Dame Emma Thompson has opened up about the profoundly personal and heartbreaking final moments she shared with her dear friend and celebrated co-star, Alan Rickman, before his death in 2016.
A Final, Tender Goodbye
In an emotional tribute penned shortly after his passing, the actress revealed she had kissed Rickman farewell. Thompson, who played his wife in the beloved 2003 festive film Love Actually, described the difficulty of writing while grappling with the raw pain of her loss.
She wrote of cherishing his unique spirit, stating: "What I remember most in this moment of painful leave-taking is his humour, intelligence, wisdom and kindness. His capacity to fell you with a look or lift you with a word." Thompson also reflected on Rickman's sharp wit and unwavering honesty, noting, "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."
A Privileged Creative Partnership
The pair's friendship was cemented through numerous collaborations beyond their iconic roles in Love Actually. They also shared the screen in adaptations like Sense and Sensibility and The Song of Lunch, and both appeared in the globally successful Harry Potter film series.
Thompson hailed Rickman not only as an extraordinary actor but also as a brilliant director. "I couldn't wait to see what he was going to do with his face next," she remarked, highlighting his captivating presence. She considered herself "hugely privileged" to have worked with him so extensively, calling him "the ultimate ally. In life, art and politics. I trusted him absolutely."
A Legacy Remembered
Her tribute concluded with a poignant summation of the man she admired: "He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again."
Just one month after Rickman's death, Thompson publicly honoured her friend again. While accepting the Evening Standard British Film Award for Comedy for her role in The Legend of Barney Thomson, she dedicated the victory to him.
"I'd like to commit this moment in time to dearest Alan Rickman who many of us are dearly missing tonight," she told the audience. "It's so depressing but there it is, it does happen." She ended with a characteristically wry and affectionate memory, sharing: "He did say I'd always end up looking like my mother, and he was right."
