a 20-year friendship. Eventually, the actor was cast as Oliver Wood in Harry Potter, which he credits to Rickman. "When I arrived at Leavesden Studios for the first time and met [producer] David Heyman for the first time, he told me he’d just had a call from Alan telling him how wonderful I was and that he’d be mad not to hire me," Biggerstaff shares. "He hired me." Rickman went onto introduce the young actor to everyone saying, "This is my boy," Biggerstaff recalls in his post.
Over time, their friendship transformed into one that many might be jealous of, because it sure seemed extraordinary. As Biggerstaff writes, "He was the most generous, wise, supportive, talented, charismatic, empathetic person I think I’ve ever known." He even opens up about the last time he saw Rickman, which is heartbreaking, to say the least.
The last time I saw Alan he had, unbeknownst to me, been in hospital for the previous ten days. He got out that morning…and kept our theatre date. In a strange way I’m glad of that frightening episode, as it made me realise that even he was a mortal of flesh and blood and a certain age and he might not always be there. That evening when we parted, I hugged him and told him I loved him and I’m very glad of that now.
Biggerstaff says he's not sure what he'll do without Rickman, nor how he will succeed professionally without his friend's feedback. That said, he hopes that Rickman's advice will continue to help him become an even better actor. He writes, "I can only hope that enough has rubbed off that I’ll be able to take it from here. I’m honestly not so sure…"
Be sure to read Biggerstaff's post in its entirety, because not only is it worth a read, but it shows once again how wonderful a person Rickman truly was. There's no doubt he will be missed immensely.
Image: Giphy
