Alan Rickman (50 page)

Reedus, Norman 246

Reeves, Saskia 150–2, 279

Reid, Mrs 29–30

Renaissance Theatre Company 169

Return Journey
(Thomas) 40

Revolutionary Witness
(Barnes) 129

Reynolds, Kevin 139, 143

Reynolds, Lance 199, 200–2

Rich, Frank 110

Richard III
(Shakespeare) 53

Richardson, Natasha 256

Richardson, Sir Ralph 21, 217

Rickman, Alan Patrick

birth 21

family background 10, 21, 22–3

at Montessori School 28–9

at Latymer Upper School 12, 25, 30–2, 33–44, 51

at Chelsea College of Art 44

in amateur dramatic groups 46–7

at Royal College of Art 49

at Graphiti 50

at RADA 48, 51–5

appearance 1, 2, 9, 11–12, 14, 15, 224, 227, 238

artistic talent 22–3

as ASM 55

awards 212, 238, 243, 245, 280

as director 93–4, 221–4, 244–5, 265

as dresser 53

essay on playing Jaques 105–6, 279

on himself 274–6

joins Labour Party 111

Masterclass 253, 259–60

and mother 23–8, 243–4

personality 2, 4–5, 9, 11–12, 13–15, 19–20, 55–6, 57, 58–9, 78, 81, 281

politics 1, 2, 6, 10, 12, 42–3, 78–9, 85, 144, 160, 168, 258–9, 271, 278

at RADA 53–5

roles rejected 215–19

at RSC 6, 62–8, 69, 73, 103

sexual charisma 2, 4, 6–7, 9–10, 17, 19, 83, 88, 90, 100

see also
Horton, Rima, relationship with AR

Rickman, Bernard (AR's father) 21, 22, 23–4, 168

Rickman, David Bernard John (AR's brother) 10, 21, 22–3, 26, 44

Rickman, Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett, AR's mother) 10, 21, 22, 23–8, 168, 243–4, 245

Rickman, Michael Keith (AR's brother) 10, 14, 22–3, 26

Rickman, Sheila (AR's sister) 22, 23, 46 daughters 46

Rickman, Thomas (‘Clio') 21–2

Life of Paine, The
21

Riese, Mark 189

Rights Now 159

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith 5, 54, 95, 98, 157–8, 169–70, 173–93, 214, 221, 271, 281

Robbins, Tim 164, 276

Robin Hood
142

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1, 16–17, 19, 37, 53, 89, 131, 137–43, 149, 158, 204, 257, 260, 277–9

Rodgers, Anton 187

Rogers, Sir Richard 177

Romeo and Juliet
(Shakespeare) 48, 57, 69, 199

Ronnie Scott's Club 49

Rose, Charlie 3

Roundhouse, London 169, 170, 191

Rowling, J.K. 119, 268

Royal College of Art 49

Royal Court Theatre, London 77, 79, 98–100, 107, 157, 253

Royal Opera House 183

Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) 214, 246–8, 260, 281

AR joins 6

AR leaves 69, 73

AR rejoins 103

Christmas party 25

and
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
2, 16, 105–10, 113–18

‘nuns' at 144

at Roundhouse 170

Royal Society of Medicine 207

Ruling Class, The
(Barnes) 22, 26, 58, 131

Russell, Barry 115

Russell, Ken 211

Ryall, David 147

Rylance, Mark 176

 

Sachs, Leonard 39, 40

Sachs, Robin 39

St Joan
(Shaw) 55, 56, 220

St Vincent's School, London 29–30

Salberg, Jane 99

San Giacomo, Laura 135

Sanders, George 120, 277

Sarandon, Susan 133, 164

Sarasota Film Festival 255

Sartre, Jean-Paul 7

Saturday Review
103–4, 104

Saunders, Jennifer 93

Savage, Peter 186–7

Scacchi, Greta 236, 239

Scales, Prunella 187, 220

Schlesinger, John 201

Schoenfeld, Gerald 110

Schubert Organisation 110, 114

Schulz-Keil, Wieland 201–2

Scofield, Paul 272

Scorer, Ian 198–9

Scott, Sir Nicholas 159, 161, 162, 163–4, 258

Scott, Victoria 159

Scott-Thomas, Kristin 257

Seagull, The
(Chekhov) 72, 77, 79–80, 93, 107, 108

Search for John Gissing, The
255–6

Sebastian, Tim 23, 259, 269

Segal, Philip 233

Sekacz, Ilona 191

Selleck, Tom 134–5

Sense and Sensibility
16, 156, 216, 218, 224, 225, 226–31, 234, 246

Sense and Sensibility: Behind the Scenes
229

Sense & Sensibility: The Diaries
228–30

Serjeant Musgrave's Dance
(Arden) 39

Sexy Beast
87

Sharp, Jane 36

Sharp, Miriam (‘Mim') 36, 48

Sharp, Wilf 33, 36, 48

Shaw, Fiona 65, 113, 144, 176, 177

Shawshank Redemption, The
224–5

Sher, Antony 85, 107, 175

Shimuzu, Kunio 152

Shirras, James 198, 199, 201, 202, 204

Shorter, Eric 97, 105, 116

Shulman, Milton 68, 97, 98

Silence of the Lambs
215, 272, 276

Silver, Joel 120

Sinn Fein 231

Six Characters In Search Of An Author
(Pirandello) 155

Small, Christopher 61

Smiley's People
70, 72–3, 80

Smith, Bessie 75–6

Smith, Kevin 246, 248, 256

Smith, Maggie 266

Smith, Mel 30, 35, 41, 42, 43–4, 48, 218

Spacey, Kevin 276

Spear, Ruskin 33

Spectator
95

Spencer, Charles 115, 163, 166, 178, 222

Spencer, Charlie 96

Spielberg, Steven 17, 233, 266

Spirit of Man, The
(Barnes) 89, 131

Spiteri, Sharleen 156

Spottiswoode, Roger 197, 198, 199, 202–4, 205–6

Spurr, Derek 182

Squirrel Nutkin
(Potter) 229

Stafford-Clark, Max 79, 80, 87, 91, 100, 157, 173

Stage
250

Stage and Television Today
50, 115

Standing Room Only
268, 269

Stead, Edward (‘Ted') 33, 34, 36, 39, 40, 47–9, 89, 141, 149, 155, 278

Stein, Peter 179

Steppenwolf 175

Stevenson, Juliet

AR on 5

awards 54, 158

friendship with AR 14, 54, 62, 65, 143–4

plays and films 16, 93, 94, 255, 257

and Riverside proposals 176, 192

at RSC 62, 65, 107, 110, 113, 144, 149–50, 158

in
Truly Madly Deeply
138, 143–8

Stone, Laurie 102

Stone, Oliver 217

Stoppard, Tom 22

Story of Christmas, The
29

Strange Days
148

Stratford-upon-Avon

The Other Place 104, 107, 108

Theatre Royal 45, 62–3

Sturua, Robert 165, 166

Suchet, David 61, 64

Sugarman, Sara 90

Summer Party, The
(Poliakoff) 73–4

Sunday Express
139, 166, 222

Sunday Mercury
61

Sunday Telegraph
61, 97, 102, 116

Sunday Times
153, 155, 167, 258

Sunset Boulevard
(Lloyd Webber) 110, 153

Suzman, Janet 187

Sweet Panic
(Poliakoff) 152

Swinton, Tilda 149

 

Tango At The End Of Winter
(Shimuzu/Barnes) 60, 152–6

Tarantino, Quentin 234, 246

Tatler
152

Taylor, Paul 178

Tebbit, Norman 6, 85

Tempest, The
(Shakespeare) 48, 62–8, 254

Thatcher, Margaret 6, 85

Théâtre de Complicite 205

Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London 253, 259

Theatre Royal, Stratford East 137, 254

There's A Girl In My Soup
55

Thérèse Raquin
69–72, 80, 121, 133

Thin Lizzy 60

Third Man, The
206

Thomas, Edward 94, 95

Thomas, Sian 244

Thompson
225

Thompson, Emma 102, 156, 218, 221, 224–8, 230, 243–4, 246, 269

Diaries
228–30

Thompson, Eric 244

Thompson, Sophie 244

Thorneycroft, Anthony 162–3

Time Out
108, 116, 117, 178, 189, 190

Times, The
2, 28, 35, 68, 105, 115, 155, 163, 168, 178, 222, 256

Times
magazine,
The
274, 275

Tinker, Jack 105, 155, 163, 167, 222

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
(Le Carré) 72

Topper, Jenny 14, 77, 269, 278, 281

Tribune
95

Trick To Catch An Old One, A
(Middleton) 106

Troilus and Cressida
(Shakespeare) 105

Trollope, Anthony 82

Truly Madly Deeply
16, 73, 138, 139, 143–8, 149–50, 153, 158, 225, 227, 257

Tubular Bells II
(Oldfield) 169

Turner, Colin 12, 25, 33–6, 47, 48, 51, 218

Twelfth Night
(Shakespeare) 34, 169, 177

2001: A Space Odyssey
94

 

Ubu Rex
(Jarry) 60

Ullman, Tracey 87, 98

Unreel
46

Upstairs Downstairs
70

 

Vagabonds Act (1572) 37

Valmont
111, 114

Variety
149, 220–1, 238, 246

Venables, Clare 56

Venice Film Festival 245

Vibert, Ronan 154

Victoria Wood with all the Trimmings
260

Vidal, Gore 164

Vienna 206

A View from the Bridge
(Miller) 55

 

Walker, Polly 246

Wallach, Eli 134

Walter, Harriet 14, 15, 79, 98, 99, 102, 127–8, 144, 230–1

Wanamaker, Zoë 267

Warden, The
(Trollope) 81

Wardle, Irving 68, 105, 115

Warner, David 240

Warner, Deborah 176, 177

Washbourne, Mona 71

Wax, Ruby

on AR 213

as AR's protégée 3, 57–8, 93, 162–3

at Bristol Old Vic 60

friendship with AR 14, 16, 19, 57–8, 65, 146, 262

Raw Produce
158

and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
137

at RSC 16, 19, 57–8, 65, 146, 262

on TV 93

Wax Acts
162–3, 221

Way of the World, The
(Congreve) 177

Wedekind, Frank 74–5

West Acton First School 28–9, 30

West London Free Press 50

West London Observer
7

West of Suez
(Osborne) 53

West, Timothy 91, 187

West Yorkshire Playhouse 5, 62, 177, 221–2

When I Was A Girl I Used To Scream And Shout
(Macdonald) 77

Whitehouse, Mary 56–7

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
(Albee) 34, 251

Williams, Clifford 62–5, 281

Williams, Kenneth 92

Willis, Bruce 16, 119, 121–7, 168, 267

Wilson, A.N. 104

Wilson, August 110

Wilson, Patrick (Paddy) 14, 55–6, 252

Wilson, Richard 45, 62, 68, 76, 78, 93, 103, 176, 221, 254, 259

Wilson, Snoo 11, 87, 88, 98, 107, 238, 270, 276–7

Winslet, Kate 226, 229–30

Winstone, Ray 87

Winter Guest, The
(film) 243–5, 247

Winter Guest, The
(Macdonald) 177, 221–3, 224

Wise, Greg 226, 228, 229, 246

Wollstonecraft, Mary 21

Woman's Journal
3, 274, 276

Women Against Pit Closures 180

Women's Playhouse Trust (WPT) 98, 175, 187, 188–9, 190, 192

Wood, Charles 220

Wood, Victoria 57, 253, 260

Woodchester Mansion, Gloucestershire 268

Woodeson, Nicholas 54

Woodthorpe, Peter 91

Woolrich, Cornell 225

Workers' Revolutionary Party 12

Worthington, Brian 38

Wright, Jules

on AR 3, 4, 5, 9, 18, 98–101, 134, 247, 279, 280

on Riverside proposals 98, 157, 173–4, 175, 178, 179, 180–5, 187, 188–92, 214

 

X-Men
269

 

Yamashta, Stomu 108

Yentob, Alan 176

Young, B.A. 68, 79

 

Zola, Émile 69

Zulu
136, 141

In November 1994, I asked Alan Rickman via his agent whether he would be interested in co-operating with a biography to be published in the landmark year of his 50th birthday. In January 1995, Alan wrote me a scrupulously polite refusal in what the denizens of
Wayne's World
would call ‘most excellent' handwriting; the influence of his art-school training is immediately apparent in the calligraphy.

Mal Peachey, my editor at Virgin, was so persuasive, however, that I decided to go ahead with the book. I informed Alan of my intentions, jokily begging him not to reach for the elephant-gun or the smelling-salts. He sent me another handwritten letter: ‘Looking backwards is a strange thing to do – I will do it, but not now. It would take the smelling-salts, the elephant-gun and a large dose of hindsight to change my mind . . .' Looking back is, indeed, a strange thing to do; but in this case, it has been a fascinating and worthwhile exercise to study this unique actor and director. And when Virgin asked me to update the biography six years after the first edition, the case for a second edition seemed overwhelming in view of Rickman's output since 1996.

I am particularly indebted to the following people for their help: Peter Barnes, Stephen Davis, Jenny Topper, Thelma Holt, Blanche Marvin, Jonathan Powell, Catherine Bailey, Jules Wright, Jane Hackworth-Young, Stephanie Pennell, Gwenda Hughes, Michael Bogdanov, Clare Venables, Richard Wilson, Howard Davies, Ruby Wax, Christopher Hampton, Maggie Todd, Christopher Biggins, Dusty Hughes, Mike Newell, Peter James, Stephen Poliakoff, Harriet Walter, Adrian Noble, Emma Hardy, Nigel Hawthorne, Simon McBurney, Mary Whittingdale, Roger Spottiswoode, Clifford Williams, Stephen Crossley, Johnny Perkins, Trevor Nunn, William Burdett-Coutts, Saskia Reeves, James Shaw of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Dave Granger, Paddy Wilson, Chris Taylor, David Rich of Channel 4, Nigel Orton and Chris Hammond of Latymer Upper School, Edward Stead, Matthew Bond, Barry Burnett, Wendy Dixon of West Acton Primary School, Charlotte Tudor, Charles Frater of Silverglade, Theresa Hickey, Ian Francis
and Jonathan Donald of the
Kensington News
, John Prebble, Robert Cushman, Robert Holman, Ang Lee, Susanna Horng, Simon Langton, June Winters and Judy Arthur of Home Box Office, lain Coleman, Peter Savage, Martin Reddin, Sheridan Fitzgerald, Susie Figgis, James Shirras of Film Finances Services Ltd, Ian Herbert of
Theatre Record
, Max Stafford-Clark, Snoo Wilson, Philip Hedley, John Byer and others who wished to remain anonymous.