Something magical happened when the Harry Potter movies cast Alan Rickman as Snape. Suddenly readers everywhere stopped seeing him as the book villain and nothing more, and instead they started to actually feel for his character, or at least appreciate the dry humor Rickman brought to his rendition of Snape. Although he did some bad stuff, Snape in the movies was always pretty beloved and a huge part of that is due to Rickman's acting. That's why it's so sad for Harry Potter fans everywhere that Alan Rickman died on Thursday. You see, Rickman wasn't always the drawling Harry Potter-hating Snape. Sometimes he was just a goofy actor working on one of the world's coolest film sets surrounded by kids who just wanted to have fun. And, often, Rickman joined in on that fun. If you haven't seen these behind-the-scenes moments of Rickman as Snape in Harry Potter, you've missed out on a huge portion of who he is.
And, even if you have seen these all already, they're definitely worth another look. Rickman donning Snape gear but acting silly is really a sight that should never be forgotton. So, in honor of the man who brought the book character to (even better) life, here are some of the best BTS moments with Rickman and the cast and crew of Harry Potter.
That Time He Kept A Rupert Grint Original
A young Grint was doodling during a Potions class scene and drew a picture of Rickman with "exaggerated features" as Grint said. But, rather than getting mad when he saw the picture, Rickman asked to keep it and said later he was "very fond of it."
That Time He Pranked Harry Potter
Together with Michael Gambon, the two played a practical joke involving a fart machine on Daniel Radcliffe. And who said Snape didn't have a sense of humor?
That Time He Laughed
Snape laughing is a serious rarity, but Rickman just couldn't keep a straight face when Michael Gambon started dancing on set.
That Time He Said Goodbye
You can see Rickman smile and take a bow on his final day on the HP set at :28 in the video above. It's only a short moment, but you can just see how proud Rickman was to be a part of this series, which is the same way I feel at having been able to witness him play the character.
Rickman and his rendition of Snape will be sorely missed, but fortunately fans have a ton of sweet moments to remember him by. Now, if you'll exuse me I'll be watching that DanRad prank on repeat.
Images: Warner Bros.; imgur
