Alan Rickman’s widow shares heartbreaking reflection 10 years after his death

Alan Rickman’s widow, Rima Horton, reflected on her late husband’s legacy in a rare comment for the former politician, who first met the Harry Potter star in 1965. Alan passed away in January 2016 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, which has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer as it often goes undetected until the advanced stages.

Rima spoke to BBC Breakfast about Alan’s private health battle on Tuesday while promoting a special charity prize draw to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

“He had so much more to give. There were so many more things he could have done,” she said in the interview. The 78-year-old added that he underwent six months of chemotherapy that extended his life expectancy, but ultimately “didn’t cure” his cancer. 

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“The biggest problem is that by the time that people find out they’ve got it, it’s too late,” she explained. “The symptoms are so difficult to work out. What we’re trying to do is raise money for a breathalyzer test, which could provide an early diagnosis.”

The charity prize features a set of the seven Harry Potter hardcover books signed by several cast members, including Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) and Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney).

Alan portrayed Severus Snape in the film, cementing the character as one of the most iconic anti-heroes in film history. He is also known for his starring roles in Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sense and Sensibility, and Love Actually.

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Rima shared more insight into Alan’s final months with The Times in January, explaining how they dealt with the heartbreaking diagnosis together. “The first thing he ever said to the oncologist was, ‘I don’t want to die in pain,’ and they made sure he didn’t,” she recalled. “I think he wanted to say goodbye to his friends and have it under his control. He even organized his own funeral because he didn’t want it to be a mess.”

“We didn’t tell anybody apart from our families at first,” she continued. “Alan didn’t want people to look at him and say, ‘Oh, how sad.'” Rima added that they maintained a shred of hope while he underwent chemotherapy. “We knew it was fully grown and had spread. We knew the chemo wouldn’t work, but you live in hope. You say, maybe we’ll be the exception where it does.” 

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Rima first met Alan in 1965 in a youth drama group in London, when she was 18, and he was 19. They moved in together 12 years later, yet didn’t tie the knot until 2012. They also chose not to have kids. Despite Alan having passed away 10 years prior, Rima shared that he is “with me everywhere, all of the time”.

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Tributes poured in from across the world when Alan died in 2016, including from his Harry Potter castmates Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

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“Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also 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,” Daniel wrote on social media.

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“Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important, and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career.” Emma wrote on Facebook: “I’m very sad to hear about Alan today. I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor. I’ll really miss our conversations. RIP Alan. We love you.”

Rupert’s tribute read: “I am devastated to hear about the passing of Alan Rickman. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him on numerous occasions. Even though he has gone, I will always hear his voice. My thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”