From trying to impress the girls as King Lear, to false beards that are just not up to the job, there's no Shakespeare like a school Shakespeare. Actors and 'Independent' contributors look back

James Bobin directed Rickman in his final role

Emma Thompson has paid touching tribute to fellow actor, and dear friend, Alan Rickman. 

The great impresario should let his Cats run free

Both came from humble origins: Bowie from Brixton and Bromley and a state technical school; Rickman going from an Acton estate to the Chelsea College of Art and Rada. Back then, such journeys up a social mobility ladder seemed eminently feasible, even in the previously elitist arts

Rickman transformed an "old and creepy" character into one of the most romantic I've ever seen

The entertainment industry has always been a route to fame and riches for people from modest backgrounds

In a week during which the world lost David Bowie and Alan Rickman, much has been said about public grief. 

A Harry Potter fan left a very touching tribute to Alan Rickman at Snape’s door

Fans said it was a fitting tribute to Alan Rickman, who played Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films

'Make your own unique messes, and then work your own way out of them'

In an age where one in ten UK actors come from a working class background, Rickman was an inspiration to many

Alan Rickman’s brother has confirmed the beloved British actor passed away in hospital on Thursday morning, after suffering from cancer. 

Many Harry Potter fans have been thanking the late actor for 'making their childhoods'

Speaking about his film A Little Chaos, a wonderful interview with Edith Bowman and James King led to Alan Rickman being scolded for his “potty mouth”.

'You have your mother's eyes'