‘Harry Potter’ Stars Lead Celebrity Tributes to Alan Rickman

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Getty Images
Kipp Jones

While Alan Rickman’s stage and film career spanned nearly four decades, he was best-known recently for his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. On the day of his passing, his former Harry Potter co-stars are turning to social media to pay tribute.

On the British film veteran, who died at age 69 on Thursday after a battle with cancer, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling wrote on Twitter that she was “devastated.”

Actor Daniel Radcliffe, who played the role Harry in the film series, wrote on his Google Plus page that Rickman was one of the most loyal and supportive actors he had ever worked with.

Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I’ve ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I’m pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn’t have to do that. I know other people who’ve been friends with him for much much longer than I have and they all say ‘if you call Alan, it doesn’t matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he’s doing, he’ll get back to you within a day.’

Meanwhile, Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) wrote on her Facebook page, “I’m very sad to hear about Alan today. I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor.”

Watson added: “I’ll really miss our conversations. RIP Alan. We love you.”

Actor Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) released a statement, saying, “I am devastated to hear about the passing of Alan Rickman, I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him on numerous occasions – Even though he has gone – I will always hear his voice. My thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”

Potter co-star Emma Thompson, who played Professor Trelawney in the films, remembered the Rickman as “the finest of actors and directors.”

“What I remember most in this painful leave-taking is his humour, intelligence, wisdom and kindness,” Thompson wrote. “His capacity to fell you with a look or lift you with a word. The intransigence made him the great artist he was—his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me, and the fact that he never spared me the view. I learned a lot from him.”

Added Thompson, “He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again.”

Read other Harry Potter co-star tributes below:

After hearing the news of Rickman’s death, other stars also took to social media to remember the actor: