Michael Gambon Pays Tribute To ‘Adorable’ Alan Rickman
Michael Gambon, who played Professor Dumbledore opposite Alan Rickman’s Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, has paid tribute to his departed co-star while promoting his new film ‘Dad’s Army’.
“I just loved his generosity,” Gambon told Yahoo Movies, “his kindness, his cleverness, his fun, everything about him was adorable.”
Rickman’s death at the age of 69 following a private battle with cancer took the world by surprise, and it seems like he also kept the severity of his illness hidden from his friends too.
Bill Paterson, who starred alongside Rickman in ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ says his old friend arranged a dinner party for close friends from his hospital bed without revealing anything about his treatment.
“I was in [Alan’s] house two weeks before he died,” said Paterson in our video above.
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“He organised a little dinner party while he was in hospital and none of us knew how serious it was. And he arranged the dinner party down the line from the hospital. None of knew how serious it was, I have to say that. So the shock for all people in our business, right across the board, is the most profound i’ve ever felt in my lifetime.”
Rickman sadly died on 14 January following a battle with pancreatic cancer having completed work on two more films that will be released later this year.
Tom Courtenay, who plays Corporal Jones in ‘Dad’s Army’, also appeared opposite Rickman in the 2012 flop ‘Gambit’ and he also had nothing but kind words to say about the star.
“I did one film with him,” Courtenay said, “It wasn’t very successful. And he struck me as not like you’d expect him to be. A wonderful listener.”
‘Dad’s Army’ is in cinemas from Friday, 5 February. Watch a trailer below.
Image credits: Rex Features/Warner Bros.
