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Alan Rickman demolished the competition. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
David Tennant won third place behind runner-up Colin Firth
Sometimes the bad boys win. Alan Rickman, 65, has trounced a field that included David Tennant, Christian Bale, Matt Smith, and Colin Firth to become the very first Anglo Fan Favorites tournament men’s champ. (The Women of 2011 tournament is underway: vote for your favorites.) Former Doctor Who star David Tennant defeated Benedict Cumberbatch to win the third place vote.
Rickman’s massive international fan following (dubbed the “Rickmaniacs”) lifted their hero to an astonishing victory. The Die Hard and Harry Potter star commanded nearly three-quarters of the vote (73 percent) in his defeat of 2011 Oscar winner Colin Firth in the finals.
Rickman’s support is particularly strong in Japan (92 percent), the People’s Republic of China (88 percent), Brazil (86 percent), and Russia (83 percent). Firth was preferred only in Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, and Armenia. Go figure.
In the U.S., Rickman’s support was lower than his global total, 62 percent to Firth’s 38 percent. However, Firth only managed to eke out a lead in the states of Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Utah. (He tied with Rickman in South Dakota.) Not exactly a huge portion of the Electoral College there.
In Rickman and Firth’s home country, the UK, Alan led with 71 percent of the vote.
So tell us, Rickmaniacs, why do you love Alan so? Over the next week, we’ll be paying tribute to Mr. Rickman with a series of posts celebrating his career, and your comments could be featured. What’s your favorite Rickman role or quote?
228 Comments
I’ve loved Alan Rickman ever since I saw him play Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. It was amazing to see this typical bad guy playing such a sweet and sensitive character with such natural ease and charm! He was lovely!
Aww, I have only just found this page, and missed the vote. As i would have voted copiously, several more percentage points in Alan’s favour are out there in the ether to be added to his deeply deserved winning total.
I first saw Alan in Barchester Chronicles in the early ’80s. He was absolutely spellbinding as the oily, unctuous and hysterically hypocritical Obadiah Slope. My family would crowd around the Tv on Sunday evenings, eagerly awaiting the next episode. This would have to be amongst my very favourite of his performances, but it isn’t possible to choose a particular one. As many others have said before me, Mr Rickman is so skilled in assuming the persona of the character he’s playing, that it is somehow akin to being asked to choose between friends, even the ones, such as Hans Gruber, who we might be a little wary of!
Every person he plays is multi-faceted and interesting: he chooses good scripts, but brings as much of his own interpretation, insight and ideas to the story we see play out in celluloid. We love him, because we have learned to trust his integral involvement in the storytelling process so implicity. We know that we can go and see or buy any film he’s in, and learn something, not only about the character he’s brought to life within the narrative (that person’s attitudes and choices) but about ourselves. He leaves us with the precious gift of introspection! I love how he makes me ponder on all the ‘whys and wherefores’ of what I’ve just seen. It is interesting that he’s artistically gifted too, for he’s painted many an unforgettable picture for us on stage and screen.
And… I speak for many, many Rickmaniacs out there in crying out, “Where, o where is Truly Madly Deeply?” Why can’t I go into any video store in town and pick it off the shelf? This is one of the greatest movies of all time, with stunning performances by Alan and Juliet Stevenson. Why did I have to get into a furious bidding war with a fellow Rickmaniac on Ebay, and blow the whole of my shopping budget for a fortnight in order to win it, and in so doing, deny someone else, equally keen to have it, of the chance? Something this great should not be a rare commodity!This movie should be re-released as soon as possible. There’s a huge market for it. I have American friends desperate to get hold of the film, and willing to have me buy our UK region 2 version for them in the hope they can find a way to see it. That sort of loyalty can be translated into a handsome profit for those who can bring this about. There’s a long thread on IMDB on this topic, too.
It has been lovely reading all the posts from other peeps appreciating Mr Rickman’s work. Thank you so much, Alan, for the story so far.
I sure feel privileged to own a copy of “Truly, Madly, Deeply” (one of my FAVORITES) on VHS and DVD. I loaned one out to a friend once, and was nervous about it’s welfare the whole time, until it was returned home safely!!!! That end scene, with him looking down from the window— priceless. God, I love that man!
Alan is simply the best. He is the whole package that every woman dreams of. He has the smile, the voice, the eyes and the looks. He can be passionate, witty, sarcastic, romantic and kind. I love all his movies. He plays such a wide range of characters, that depending on the mood you are in, you can watch a movie that fills that mood. I can find myself smiling because I have a picture of him in my mind in one movie or another. I think of him more than any married woman should, but we are allowed to have our wee fantasies. My favorite role is The Preacher. He is so young, and passionate that when you know what is going to happen to him, you wish you could stop the hands of time and save him somehow. That is however as unlikely to happen as is the prospect of me ever meeting him in person. So he will remain my private fantasy and I wish you all the best for a very long time.
Alan Rickman is the most greater actor in the World. I saw all his roles in movies and some plays in theatres. He has incredibly mimic, plastic and, of course, the voice. He can use his voice for the best. Every his role is different, recognisable and amazing! My favourite role is Sheriff of Nottingham from the movie Robin Hood. His hero is more bright, racy and memorable then the others in this film. I wish Mr.Alan Rickman great health, new bright roles in movies and theatre to joy us!
with great respect,
Nikita
Moscow, Russia
Hi everyone! I’m so glad I found this site. Alan is the most amazing man on the planet!
It is a very select group of us who truly knows the just how wonderful he is. In all of his movies and performances you can see the very special gift he has. I just love the man so.
It is really a surprise that so many Chinese voted for Alan！He’s a very good actor who is brilliant in acting and have fantastic voice and outlook. Although I knew him because of the Harry Potter Series, I was actually attracted by the gentle Colonel in Sense and Sensibility and the talented, dangerous terrorist in Die Hard. I like him very much！
I love Alan for gentle Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility,for brave Prof. Snap in Harry Potter ,for smart Hance in Die Hard.for he is Alan