Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis shares heartwarming memory from last day on set with Alan Rickman

Rickman is remembered by his co-stars as a kind and humble actor

Annabel Nugent
Tuesday 13 April 2021 09:17 BST
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Kate Winslet on Alan Rickman

Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis has shared a heartwarming anecdote about his late co-star Alan Rickman.

Rickman – who famously portrayed Severus Snape throughout the franchise – died in 2016 aged 69 of pancreatic cancer, having only revealed to close friends that he was terminally ill.

Remembering Rickman during a recent appearance on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Lewis – who played Neville Longbottom – shared an emotional memory from the actor’s last day on set for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II in 2011. 

“I went to his trailer and I just said to him, ‘Hey, I know it’s your last day, and I just wanted to say this has been incredible, to have worked with you for so long.

“I know we’ve not really spoken very much, but I just wanted to say it was because I was terrified, but you were incredible. Thank you for allowing me to work with you for 10 years and not ever to shout at me or treating any of us as anything less than your equal.’”

Lewis revealed that Rickman then invited him into his trailer for a cup of tea and the pair shared heart-to-heart about his future career.

“He was like, ‘Come on in.’ And he put the kettle on and we had a cup of tea and we chatted about what I was going to do in my career moving forward and what he recommended I do.”

The 31-year-old revealed that he has never approached a co-star in the same way since.

(Warner Bros)

Lewis’s fond memories of Rickman coincide with many others shared by the late actor’s co-stars.

After Rickman’s death, Daniel Radcliffe posted a moving tribute to the actor on Facebook.

“[Alan Rickman] is . . . one of the loyalest and most supportive people I’ve ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I’m pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn’t have to do that.

"I know other people who’ve been friends with him for much, much longer than I have and they all say, ‘If you call Alan, it doesn’t matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he’s doing, he’ll get back to you within a day.’”

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Earlier this year, it was announced that 27 diaries written by Rickman will be published as a single book in 2022.

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