I love hearing personal stories about some of my favorite actors, especially when the experience shared reveals the strength of their character. There are some actors who are spoken of so fondly by their former cast-mates that their positive reputation seems undeniable. Such is the case for the late Alan Rickman, who’s remembered by fans for his iconic roles, and by his colleages for the memorable experiences they had working with him. That includes his Harry Potter co-star Tom Felton, who played fellow Slytherin, Draco Malfoy, in all eight Harry Potter movies.
In an article run by The Guardian, which featured several tributes from his friends and colleagues ten years after Rickman’s death, Tom Felton spoke of two things he learned from Rickman while getting to work with him, the first of which was the message Rickman conveyed through the simple act of lining up for his food on set. As Felton noted, Rickman could’ve had his food delivered to his trailer like some of the other stars, including Felton, but he apparently opted not to do that. Per Felton:
Instead, he queued up for his own breakfast and lunch, head to toe in his Snape costume and wig, holding a plastic tray and waiting his turn in the usually very long line behind a carpenter, set decorator, burly cameraman and Gringotts goblin – an image I will never forget. I didn’t realise it then, but I think now Alan’s silent message was: ‘We’re all in this together. Equally.’
I love the way Felton describes this story, allowing us to picture a fully-costumed Severus Snape standing in line, holding his tray, waiting for his food like everyone else. As amusing as that sounds, I really like what Felton took away from Rickman’s behavior. He was just a kid when he starred in the Harry Potter movies, and in the article, he notes that he recognized Rickman from one of his famous villainous performances (the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) . It’s understandable why something as simple as lining up for food would make an impression on a young actor.
The same goes for the other thing Felton says he learned from Rickman. This one has to do with charity and what young fans expected or hoped for from the experience of meeting a star:
He taught me a great deal about charity. He would often have half a dozen people visit the studio each day, and would claim they were his cousins or friends. Really, he was offering terminally ill children and their families a chance to see behind the curtains. He also taught me that children don’t want to meet actors, but the characters they play.
Felton went on to explain that Rickman would behave like Snape to these children, sneering at them and telling them to tuck in their shirts, because he knew the kids wanted to meet the character, not the actor.
Full Snape. Charming, disarming and a delight to watch. He never smiled. But when I look back, I think he probably was inside.
Alan Rickman died at the age of 69 in 2016. I’m sure we can all agree that he left an incredible legacy from some truly memorable and wonderful performances. At the same time, I’m just as sure that I’m not alone in wishing he were still with us, as he really was one of a kind. While we can always revisit his films, I’m also glad for stories like Felton’s, which allow us to get to know the man behind the sneer a little bit better.
Harry Potter fans will have a whole new adaptation to watch when Season 1 of HBO’s new series arrives on the 2026 TV schedule this December. As excited as I am to see a new take on the beloved Wizarding World books, I’ll never tire of learning new things about the original movies and the people involved in making them.