Google celebrates 'Harry Potter' star Alan Rickman's legacy with an animated doodle

Search engine giant Google honoured late English actor Alan Rickman on his 77th birth anniversary with a GIF doodle.

The doodle features Rickman in an animated avatar raising one eyebrow, a quirk that was well-known in the industry. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer in January 2016. At that time, he was 69.


Known for his endless charm and deep and magnetic voice, the late actor left a magical legacy behind with his performance in movies like 'Harry Potter' series and 'Die Hard'.

On this day in 1987, Rickman spent his birthday performing in a Broadway play 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'. This performance was said to be instrumental in launching his career.

Born on February 21, 1946, in West London, England, Rickman was said to be a natural painter. Keen to learn different art forms, he always found support from his teachers and family and wanted to make it big with his acting skills. He started starring in school plays and earned a scholarship to pursue his interest at Latymer Upper School in London.

After completing secondary school, Rickman studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art, according to the Google Doodle website. Post-graduation, he founded a design company with close college friends and was a part of the amateur Group Court Drama Club.

At 26, Alan Rickman left his company and decided to seriously pursue acting when he earned a spot at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), known as a prestigious acting school in the world.

A few years later, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and got a chance to appear in 'The Tempest' and 'Love's Labour's Lost'.

From Professor Snape to Hans Gruber, he nailed every role he took, and left an everlasting mark in films and theatre 🎬
Today’s #GoogleDoodle celebrates the great Alan Rickman and his legacy, that will live on ✨ always ✨ pic.twitter.com/OvYlFvrtQY

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) April 30, 2023

In 1985, Rickman struck gold when got the role of anti-hero Le Vicomte de Valmont in the play 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' (Dangerous Liaisons). His brilliant performance got him a Tony nomination. Soon after, he was flooded with acting offers in films.

In 1988, Rickman starred as criminal mastermind Hans Gruber in the film 'Die Hard'. The character is now considered one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. The film’s success led to Alan Rickman playing similar antagonist roles in films like 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'. His career trajectory continued throughout the 1990s with roles in 'Sense and Sensibility' (1995) and 'Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny' (1996), the latter of which he received an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for, the doodle website said.

In 2001, Rickman added life to 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' as the professor Severus Snape. His intimidating and captivating performance got him to star in the following seven 'Harry Potter' films, which become an international sensation.

Over the course of his career, Rickman received numerous acting nominations and awards and even directed three plays and two films. He’s remembered for his iconic roles on-screen, his philanthropy, and his kind and sensitive nature off-screen, the doodle website said.