Academy Award nomination morning is supposed to be a joyous day for people who love movies. Instead, waking up early for the live Oscar announcement on Thursday morning also meant finding out that stage and screen star Alan Rickman has died passed away of cancer at the age of 69. Rickman will be remembered by audiences that delighted in his huge presence and unmistakable diction. (A cadence that's launched a million impressions.) He leaves behind a legacy of respected work, from prestigious adaptations of classic literature to crowd-pleasing performances in mainstream films like Die Hard and the Harry Potter series. A career like this one demands recognition. Since the news of the actor's passing has sadly coincided with one of the industry's most highly anticipated annual events, it's only right to look at Rickman's history with the Academy Awards. Has Alan Rickman ever won an Oscar?
It's hard to believe, but Rickman does not have an Oscar to his name. In fact, the actor never even received an Oscar nomination. That's enough of an oversight to support the complete disbanding of the Academy, in my opinion. Rickman didn't lack awards attention in general, though. Back in 1996, he won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award for his leading role in the made-for-television movie Rasputin; Greta Scacchi and Sir Ian McKellen were his among his co-stars. In 1992, he won a BAFTA for Best Actor In A Supporting Role for being the only Sheriff Of Nottingham film history ever needs in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. ("Because it's dull, you twit. It'll hurt more.") The list keeps going: Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice Awards, tons of film festivals, and of course, the MTV Movie Awards all threw nods Rickman's way. Oscar was missing out, really.
In a hindsight fantasy world, the Academy could have nominated Rickman over and over again. How about his role as the steady and devoted Colonel Brandon in Emma Thompson's 1995 Sense & Sensibility adaptation? Or for Irish revolutionary Éamon de Valera in Michael Collins? The Harry Potter fandom would have lost their collective mind if Rickman would have received some establishment recognition for bringing one of J.K. Rowling's most memorable creations to life. Rickman was Professor Snape, and it's a performance that ran the gamut from drama to comedy and everything in between, across all eight films.
As many of his fans are pointing out on Twitter, the awards system must be flawed if an actor like Alan Rickman couldn't be nominated in his lifetime. Rickman's passing and the subsequent reflection on a celebrated yet not adequately appreciated career prove that the Oscars aren't a totally reliable indicator of the best performers in the business. Politics are involved; performances are overlooked; and in the end, it's the work that really matters. Alan Rickman did not have an Oscar, but he'll still be remembered as one of the greatest actors of his or any generation.
Image: Giphy
