4 Harry Potter Controversies Revealed by Alan Rickman's Personal Diary

For most of his life, Rickman was a theater actor and achieved fame through several successful films, including Die Hard and the Harry Potter franchise. Viewers and critics agree that Rickman's performance as Professor Severus Snape was inimitable.

Recently, Alan Rickman's diaries were released as a book titled Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman. Spanning the last two decades of his life, Rickman's notes reveal a lot of interesting details about the actor's life — and some of them will come as a surprise to Harry Potter fans.

Rickman hated Snape's costume

Back when the first film was made, Rickman expressed his dislike for his character's costume. In his diary, he said he was upset by some of the details of his clothes.

Specifically, he wrote, "A hat has been made for Snape. A hat? For Snape?" The actor was probably pleased that the hat never made it into the movie.

He criticized child actors

Rickman wrote a lot about the actors he worked with on Harry Potter — but he hardly ever praised them in his notes. This is not surprising since Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint were still inexperienced actors when Rickman began working with them.

He wrote, "These kids need directing. They don’t know their lines and Emma [Watson]’s diction is this side of Albania at times" (supposedly, that means her diction was very poor). Of Radcliffe, Rickman said, "He's so concentrated now. Serious and focused — but with a sense of fun. I still don’t think he's really an actor but he will undoubtedly direct/produce". Sounds like a very subtle irony from the experienced actor.

Rickman only liked the third movie

Alan Rickman didn't think the cast was completely hopeless. At times, he even allowed a bit of praise slip in his notes — though not too often. However, the actor did commend one person in the film crew — Alfonso Cuarón, who directed the third part of the franchise.

In his diary, Rickman wrote, "It is a very grown-up movie, so full of daring that it made me smile and smile. Every frame of it is the work of an artist and storyteller. Stunning effects that are somehow part of the life of the film, not show-off stunts." Many viewers agree with Rickman's assessment of the film: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is in fact a great movie.

Snape could've been different — or died sooner

Perhaps one of the most shocking revelations from Rickman's diaries is that the actor wanted to quit Harry Potter before the series was over. This may have been due to Rickman's illness, but the actor wrote that he was "feeling a bit nothing" about Harry Potter, which he found very disturbing. Professor Snape had become a cult character by that time, and if Rickman left the production, it's unlikely anyone would be able to play him and gain the audience's approval.

When part five was released, Rickman wrote, "Finally, yes to HP 5. The sensation is neither up nor down. The argument that wins is the one that says: 'See it through. It’s your story.'" That was indeed Alan Rickman's story — a story that we have lived through together with the great actor.