Alan Rickman Biography.

"I am who starts the washing machine in the morning
but when the crowd stared at you
at the door of the dressing rooms,
suddenly you're someone else "
(Alan Rickman)



Patrick Rickman Alan Sidney was born on February 21, 1946 in Hammersmith, a suburb of London, England, under the sign of Pisces. His family was middle class worker. His father Bernard Rickman was an Irish painter and decorator who died of cancer when Alan was 8. His mother Margaret, a native of Wales in Great Britain, was a homemaker. She died in 1997. Alan is the second of four brothers: the eldest, David, a graphic designer, followed by Michael, tennis coach, and Sheila, the youngest.
Thanks to a scholarship, he studied at the private school Godolphin and Latymer School The in Hammersmith, graduating in 1964. Later, bowed by the Graphic Design course at Chelsea College of Art and Design, where he also studied Rima Horton, who became his lifelong companion.
While studying graphic design, Alan had not neglected his ability for acting which had already proved years ago in school settings where teachers detacan his acting skills. Within him, as he himself would say, "there was a part of me that was waiting to act." So parallel part of The Brook Green Players, an amateur theater company.
When he graduated as a graphic designer in 1968, along with some former college classmates got into the company Soho 'Graphitti'. But the firm did not work as expected and four years later, encouraged by their relatives (mainly Rima), enrolled at age 26 at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, better known as RADA. They share their studies with those who, like him, years later would become internationally recognized prestigious actors. But his first brushes with the scenery and important figures, were as an assistant and costume designer of actors such as Ralph Richardson and Nigel Hawthorne.
Once graduated from the prestigious academy, began performing on stages in importance throughout the 70s. His first roles were secondary, up to the leading roles in works of William Shakespeare. His first success was with 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' work without knowing it, years later he was heading towards his first big break in film. But first it should be noted that in 1978 made his first appearance on British TV as Tybat in 'Romeo and Juliet', then played minor roles in other productions, all of the BBC.
It turned out that the mid-'80s, Alan returned to the play "Les Liaisons Dangereuses'. This time cross the Atlantic to represent, and presented for the first time on Broadway, United States. The play was a success. But this time, a surprise awaited her exit the dressing room, because Broadway was the area that the film director John McTiernan elected to go for an actor who played the villain in Die Hard, film was about to roll, and had starring Bruce Willis. McTiernan immediately saw Alan their perfect villain. Although Alan initially was not too excited about a script full of "crazy violence," but accepted the role seeing in him a great opportunity to encourage his acting career. What was the character I was offered? Hans Gruber.

And the rest is history ...

Rima Horton
Rima Horton is a year younger than Alan. They met at Chelsea College of Art and Design where he studied graphic design Alan, but she then took another path and dedicate yourselves to the military policy in the Labour Party.
When he began to clear things DONE in the graphic design firm would not work, Rima was Alan who advised that definitely devoted to drama (this is a fact that should take into account certain women with homicidal tendencies toward good Rima).
Alan and Rima never legally married nor had children. Until 2002, the year of his retirement, he taught Rima of Economics at Kingston University. Since his retirement, Alan accompanies much more on his travels around the world.
Being affiliated to the Labour Party, the same as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, did not stop in 2002, at the gates of war between America and Iraq, Alan participate openly and actively campaign for peace , against Blair's decision to support President Bush.
Rima was twice a candidate for the Labour Party to a seat in Parliament, but never got the necessary votes. Despite the overt militancy Rima, Alan never to mix things up and rarely speaks of his private life in interviews. How well does!