Name: Madly, Deeply
ISBN: 9781250847959

Alan Rickman

Harry Potter and Sense and Sensibility actor Alan Rickman builds upon his legacy as a world-class actor, a tireless political activist, an avid traveler, and more through his diaries—a twenty-five-year passion project in which Rickman invites readers backstage and into his life. Alan Rickman remains the one of the most beloved actors of all time across almost every genre in the American and British markets, from his breakout role as Die Hard’s Hans Gruber to his heart-wrenching run as Professor Severus Snape, and beyond. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice, and the knowing wit he brought to each role have captivated viewers across nearly every generation alive today.

But Rickman’s artistry wasn’t confined to just his performances. Fans of movies, theater, and memoirs at large will delight in the intimate experience of Rickman detailing the extraordinary and the ordinary in a way that is “anecdotal, indiscreet, witty, gossipy and utterly candid.” He grants us access to his thoughts and insights on theater performances, the craft of acting, politics, friendships, work projects, and his general musings on life. Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman was written with the intention to be shared, and reading it feels as if Rickman is chatting to a close friend.

The Diaries of Alan Rickman

Madly, Deeply

(Bre)anne✨

The trouble with death is that there is no next. There is only what was and for that I am profoundly and heartbrokenly grateful.

🌞Laur🌞

The trouble with death is that there is no next. There is only what was and for that I am profoundly and heartbreakingly grateful. 

‘Fine acting always hits an audience with the force and oneness of the well-aimed bomb- one is only aware of the blast or series of blasts at the time- afterwards you can study the devastation or think about how a bomb is made.’

It’s wrong when an actress is treated like a piece of Dresden rather than a professional. 

I hate it when my head, heart and aspirations are filled to the brim only with career. The rest of me hangs around like a jacket on the back of a doorknob. 

High Fidelity

There was something of the sage about him – and had he had more confidence and been at all corruptible, he could probably have started his own religion.

Reading this book is as close as we can get to being there ourselves and to encountering the real Alan Rickman. What a privilege it is to spend time in his company.

Diaries – funny things. Having to record people as a collection of initials. For the record J.W. = Jules Wright; a dangerous, manipulative person.

A phone call from Peter James [theatre director] wanting some assurances for the Riverside board meeting tomorrow. Strange not being able to say everything to an old friend.

Time stands tapping its feet on days like this. Waiting to go somewhere else and when you get there, not know where you are.

I seem to be functioning in short sentences today.

Sometimes the emotional commitment to a piece of work keeps itself invisible, often for a long time, until it is threatened – and then complete immobility happens – a kind of nervous exhaustion descends.

I walked to a shop, had a coffee and a sauna, listened to some people on the phone – all so defensive, all hiding their own untruths.

Every corner were the women. Cleaning, planting, looking after their memories.

Far too late to bed. There will be a price to pay. 

Desultory days. Can’t think properly. A strange reluctance to make phone calls. Talking to friends feels like a duty.

I must try not to be sucked into other people’s problems when all it does is drain my energy.

While half of me is saying – no, don’t go, it’s a mistake, the other half is ironing the shirt and ordering a taxi.

 One of those days that has no rules – time passes too quickly, a lot of it one would like to rewind or re-do. But there it was – a great sprawling, hopeful splurge of a day.

Far too late to bed. There will be a price to pay.

sometimes it is too weird that one’s life is splayed endlessly across a double page spread.

It was so nice getting to read about Alan’s life through his experiences. The good, the bad, and everything in between. 

Not giving this a rating.

The Afterword absolutely ruined me. 

It was so nice getting to read about Alan’s life through his experiences. The good, the bad, and everything in between. 

Steffi'sBookShelve

Jasmine Lawrence

Tanis Smither

Anya ✨

Niklas Pivic

Moonchild

Ness Rainier

Amanda Jones

Derek Barlas

Mark

This audiobook includes narration from Bonnie Wright, Alfred Enoch, Steven Crossley, and Rima Horton.

Madly, Deeply is a rare invitation into the mind of Alan Rickman—one of the most magnetic, beloved performers of our time.

From his breakout role in Die Hard to his outstanding, multifaceted performances in the Harry Potter films, Galaxy Quest, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and more, Alan Rickman cemented his legacy as a world-class actor. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice, and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate audiences today.

But Rickman’s ability to breathe life into projects wasn't confined to just his performances. As you'll find, Rickman's diaries detail the extraordinary and the ordinary, flitting between worldly and witty and gossipy, while remaining utterly candid throughout. He takes us inside his home, on trips with friends across the globe, and on the sets of films and plays ranging from Sense and Sensibility, to Noël Coward's Private Lives, to the final film he directed, A Little Chaos.

Running from 1993 to his death in 2016, the diaries provide singular insight into Rickman's public and private life. Reading them is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close companion. Meet Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveler, the fan, the director, the enthusiast; in short, the man beyond the icon.

Madly, Deeply features a photo insert, a foreword by Emma Thompson, and an afterword by Rima Horton.

Madly, Deeply The Diaries of Alan Rickman