Josephine Sjelhøj
The whole world mourned actor Alan Rickman when he passed away in January. The cast of the Harry Potter series all shared tributes to the late actor, whom they worked with for 12 years. Now, Matthew Lewis, who portrayed Neville Longbottom, has spoken out about Rickman’s passing.
Lewis told FAULT, that he was on the set of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, an upcoming film also set in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter universe. “I was with the producer who did all the Harry Potter films,” Lewis said. “He was taking me around the studio when the news came through. We were both just completely stunned. But also, to be in the studio when that came through, suddenly every room that I went into, every corridor that I walked down on, I suddenly remembered a story or an image of Alan. It got a bit odd. It was quite surreal. But also, powerfully moving as well.”
The actor also shared a memory of his friend from the last day of shooting Harry Potter. Lewis said, “We just sat and chatted about the future of my career and what I should do. He [Rickman] just offered me advice in where I should go and he said some things to me that filled me with a lot of confidence. And when you hear those sorts of things from someone of his stature, his ability, it means a lot.”
Back in January, Lewis wrote a heartfelt tribute to Rickman. On Instagram, he wrote, “I recalled the trailer in which he offered me some of the greatest advice I ever received about this mad profession we shared. (…) He inspired my career more than he ever knew and I’ll miss him.”
