Google celebrates actor Alan Rickman with a doodle — but not for his 'Harry Potter' role
- Google celebrated the career of Alan Rickman with a doodle featuring the beloved actor.
- Rickman, known for his roles in "Harry Potter," "Die Hard," and "Galaxy Quest" died in 2016.
Today's Google Doodle celebrates the iconic actor Alan Rickman — but not for his infamous role as Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" franchise.
Instead, seven years after the tragic passing of the beloved actor, the daily homepage doodle focuses on the anniversary of one of Rickman's lesser-known roles: his 1987 performance of anti-hero Vicomte de Valmont in the Broadway play "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," which was instrumental in launching his career.
Rickman originated the role in 1985 with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but the Broadway performance debuted on this day 36 years ago. The production ran for 149 shows, earning the writer Christopher Hampton a Tony nomination for Best Show and the director Howard Davies a Tony win for Best Direction.
He may not have been nominated for his acting in that particular role but from there, Rickman's career launched into the stratosphere after he accepted the villainous role of Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard," which was followed by a series of antagonistic characters and leading roles in "Galaxy Quest" and "Sense and Sensibility" before he accepted a role as Snape in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001.
"Over the course of his career, Rickman received numerous acting nominations and awards and even directed three plays and two films," according to the Google Doodle. "He's remembered for his iconic roles on-screen, his philanthropy, and his kind and sensitive nature off-screen."