“Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theatre, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.”
"And it's a human need to be told stories. The more we're governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are, why we are, where we come from, and what might be possible."
Alan Rickman's work as an actor extends back into my early years. Although I probably became aware of him as a teenager rather than any earlier, I cannot remember not knowing who he was. Obsessed with books, films and theatre as a child, when I did not have my nose in a book, I was likely cutting out scraps from papers and magazines, amassing information about cinema history and the people who told the stories. My passion for stories persists. Alan Rickman was a gifted and skilled storyteller, so much so that I cannot say I ever failed to believe totally in his creation of a character. Once I even forgot that he had appeared in a film, so convinced was I by his performance!
Having secured a place at university, I arrived to live in Bristol a year after the release of "Truly, Madly, Deeply" and was allocated a room in Goldney Hall, where a part of the movie had been filmed. Whether freshers knew the film or not beforehand, it was compulsory to watch it until they knew where every shot of Bristol had been created! I have probably seen the film a few too many times, but it remains one I enjoy. The passing reference to Alan Rickman in my puzzle cache "The Half Blood Prince" was irresistible at the time I wrote it, though I suspect may have been skimmed over by those who have not seen my google wallpaper! My favourite film of his remains "Snowcake" with "Love Actually" a close second. But regardless of your taste, from "Galaxy Quest" to "Die Hard", "The Song of Lunch" or the audiobook "The Return of the Native", there is bound to be something he has been a part of that appeals to you. Find and enjoy. (Double meaning absolutely intended 
)
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman, actor & director, born 21 February 1946; died 14 January 2016
"After all this time?"
"Always"
J.K. Rowling
Congratulations to Goldfinch13 for the FTF!