Do Go On - 23 - Alan Rickman: Master Movie Villain (plus other 2016 Celebrity Deaths)

Episode Date: March 30, 2016

A listener suggested that there seem to have been more celebrity deaths this year. Matt, Jess and Dave discuss this and also the life and death of legendary English actor Alan Rickman. Now a member of the 69 club, they discuss his humble beginnings as the son of a biscuit factory worker, through to a short career in graphic design before smashing out a brilliant career on the stage and screen. Twitter: @DoGoOnPodInstagram: @DoGoOnPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/Email us: [e-mail] the show and get rewards like bonus episodes:www.patreon.com/DoGoOnPod  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melbourne and Canada, we got exciting news for you. And we should also say this is 2026. Jess, what year is it? 2026. Thank God you're here. Right now, I'm in Melbourne doing my show with Serengy Amarna 630 each night at the Cooper's Inn Hotel, having so much fun. We'd love to see you there. Canada, we are visiting you in September this year.

If you've somehow missed the news, we are heading up Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto for shows. That's going to be so much fun. Tickets for all this stuff, I believe, are online. And I'm here too. Welcome to Do Go on a podcast with me, Dave Warnacky, and I am here with someone who's not me, but they are also on the show. It is Jess Perkins. Hello, Jess.

I am not you. Hello, Dave. How are you? I am good, thank you, Jess. And we've got a third best introduce. I'll throw that little posting studio over to you today. I get to do it too. He's not me and he's not you.

He's Matt Stewart. Hello, Matt Stewart. Hey, guys. That was exciting, hey. Yeah, because I thought there was. part of me that thought that was going to be Dave. Sure. But then you said that you've already introduced.

It's not Dave. Yeah, both of you. And then I'm like, oh, that's really narrows it down. Probably me. But I'm always ready for something from left field with you, Jess, because you just throw things in. And I never know. I'm a wild card.

You're a wild card. Yeah. You got a wild card into the Raw comedy final? I did. And I've been wild carding it every single. since. There are some people who probably may have, this is the first time they've ever heard the show and they genuinely are surprised to hear your voice, Matt.

Do you want to say hi to them? Oh, hi. Welcome. Welcome to the show. Yeah. It's really good to have you here. Yeah, thanks for coming. 20 odd episodes in, we're starting to get good at this.

Can you tell? Yeah, you're from that great intro, that great wild card of an intro. This is a show where we take it in terms to research a topic and then report back to the other guys on the topic. Matt, your turn. I was going to say on the podium. Yeah. Podium finish.

On the podium. Yeah. Scraped in a third place. The podium, that's not bad. Third place out of the three of us. Still on the podium. No, but if you think about it, that's probably right though, isn't it? The bronze medalist.

Yeah, he'd be the bronze. He's the Michelle. Almost definitely, yes. I think that's fair. The Michelle Williams. He's the Michelle Williams. To our Kelly, Roland and Beyonce Noles. Yeah.

We'll say. He's the Michelle Obama to us, our Barack Obama, which we are both. We're both Barack Obama. I'm the Les Miserables to your Ron Hitler-Barassie and Humphrey B. Flabert from Tism. Wow. Sorry about that, Les. That was a bit rough. It was also two members.

Wow, that's why you will never leave that third podium. No, that's not true. I'm not even on the third place on the podium. I'm on the third podium. Yeah, you're ninth. So that's, yeah, what is that? No. Third on the third.

Have you guys ever... Still happy to be involved. Did you ever play sport to win any medals or certificates growing up? Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure I would have mentioned this before because I do all the time. I was St. Paul's Junior Tennis Club's Most Promising Junior. Hello.

Oh my God. Great. And what happened to your tennis career? Well, when it went from juniors to like open age, like adults or... whatever, I quit. Because I would have had to find another competition and it just never ever happened. Most promising and then you gave away that talent.

What could have been? Well, I mean, most promising at St Paul's junior tennis club. Still something, isn't it? I wasn't even the best player in my team. It was a weird result. No, take it. Shut up, take it. No, I do take it.

Yeah, I own it with pride. I was year seven high jump champion. High jump, that's really hot. I beat all the tall girls too. What was your technique Were your scissor kicking over Or doing the Fosby flop? You were being a flopper

I can tell you're a flopper From way back in the day Yeah Good arch How high do you reckon you could have Back to your peep I don't remember I don't remember how high it was

Dave could you just stand up for a second I want to see If Jess still has it Yeah Ready? I needed more of a run-up On your marks Here we go

And here she comes Well that's great technique And She's cleared me by a country mile Well, well done. Yeah. Yes, that was really good. Thank you.

No way you landed back in your seat. Yeah. Amazing. And I'm not even puffed. Not even puffed. Do you get puffed from a little jump? Like, as far as sports go. Well, you've never been U7 high job champion, have you?

Well, quick, ask me how many things I won. How many things did you win? Absolutely zero. Let's move on. Okay. Old tiny hands Warnocky. Hmm, couldn't hold a pencil, but could hold a javelin, apparently. No, you say, you laugh about my tiny hands.

I could never do discus in primary school because I couldn't get my hands around. but what the fuck I had really small hands okay how are you an adult now how did you make it it's luck it's luck I think this

it was like nature trying to just weed out the week yet somehow you just clawed your way back in it's the problem with the internet age is people like Dave survive now when they shouldn't have shouldn't have if this was you know

if we were hunting and gathering you'd be gone and instead of gone I'm just gaunt anyway. You know when you see someone who's enjoyed something even before they've said it? Yeah, he did, that was a great moment. Thank you. And I would have been too.

Would have been two. Is this week's topic sport related at all? No, it isn't, but it's... I'm sorry about that, everybody. Have you explained the hat recently? We talked about the hat of it. Yeah. at do go on pod on Twitter and do go on pod at gmail.com.

And then Matt has been putting all these suggestions into a hat. And lately we've actually just been pulling him out and researching what you guys wanted us to talk about. Yeah. So on this week's episode, I've actually got two suggestions because the one I pulled out just tied in nicely to another one that we got a few weeks ago. So I've kind of combined them both. The first one is just like a little bit of a preamble at the same.

start, I guess. So this is a double. It's like a double header. There's a mini and then a main. There's a mini and a main. So an entree. The main one is involved in the mini one. I like this.

This is, what is this? The first time we've had this. Yeah, it is. I'm changing the face of do go on podcast. They said it couldn't be done. Yeah. I guess they probably would have if someone had asked them. So we usually start with a question to get into the topic.

Are you going to have two questions? I'll just go do the one and then... I think, yeah, I'll do the first, I'll ask a question for the first one, and then we'll figure out for the second one. Of course, as we usually say, this is super tedious for the people listening at home, because they've read the topic

as they pushed the download button. But anyway... Might have even been the reason they downloaded it. Yeah, it could be. So they're like, just hurry up and talk about it. We don't give a shit about your sporting shitness. No, they do, though. They love that.

Deep down. I think they just got to know us a little better. Small hands, Warnocky. That's right. High jumping. Perkins. Most promising talent, Matt. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. On the podium. So. Third. Yes. This year, this year that we're in right now, you might not be listening to it when we're recording. But this year is 2016. My question is, what bit of bad luck has been happening to a lot of celebrities this year?

Oh, we've had a lot of deaths. Yeah, that's it. All right. That's deaths. Celebrity deaths. Oh, so you, that was the question. What bad luck has been? So this year alone, a lot of people have died.

But in previous years, obviously, celebrities have never died. No, but last year, for example, I think we all remember 2015 was a big year for tax fraud for celebrities. So that was the bad luck they're having last year. This year, it's all about death day. Do read a magazine every now and then, would you? Rolling Stone's top 10 bad luck moments of this year, number one will be celebrity deaths.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you're being a smart ass, but it's a serious thing. No, no, we are joking about death. None of the Rolling Stones have died this year as well, which is weird. Yet. Yet. Good point. So this came in on our Facebook page from a listener named Joe.

She asked if we had noticed that so many celebrities are dying this year. And she wanted to know if we sort of had a theory about it, whether it's coincidence. but she just, she said she was blown away about it and she's taking predictions around the office as to who's going to be next. Which is creepy, but good call. It's a good fun game. Who do you reckon's going to die? But then like, if you're right, you're like, yes.

Whoops. See, this is the second time it's happened. Remember when you did the Queen Elizabeth episode and I was like, I was going to do that? Like two weeks ago, I googled the 27 club. Right. To like look into it. And maybe it was because, maybe I'd read Joe's message or maybe it.

It was before that, but I was sort of like, oh, I wonder if there's something there, and then I forgot all about it. The 27 clubs are good one, but I think what I've noticed, I've got a, I mean, I've got a bit of a list. Yeah, hit us with the list to remind people of who has died. Is it just this year you're focusing on? Yeah, well, it actually, to me, it started late last year. After Christmas last year, Stevie Wright, the Easy Beat singer died. Then Lemmy, the frontman.

Promote Head, baseball player, singer. died a day later. Then into January, David Bowie passed away. Then Glenn Frey, Glenn Frey from the Eagles, co-founder of the Eagles, died. Harper Lee died to kill a mockingbird. And then into March, George Martin, the fifth beetle. One of the many fifth Beatles passed away.

So there definitely have been a lot. That were the big ones. There's heaps. like I went through long list but I would say in my mind there that's sort of probably towards the bigger names John English passed away recently

Australian TV star singer from All Together Now that's what I remember him from but he was also like Pants of Pansans and stuff but those guys I think the one thing I'd say

that links or those people are that they were at least a little bit old like the youngest person on that list was 69 so I don't know if it's Well, 67 actually, Glenn Fray. At least a little bit old. Yeah, not to be too...

And they're all musical people, the ones you... They're all musical, apart from Harpoly, who was an author. But she has the word harp in her first name. That's right. No, yeah, good point, she was. And Mockingbirds have a beautiful singing voice. That's right. So it's all coming back to music.

Yes. All right, you want someone who wasn't music... No, I'm just thinking that maybe... That's part of the theory. Oh, okay, yeah, sure. Is there anyone who's not musical? Yeah, for instance, Joe Alaska, who was a voice actor, who took over the voice roles for Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird after Mel Blank died in 1989.

So probably the versions that we were familiar with growing up. And I'll just bring it back to music again. So he was the voice of the bunny, but there was a quite a popular. in the music competition called The Voice. What's there? Well, that feels like a... I just high-fived Dave because I saw where he was going

and I fucking loved it. Because I'm going through him and then, yeah, they're all musical. A lot of them are musical. What about, um... What are, uh, uh, uh, the, uh, uh, the, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,

an actor, best known for his beard and rugged looks. He was 74. Was that funny too, Dave? What a mystery. Taken too soon. It's like, you're treating this like some sort of conspiracy. 74-year-old man has died. No, I mean, I think I said early on that the...

I think that, you know, it does seem weird that they're all happening at the moment, but it does seem like there are not many that are sort of well before their time. I think, like, Bowie... Yeah, David Boy, was he 69 years old? He was 69, that's right. So that is quite young.

So having said that, I just laughed at the 74-year-old. It's not that much different. 69 sounds on paper a lot younger than 74 to me. And I was very sad about David Bowler. We'll admit that. And shocked or surprised, I didn't realize he was ill. Yeah, me either. I think there are different theories about...

I was sort of reading why people think that maybe it seems like so many celebrities are dying where maybe it's no more than normal but they are some big ones right? So there was a theory that I don't think quite checks out that because of the internet age a lot more celebrities are well known and being produced and sort of their

like fandom has become bigger because of the online world. And it's also easier to find a community and then like, because do you know when he got on Facebook when David Bowie died or lemmy to a lesser extent people are like rest in peace, David Bowie. Here's my favorite David Bowie track or

to a less three cent, Notrehead song or something like that. And then all these rock legends came out, like, people from the food fighters. Like, Lemmy was like a big idol of mine. But like in older times, maybe only really famous people would be on the national news. And apart from that, it would just be a small newspaper article. Yeah, that might make sense. Like, only the metal community would have really been aware of Lemmy's passing when, um, now that's just, like everyone's got.

metalhead friends and they see them on their posting about on their Facebook. What do you guys think about people posting about the grief of celebrities on Facebook? Do you have an issue with it? I don't have an issue with it. I don't particularly like it. I don't think I've ever posted about

a celebrity's death. Goff Whitlam, I did. Yeah. I tweeted about Goff Whitlam. What did you tweet about Goff Whitlam? I don't even remember. Should we give context to other sisters? It's a Prime Minister.

of this country and a famous one at that. Yeah, he made a lot of change in a short amount of time. He's seen by some people as being a political hero in Australia, and some people probably seem the opposite of that, pretty divisive. But most people, most politicians in hindsight, and at the time I like that as well. So what was your post about Goff Whitman? I don't even remember.

It was just a little tweet. It was just something like, I honestly don't remember, but that's the only time I can think that I've said anything about a celebrity because I kind of feel like firstly morning is generally quite personal and private. It doesn't have to be. Like if it makes you feel better to share something, then by all means go for it. But at the same, like you didn't know David Bowie. Wow, but that's so unfair because then sometimes certain musicians can really have a big impact on your life.

I don't know. I just, everybody do whatever you want to do. Have you ever posted one, Matt? Yeah, I posted a video of, um, motorhead when he passed and um a live video went I found footage of the time I saw them so I posted that and I did that I did that directly after reading a motorhead on the motorhead account them asking people to celebrate his life and talk about it and so I'm like oh fuck yeah I'll do that yeah maybe that's that's different that's better because they want like I mean there's I don't

what the downside is it's kind of like a nice thing it's a celebration you know of the life i don't i don't think it's i don't really have an issue with it i know it pisses some people off like they feel like it's it's turning something into a uh like a selfish moment like a how can i make this about me but i mean it's a fine line i guess i didn't think i was doing that but i probably i guess i it's exactly what i was doing i said this was the time i saw motorhead the first time and it was amazing. Me, I did. I think that's different.

I think that's exactly what I was going to say. I think some people make it a lot about themselves and it's an attention-seeking thing. But I imagine what my post would have read exactly like that. Yeah, maybe just because I know you and like you that I don't mind it. If it's somebody that I don't like, I'm like, fuck off, dickhead. Yeah. But what part of social media is not about me? Yeah, totally.

I have an opinion on something. Yeah, everything you write is... I mean, some is worse than others, but it is funny when people get a bit uptight about it, like, come on, mate, yeah, we get it. You're having a good day, but it's like, well, what else do you use it for? I just don't like when it's really flashy and, like,

oh my God, can't stop crying, because, you know, a musician who's... who, you know one song of theirs, and you're just doing it, jumping on a bandwagon, that I don't appreciate. It is funny, well, because it's like, you can stop crying to type this message

I mean you could be doing it through the tears but that's the thing like if it was... I'm so sad I've got to let people know but if it was a family member would you do it? Yeah like would you... I wouldn't. Some people do. I always feel at it like

when you get messages directed at someone it's like I guess when someone's passed away and you want to somehow put a message out to them like knowing that it Yeah. Facebook probably isn't the medium, but what is?

Yep. Like you say a prayer or something. But if you don't really believe in that, I guess Facebook makes it feel like you're getting it out there to them. Facebook is our religion. It's super ridiculous. In a way, isn't it? Whatever helps the grieving process for you, I guess.

I always find it funny when people go like, I've got the best girlfriend in the world. Happy anniversary. Oh my God. I imagine. Yeah. And it's like, well, I imagine you're. I imagine you're going to see them today.

Probably just let them know, you know? Yeah. Or is that a sweet thing where you've gone? Look, I want everyone to know that I love this person. Is that a nice thing? No, but the chances are they're sitting on the couch next to each other and they're not actually talking to each other. Yeah, I got one word.

One word for that and that's gross. Oh, I hate when I do that. Nah, next. Icky. Yeah. Go fuck yourself. I especially hate it because nobody loves me. We love you, Jess.

I love you, Jess. Hey, what were we talking about again? Death. Death. I'll probably die, I'm going. So, we said Bowie passed away when he was 69. Another... Which is a pretty great age to pass away.

Oh, David, come on. There was another great guy, a great celebrity, was in the 69 club, which I think. Is it such a thing? There is now. Yeah. Should we aim for that? 69. I mean, there's a 69 club.

The 27 cops is pretty famous, I think, because it's quite a young age. But I think the studies have shown, studies have shown, that's what a wanker says, when they don't have an actual study. I think studies have shown. I think you'll find. The 27 is nowhere near the most common age that Big Subbbs are. They're normally a bit older. No, but it is quite a young and tragic age.

And they keep dying from like drug overdoses and stuff. They die in dramatic ways, not just old age. Yeah, totally. But some other people who passed away at 69 years of age, which is still youngish. There is a 69 club. I'm a big fan of this. Stop saying 69 club. I've got a couple of names.

They include Louis Armstrong. Oh. Saddam Hussein, which is probably not. Well. And evil can evil. Oh, yeah. Well, he lived life. to the full.

Yeah. I mean, I really, I think 69 is still too young. Yeah. Maybe not for Saddam. I don't really think about that. You know,

I don't have an opinion on that. Oh, boy. Was he? He was executed. Yeah, he was. Too soon. Too soon. Gone too soon.

Really? It's awful. No, definitely not. And edit point. So 69 for Louis. But also one other, one other man,

who I see. He's a great man, and this was the other suggestion of topic. It came from a guy who got on board this podcast early days named Cecil. He was familiar with his work? Yes, we know Cecil's work. We enjoy his tweets. So he suggested that, do you know who I'm talking about? I might.

Do you want to... Let me just tell you this. Ho, ho, ho. No, I have a machine gun. Great impression of... It sounded like Sean Connery, to be honest. I thought it wasn't Sean Connery. But that's what it sounded like.

Sean Connery is still alive and definitely in his 80s. That we know of. We're talking, are we talking Alan Rickman? That was the impression. Come on, everyone. Diehard. No, that was very Sean Connery. I mean, I know the line.

I just wasn't sure. I thought it might have been Sean Connery doing Hans Gruber. Yeah. Fair enough. Try again. Say Harry Potter in the Alan Rickman voice. I don't really watch Harry Potter. I don't really watch Harry Potter.

I just say the words Harry Potter in their Alan. Rickman voice. Your face is fucked right now. He's like a cockney voice. All right, maybe we'll come back to you. I think my favorite Rickman line, which is probably one of his more famous ones, was from Prince of Thieves,

where he was playing Sheriff of Nottingham. And his, I think he was his cousin. He told him to cut his heart, cut Robin Hood's heart out with a spoon and the cousin said, shouldn't we, couldn't we just use a knife? And Rickman goes, no,

I'm going to use a spoon. He's like, it's duller. I can't do the voice. He said something like, it's duller. It'll hurt more, you idiot.

That's a great line. That's a great line. That's a great line. He probably did a little bit better. I didn't do, I didn't disrespect him by trying to do a voice. To be honest. I will impersonate

whichever dead celebrity I like. And I will do it in the style of Sean Connery every single time. Do Sean Connery. I will only do him once he dies. Dude. That's the rule. I will only do him once he dies.

Dave Ornicki. Sexiest man alive. You're going to do him? You're going to do him? Did not know that. Sean Connery. I believe it. Money penny?

Well, that's not bad. It's James. Lost it. sending you a fax still fine sending you a fax from his car he's got a fax in the car

what a cool guy um so Alan Rickman yes um do you guys know much of him as a suggestion I was like all right so things I wanted to find

I'm like Alan Rickman controversy did you say what you're typing in yeah it came up with nothing scandal well yeah I just wanted to see if they it sounds like he just everything that came up

was just great actor great guy. Great guy. But yeah, so I thought maybe we could just go through his early years, talk about his career a little bit, and that could sort of be the episode. Do you think about that? Nah.

No, I want the controversy. Yeah, I want to... I'm afraid I can't deliver you any. Well, thank you so much for listening, everybody. It's been another episode. Do go on. What about the people who... I mean, I already feel horrible for the Rickman fans

who might have searched this out in particular. Just like it would be really nice to just talk about, hear people talking about Alan for a bit longer. I've started off with all this bullshit. Yeah, we have done a lot of bullshit. Sorry. Sorry, everybody. So, Alan Rickman was born in Acton, London in 1946. He was the son of Margaret.

She was a housewife and his father's name was Bernard and he worked in a factory. What kind of factory? Oh my God, that was my question. Nah. If you reckon I had that answer, do you think I would have said a whatever factory? Just say a machine gun factory. Let's guess.

Machine gun? I reckon biscuit. Let's go with biscuit. Matt, what do you reckon? That's much more. I reckon he worked in a dream factory. Fuck off, man. Pick something that actually happens in factories.

Or you don't get to. to play our game anymore. Maybe I don't want to play your game anymore, Jess. Biscuit factories. Maybe I'm sick of playing your little games. I reckon Biscuit Factory is pretty high up there. Possibility. Imagine. Wouldn't that be a great job?

Of all factory jobs. Bloody Bikis. All right. But we're also talking about 1940s. Yeah, they had bickies back then. I can't imagine the factories would have been great. They're only making like boring biscuits like scotch fingers. Oh, I've just.

No ice boimos. It's just. No. There's no creams. Factory, factory worker. I like shortbread creams personally. Oh, I didn't know that exists. Shortbread and cream together.

No, they're like the Arnett's shortbread cream. Yeah, they got the three speed lines down the middle. They do. I'm a Monte Carlo guy. Oh, man. The King of biscuits aren't really. Like everyone probably is pretty much. But from...

I'm a teddy bear or a shortbread cream. I like teddy bears. I'm bored just listening to your talk. I'll take a Kingston. Kingston? Yeah. I could take a... Second to a Monte Carlo.

All right, so Bernard was working in a Monte Carlo factory. His wife Margaret gave birth to one Alan Rickman, 1946. What else do we got? Rickman's dad, the factory worker,

Monte Carlo, died when he was only eight years old. When Alan was only eight years old. Wow, young dad. It's happened. He was potent. Um, so he...

He had a son, it's what, maybe seven. Potent is just a disgusting word. When talking about an... A young boy. And was Bernard killed in some sort of factory, like biscuit-related mishap? Well, no, because biscuits would never hurt you. It has to have been something different. No, he died of...

Yeah, he died of the law. I said the war. The war. He died of the war. Which finished a while before. Before the Elm's born. So he died of... when Alan was eight.

There's been an accident at the Biscuit FactoryGov. Is Mr. Wickman all right? No. Yeah, and then Ellen comes in, he's like, Dad, yes. I'm Sean Conrad. No one knows who that is yet. I'll make you pay for this blue felt.

When you stop laughing, I'd let you know that this left Alan's mother to raise Rickman and his three siblings all by herself. So I'm going to chuckle over there, Jess. Do you reckon they got given a lifetime supply of Monte Carlos to ease the pain? I didn't find that written down specifically, but I also didn't find it not written down specifically, which is interesting.

Rickman attended Derwent Water Primary School in Acton. Is that where Derwent pencils come from? Oh, bloody hell. I want to think that it is. Again, we haven't seen it not written down. I can't definitively roll it out. Dirlwind is a river. Yeah, Derwent water primary school. Yeah, so I think that's where those pencils come from, Derwent River.

Nailed it. It happens. It comes from the river. Yeah. They just occur there naturally. Of course. They just dredged from the bottom. Yeah.

They come in 112 different colors. They're not in order, though. That's someone's job. Could have been Alan Freakman's dad's job. Pencil-related missing. I want to ask. No, before. I'm working two jobs.

Yeah, it was hard work. The Derwent Water Primary School followed the Montessori method of education. I heard of that? Yes. I hadn't heard of it before. I've got a few notes about it. Do you know, do you want to... Is Montessori the one where there's no sort of grades in terms of like the Strozor,

grade one, grade two, grade three, that sort of structure? It's like the classes were mixed age. Yeah. So you might be in a class with someone who's 32. Alan pair up with Joseph. He's a 32-year-old bricklayer. But he's learning algebra this week. Yeah, yeah, so that's that sort of thing.

Share your chips at play lunch. It was invented by a lady named Maria Montessori. Oh, well. No coincidence. That was why. Because her name was also there. Do you know anything about Maria? She was an Italian physician.

Maria Montessori, Italian. Really? Yeah. And she studied extensively education with young special needs kids. And that's how she came to create the Montessori method. Are the things that you'd find in a Montessori class, the students were able to choose their own activities within a prescribed range of options? Yeah, not just.

It's not just like, Plato. All right, Ellen. Murder. Chris, not again. Chris, you've tried that three times this week. And the two, like, Plato probably was an option, right? At a certain stage, murder. Seriously?

Well, like, I mean, of those two suggestions. But you're going to limit the children's opportunity to murder, if that's what they want to do, if that's how they want to learn. Yeah, Maria Montessori is all. Personally, and everybody learns differently. Personally, I learn by doing. I learn by killing. That's how I learn.

Yeah. That's how I learn. That's a bad thing. to do. Yeah. But how else would you have known that? I know. Then I move on to Play-Dah.

Right, okay. Well, that is true. It is learning by doing. That is what the Montessori method is all about. Have I pronounced that differently each time? No. Blas-y-meas-you- And they, yeah, so the discovery model meant that the students would learn the concepts

from working with materials rather than by being instructed directly by the teacher. They kind of just figure it out to yourself. So it's pretty much the Montessori. See, I would have. really struggled with my small hands if someone had just given me it. I'm going to stop you there, young Dave. Oh, was there a program for small-handed boys? Figure it out yourself.

No, no, I was not going to take any of that. Sorry. You'd be a great teacher in a Montessori school. It'd be a pretty great job for a teacher, wouldn't it? Sit down and figure it out yourself. Yeah, really good. Okay, do whatever you want. See ya.

And then you just go outside and have a smoke. Just through the window, putting your thumbs up. Looking good, kids, like the room's on fire. All right. Yep. Learn how to put that. out. Yeah, Jess, your arson program is really coming along.

Thank you, miss. He became involved in drama in high school, but excelled at painting and ended up studying at the Royal College of Art, which led to him becoming a graphic designer at the Notting Hill Herald. Oh, God. So he was doing that while he was still studying. He was already working a job as a graphic designer. What a dream boat. Yes.

So he became a graphic designer. So that was his, he actually had a. career before acting, which isn't super common for the superstars, I don't think. And then after graduating, he started his own graphic design studio with some friends. Oh, do you know the name of it? I do. Can we guess it? Yes.

All right. You're Alan Rickman. Okay, Dave, you studied a lot of drama through university. I need you to get into character, okay? You are Alan Rickman, okay. B, Alan Rickman. I'm your friend. Okay.

We're having coffee. We got this. We're naming our graphic design company. Welcome to Shakespeare's Dog. It wasn't called Shakespeare's Dog? The graphic design studio. I studied drama, of course. I think, okay, Matt, even if that isn't the correct answer.

I'd say that is a ways off. Okay, well, even if that isn't the correct answer, I think we can at least acknowledge that for a moment, Dave left us. He did. And Alan Rickman was with us. And I would like to say that dog is an acronym for Shakespeare's design or graphics. Fuck.

Dog. Just off the cuff. He came up with that. That was off the cuff. Yeah. I think you'll find on that laptop that you've got written down that that's actually the correct answer of Ellen Rickman's Design Studio. Design or graphic, Shakespeare's dog. Yeah.

I think it was AKA, which is an acronym for... That's an initialism for, also known as... Damn it. That's a callback to an early episode A very early episode I think the first one ever A.K. Also known as

Graffiti. G-R-A-P-H-I-T-I Graph-E-T-E-T You think that that's better than Shakespeare's dog Graph-It-I You think that's better than Shakespeare's dog Design or Graphics? Look, honestly, yes.

Really? Yes. I want to move on if I can because that is rubbish. Everything about what you just did. Hasn't like Shakespeare's dog. Because I think that is incredible. Only because I'm lazy, that is the only reason why anyone is hearing what you just said.

Your performance was moving, though. Thank you. That was really impressive. Yeah, moving me to vomit. Oh, okay. But that smackdown was also quite impressive. I feel very trapped between, I love both of you so, so much. So I'm having a great time.

You have to choose. Well, I'm going to tell Matt to fuck off. That was his impression of me. That's not bad. Thank you. I'm the master of impressions today. Um, he, so he left his own little company. They, they were successful, but he left it after three years.

And he did that because he was, he decided that he wanted to have a bloody crack at acting, an acting crack. He wanted to have an act. Cracked. Yeah, good luck, mate. He went for a cracking. Do you think he's, mate, mates were like, you'll be back. You'll be back at graffiti. Big time.

Almost definitely, because that's just how people think. Won't even clean up your desk, mate. You'll be back. Yeah. Yeah, we'll leave that for you. Yeah. I want to even get rid of your leftover spaghetti Molonades out of the fridge

because it'll keep three or four days Yeah, and you'll be back by then. I'll keep your world's best boss mug on your desk there. Still got tea in it, it'll be fine. Yeah, tea keeps. Tea keeps for, I reckon you'll be back in 15 minutes. It'll be a little bit cool. This is piping height.

It'll probably be at appropriate temperature by the time you get back. If any, you're acting failure. If anything, you really need a break. Yeah. You've been working too hard. You'll need an acting break, but you won't get one, and that's why we'll be back here. Yeah, within 15 minutes. Within 15 minutes.

Bloody hell, you need a bit of patience in the acting game, Alan. You'll never. Yeah. Anyway, so he enrolled at Rada. Do you know what Rada stands for? Royal Academy, Dramatic Arts. Yes. Only it was just art, not plural arts.

Well, I don't want to be pedantic here, but I actually think that it's known colloquially as Shakespeare's dog, so bringing it back. If Shakespeare had a dog, what kind of dog would it be? And second follow-up question, what would he name his dog? Some sort of water hound. And he would name it graffiti. And he did. It's all coming together.

It's all coming together. Very good. During his studies, Shakespeare was a big focus. He attended Rada when he was around 26 or 27 years old. That's quite old to start studying acting full-time, which is great. So there's still hope for us. I could be...

We're 26 this year? I could be a professional actor, a Shakespearean actor. Yeah. Yes. Jess is already making strides towards that now. Doth. That's about all I got. But it's strides.

That it was a stride. That was probably more of it like a little step. Yeah. So from there, he... So after graduating Rada, would you say Rada or Rada? Rada. Rata.

Because I'm thinking like Wada, right? Radder is better, but I imagine it's rather. Because it's rad. Yeah. But Rada, that's rad. Rada. Oh, that's rad, eh? Yeah, you're going to study.

You're studying. I'm going to start at Rade, eh? Oh, that's rad, eh? Yeah, it's rad, eh? Yeah, it's Rada. And then that same person goes and performs Shakespeare. That makes sense. It is the East, and Juliet is the San.

I think that says a bit about someone when their go-to Shakespeare references. Is it Roman Juliet? Yeah, very mainstream. I would have gone with... Out-out-dam spot. Probably one of the ones you wouldn't even know. Mm-hmm. What's that, Macbeth?

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I don't know a thing or two. Never heard of it. Ugh, I hate myself. Nah, we hate you too, though. Oh, that's right. Team.

After graduating, Rada. So, was that a three-year course, or just a one? One year. Three years. So he's, what, 29 or something by the time he's finished? Yeah, I think... Late 20s. Matt's not sure.

Late 20s. Yeah, it was late 20s. It's impressive that he had one job in the arts that's hard to crack and he was doing it well. And then it was like, you know what? I'm going to be an actor now. Well, I think, and I think he said that it just was kind of not done. You just couldn't just go and be an actor. He saw that as being like too, like it was seen as being a bit too self-induldron and...

Mm. Where is this guy going to be an actor? Get a real job, mate, sort of thing. It would be like that. Yeah. It's weird. Because of that attitude, that's why it's slightly easier for the people who do make it,

even though it's still brutally hard. Imagine how hard it would be if everyone followed their dreams. Oh, fuchs. Or maybe it's only the people that follow their dreams that are any good. I don't know. I don't think that's true. I reckon there'd be people out there, graphic designers, who would be mad actors who just never quite had the...

or they weren't in the right circumstance to give it a crack but I can't prove that there's no way I can so don't make me but also it wasn't not written down oh that's true it wasn't just in my head today get out get out of me head my head my get out your chlorine have me my lobes my temporal lobes man this is the third time I'm starting this sentence after graduating Rada Rickman acted in many stage productions through England and Scotland. And he also started getting involved with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Huh, I haven't heard of them.

In 1985, he scored the lead role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of... You know when you can get pronunciations from the website? I look this up, but I'm knocking it, right? Lesons d'en-germain. That's not it. Spell, if I, if I... So it's not even a Shakespeare? If, no, it was like an adaptation of something else, but they did it.

I'm going to call it Les. If you said it in an Australian accent, it would be Les Leasons, Dangerousies. Oh boy. Is it something to do with dangerous? Leasons? Yeah, I'm guessing. Did you say, what year was this, 1985? 1985.

So he's 39 and he's getting his big break. Is that right? His big... No, that's not right. He was born in 46. Yes, is that right? Never doubt Dave's maths. Is that right?

So 39, and this is his big stage break. Wow. Wow. Wow. I mean, yes. So he's been doing bit part, like, not even bit past, but this is a big step up. Yeah, this is a bit of a break. But I mean, he's, he's had breaks and, you know, it's like a career is never one big break.

It might be seen that way by the public. Like the public see his big break coming later. like if he didn't get that further big break we wouldn't be talking about this big break sort of thing sure but something the first the next milestone in his life is 39 so that's quite you know yeah so through his 30s he did a lot of acting a lot of stage acting

and he also was but he was on some BBC TV productions and stuff like that through that time as well so I mean he you know he had a bunch of different breaks of different sizes but yeah 1995 is called the lead role in Lesons Dangeries. And that production went really well in England

and was transferred to Broadway in 1987, which was Rickman's introduction to the American entertainment industry, I guess, and also vice versa. Yeah, right. A year later in 1988, he scored his first role in a Hollywood blockbuster playing German villain Hans Gruber

in the first diehard movie. Nice. Which is just a great... One of the all-time great action movies. Yes. I'll come back to that in a second, but first, just want to talk about some of the... He was nominated for a Tony Award

for his role in the Broadway version of the Les Laisons Dangerusies. Let's just call it the French play. The French play. Nominated for Tony. So he's nominated for Tony. One little bit of the Egot, but he didn't win it, but um that's nice though yeah it's great like he like the man's got skills big skills that was and not just graphic design skills mind you that's right um or dog naming

skills that was his first major award nomination um from there he also was nominated for two primetime emmy awards he won one so there's a that was the only little bit of the ego he got he uh was nominated for one golden globe which he won he was nominated for four Bafters, again winning one. Three Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning one. Wow. And he was nominated for another Tony Award in 2002, which he didn't quite nab. Apart from that, so they're probably the major ones.

These ones are a bit more fun. He was also nominated for two MTV Awards. Now, that's the one you want. I think that it should be called a me got. Because you want the MTV. Then that's got to come first before the Emmy, the Grammy Oscar or Tony. The me got. 100% agree with it, yeah.

I like MIGO as well. Actually, no, I disagree. Sorry, it's just, just above an MTV. Kids Choice Award. Kids Choice, yeah. You want a Kids Choice Award. You might get slimed. Oh, man, you might get...

I think the trophies are often like surfboards and stuff like that. They are. Can you slot the KC into the MIGOT there? KFC. KFC. Kids Choice. Oh, the kids choice. I thought you were going to say, get some KFC in there, the Kentucky Fried Chicken Awards.

MTV. Well, you were way off, Dave. Emmy Oscar. Anyway, if you can't do it, that's fine, but don't bother stalling any longer. It's tricky, because it should be CK, really. Hang on, look at him. His brain's ticking. I'll come back to you.

So he won one MTV Award for his portrayal of Professor Snape in Harry Potter, which we haven't talked about yet, but he goes on the cover alert. The final one, the one with the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The other one he lost, which was the best villain for his portrayal of the show. Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, which he played in the 90s. Isn't that, that sort of... And what was the award for? Best.

Best villain. Best villain. And I see that as being one of the best villain performances ever, right? I think he's a good villain. He's often said to be one of the best, and he changed big screen villains forever, and with his portrayal of Hans Gruber. But I looked up, I was like, this is bullshit. How could he possibly have lost that?

In 1992, right? So I looked it up, and there was pretty strong villain competition that year. All right, 1992, let's think about this. Dave, you were two. But is that too early for Speed, which I think is the best villain ever, Dennis Hopper? I think it was too early for that. I think you might have been nominated for that, but the other nominees were Rebecca DeMorne from the Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Robert De Niro from Cape Fear.

Oh, see, that's a great villain. Robert Patrick from Terminator 2. Oh, that's awesome. A great villain. And Wesley Snarts from New Jack City. I don't know what, I don't remember that movie. But the winner was Rebecca DeMone for the hand that rocks the cradle.

I don't even know that film. Because women can be evil too, you guys. Yes. Equality. Definitely can. That's pretty sweet competition. Equality evil. The Equality Evil award goes to Rebecca DeMone.

I don't know that movie. Though they're probably three of his biggest roles. Who do you think of, when you think of his most famous roles, which ones do you think of? Back on Alan Rickman. Yeah. Oh, definitely Hans Gruber. Snape. Snape.

Snape. Love Actually. Oh, Sheriff. Yeah. Yeah, which I get, he was a, the Love Actually guy was a little bit. He wasn't a villain. He was kind of a nice guy, but he was kind of an assholes because he, did he cheat or he was going to? Yeah, he didn't.

I don't think he actually. he did but he destroyed his marriage right because he bought a necklace or something yeah man people have turned on that movie they loved it for quite a few years after it came out and now every christmas who's turned on that movie give me names and numbers oh you're still on board yes okay it's a great film it's just it's a masterpiece wow okay big call big call there's a fair bit of creepiness people write essays about it every year creepiness yeah just some a bit gross stuff would you give the Jess Perkins' Kids' Choice Award. Oh, really?

That's great. The Jess Perkins' Kids' Choice Award. Check that on your E.O. BKC. Which are the awards that my children give out. Oh. Yeah, there you go. Took you a sec.

Yeah, too, I'm matching with children. Yes, it did. Yes, it did. Because I'm lonely. Oh. Fair enough, too. As I was back to die hard, he almost didn't accept the role

of Hans Gruber. What? Yeah, which obviously was a, it's kind of a, that was a big turning point in his career. I mean, it wasn't a turning point. It was just an elevation of his career. Yeah, just a big step up. Yeah. So speaking in 2015, he recalled his initial dislike of the role.

He was offered it only a couple of days after arriving in America in 1987. What? Just in the street. Man, you look evil. Whoa. And then he starts speaking. Like, wow, you sound evil. Yeah.

Can you do German? Oh, my goodness. Oh. So this is a direct quote. He said, I didn't know anything about L.A. I didn't know anything about the film business. I never made a film before, but I was extremely cheap. And apparently Bruce Willis was costing the movie about $7 million, which was crazy back then.

Wow, really? Yeah, it almost sounds like that's not a real fact, but I read it somewhere. No, but that's a lot of... That's a lot of mulla. A lot of buns. A lot of buns or? Bonds. It's Bones, right?

No, it's Bonds. David Brent on the office says that. Buns. It's sure for Bunts and burner. Nice little earner. Oh, nice little earner. Bonds. Yeah, yeah.

Oh, wow. It's a great, yeah, great Dave Brent one. But that is a lot of money for Bruce Willis. And in comparison, did Rickman ask for, I'll do it for a thousand bucks. Just accommodation. No, he, he would have got paid all right, but just know any of that kind of money, I suppose. And he was, you know, in the mainstream, he was an unknown. Yeah, that's right.

Tony Awards don't necessarily open new doors in Hollywood, I don't think. Or Tony Award nominations, it is. Yeah, I don't think get you $7 million contracts. That's right. So after reading the script, he was underwhelmed. He quoted himself as saying, remembering, saying something like, what the hell is this? I'm not doing an action movie. Come on.

You could probably say it better. said in the accent. Come on. That hell is this. Apart from anything else, that wasn't the quote. I'm not doing an action movie. You sound like Nina Conti doing one of the... Oh, wow.

Like the ventriloquist comedian. You sound like you're throwing your voice. Only your lips are moving. Not bad. I got half the job done. Perkins doing half the job since 1990. Half the job of a ventriloquist is just talking. I think a lot of people, I'm doing that right now.

I'm doing half the job. I'm doing it well, man. You're going to laugh, Jess. Grow up. You turn on me so quickly. Yeah, fuck. That's like an homage to you. You're the quick turner.

I'm a quick turner. I've learned all my quick turning from you. So eventually, though, he was won over by what he said was the wittiness of the script. He quite liked it. I like the bit of witty. Yes, it is quite a witty. So bad. I mean, I,

Do you want to have a fucking go over there, man? No. You're doing your little British accent, which always sounds like a little... Yeah, but it's a generic one. We're talking about a recently deceased legend of stage and screen. And you're just... Oh, hold on a moment. The script is rather witty.

That was like he was alive again. I've changed movie. He also... Because it is... I will say it is a great action movie. Like, it is really great. You would read that script, I imagine and think, it's because it's funny. Yeah, but in his mind, he's like, I'm a theatre actor, an action movie.

What's he like in his mind? Sorry? What's he like in his mind? What's he thinking? Which bit? The bit I was about to say? Yeah. Come on, Matt, give it a go.

So he, so apart from the wittiness, he also really liked the positive and highly intelligent treatment of its black characters. Which he said last year in 2015, he said, so 28 years ago, that was quite revolutionary. And quietly so. There's two really strong. There's the limo driver, and then there's the sort of buddy cop that helps out Bruce Willis. Yeah, it's funny that that was revolutionary, right?

But I mean, it's not like, I don't know how far we've come since then, but yeah, that's amazing. Like, as a kid, whenever I watched it, I wouldn't have even thought twice about it, but if you knew, like, Alan did, he was keyed in. Alan knew all.

After accepting the role, he asked if he could make some changes to the character. I have some suggestions. I was thinking... I was thinking it sounds a little bit Sydney-Shytenbergish, right? Sydney. That was what Sydney was all about. I'm making suggestions. I think you made our accents, yeah.

No. I was thinking it when he... It is very strange for someone to get their first role in Hollywood and they'd be like, great, I would accept. But I have some suggestions. Yeah. Like, dude. Well, that's kind of like... Yeah.

Do they tell him that? Are you familiar with the movie? Sounds like you are. With die hard. Yeah, love it. One of my faves. You know how he wears a suit in the movie? Yes.

That was his suggestion. What was he going to wear? He was going to wear like just classic terrorist, like sort of that paramilitary sort of gear. Oh, he looks awesome in a suit. Yeah. He does. It totally, it was a great suggestion and it's awesome that I did it. But apparently he wrote a few notes down, like here's some ideas,

and he left it on the desk of the producer. And apparently, the producer, Joel Silver, responded by saying, get the hell out of here. You're aware what you're told. Oh, really? Yeah. Ben. But when he came back to the set, he was handed a revised script

with his suggested changes incorporated. Oh, wow. So they'd listen. I think that were just good ideas. Yeah. That would be annoying for a producer because you're like, You'd be like, damn, damn, I just told him to get out, but it is a good idea. It's like, that's the opposite of Shineberg, though, because his ideas were no good.

Some of them were. Some of them were. Lorraine? You should be naked. Should be naked in the movie. The kids love naked, okay? Chimps. Chimps are always good.

How about instead of a terrorist, a chimps got the building? No, he said no chimp. That was a good, he said, changed the chimp to a dog. That was a good suggestion. He changed the chimp to a dog and get that man a suit. I'd tell you what. But he wanted to call back to the future. Space man from Mars

No, it was Pluto Space man from Pluto Even worse Even worse I'm like this diehard I think it should be called Diehard in brackets Man for Pluto

I think it should be called I'm Sydney And another Probably the other big suggestion He made was he He got a whole new scene added to the movie Where he

You know the scene where he's Oh yes the American accent Yes he added that in So there's a scene There's a scene just where he is discovered by Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis.

John McLean. And so you see on his face for a half a second, he's like, fuck. But then he's like, all right. And he starts talking an American accent because he's a German terrorist. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're one of those terrorist guys, aren't you? And he sort of plays dumb. That was really good, Matt.

So you can do American, but it's not British or Sean Connery. Interesting. Well, no, I can do an Englishman doing American. An Englishman doing a German doing American. Yeah, that was very specific. I heard it. Yeah. I heard all of the facets.

I think that takes real skill. It does. Absolutely, it does. So, yeah, that was an awesome scene. I watched it again today. And did he just add that? So he suggested I can do an American accent. Well, I think he was, it was found that he could do a pretty convincing American accent.

And then he suggested that maybe he, he pretends that he's, um, he's a hostage. That was his suggestion, which he was really cool. Or other than just, anyway. Go watch the fucking movie, Jeff. No, I have said it. I don't have time. I don't have time to fuck around. Okay.

Yeah, no. Sorry, Matt. Yeah, no, it didn't mean any disrespect, mate. I'm just really enjoying your podcast and your friendship. He didn't like to be known as a great villainous actor. He once said that I don't play villains. I play very interesting people. Okay, well, to your own horn there, mate.

All right, mate. All right. We've all been to art college, okay. But I think that would just be like a lot of actors that achieve some success will get pigeonholed a bit. And he certainly is seen through that villain filter. I think when he died, you heard in a lot of the articles written about and were great villain actor and some of that. But that's a, oh man, I love a great villain.

They're awesome. They're super memorable. People aren't, I don't think anyone's being disrespectful, but it's still be like, oh, look, I can do other stuff. And he did. Like, he played a good guy in a bunch of movies, like, in Truly Madly Deeply. Love Actually, yeah. I mean, sort of.

Sense and sensibility. adultery. Dogma. Have you seen dogma? He plays the voice of God. I haven't seen it in ages, but I really liked it at the time. So Rickman featured in a few different polls over his years. He was rated in an Empire poll at number 34 in their poll for the 100 sexiest stars in film history.

34. Just, you made that noise. Is Ellen Rickman an attractive? Like, hunk-time? Yeah, someone about him. I mean, I'm a definitely mesmerizing voice. No, I'm happy for him to be on the list. I just thought, 34's great.

Yeah. You know who's number one? Yes, I am number one. No, he was, Alan Rickman was 34. Oh, sorry, that was... I know it's very hard to differentiate, but that was Sean Connery. Oh, I beg your pardon. Clearly.

Yeah, no, now that you say that, I can hear it. Yeah, okay. It's a slight dialect. Yeah, no, you're right, you're right. One's Scottish, one's English. Yeah. I call that a dialect. Yeah.

Fair enough. So number 34 sexiest ever. Yes. Sexiest man ever. In film history. So that was in 1995. Film history. He's featured in though.

They do those polls. It look like they do them nearly every year, I think. I think ever year to year is quite redundant. But yeah, but sure. Well, I mean, there's always new people coming in. In 2013, he'd slipped down a couple. 2013. Because he's a lot older by then.

He polled at number 40. But still, only dropped. Only dropped a little bit. And this is a quote from the, from his listing there. It said, you wanted to know why? This is kind of describing why. Please. World weariness, a biting wit, and a withering way with sarcasm.

Can it turns out be crazy hot. I don't know about crazy hot. Alan Rickman remains a perennial favorite in these boats. and that's because he's a classy gent. Sexiest role. If you like nice Alan, then truly madly deeply. If you prefer manic Alan, try Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Or for classy evil Alan, it has to be die hard.

Has to be. Has to be. In 1997, he was ranked at number 59 in Empire's top hundred movie stars of all time. In 1997, was it? Yeah. And he's only been in movies for less than. than nine years by that point. Yeah.

Amazing. He's really hit the big time. Has he? He's really skyrocketed. I mean, he's 51 by this time. So late bloomer, but a big bloomer. Big bloomer, they called him. Big blooms.

Big bloomer. Yes, I am quite a big bloomer. He was in a lot of, he played a lot of great roles. The big bloomer, for one. And he also, he also, he also. directed and co-wrote a film named the Winter Guest, if you know that. What time of year was that set in? Guest season, I imagine.

Yeah, guest. Let me have a look. Are you actually looking at all? I'm just looking up the plot here. Yeah, it was set. Oh, it doesn't say winter, but it says on a wintry day. Okay, yeah, now we can assume winter. Yeah, but if you say wintory?

Yeah, wintery or wintry? Winery. It says winery. I say wintory. Is that different? I'm just picking up on... I'm mispronouncing that. Wintery. Wintery. So, I mean, if you wouldn't say wintry... In winter. In winter, because it'd be like, yeah, just a normal day.

Sometimes on an autumn day that's particularly cold, you go, ooh, a bit of a wintry day. Yeah. Okay, so we don't know. So I'd say it's probably not winter. Lies. That'd be my guest. My guest. That'd be my winter guest. Galaxy Quest, that's a...

movie that came up a bit as I was reading about him. And where is that set? I haven't not seen him. What season? Let me have a look. And what's the objective of the main character? They're on some sort of quest or adventure. If you didn't say quest, that might have been funny, I guess.

Yeah, lead the jokes to me, mate. Yeah, leave him. I often do. The Jay and JP is the Joker. Joke Perkins. Joker Perkins. Jester. Jester.

I was already thinking about cutting all of that, but that's going to make it trickier. I don't know much about Galaxy Quest. Were you going to say something about it? No, no, I was just saying that I was wondering if you had it, because I haven't seen it, but apparently it's a really good movie. But then probably in the late of years, apart from movies like Love, actually, his biggest, best-known role was Severus Snape. and that was seen as a villain

but also like it was a real art because in the end he was seen to be He was a good guy Spoiler alert obviously Spoiler alert Great I love when people say that retroactively well done Retroactively

Well you say it after the alert You give the alert Once you've said the spoil Spoiler alert Dave's a dickhead Fact That is a fact That is yep that was retroactive

He also He directed and co-wrote a little chaos in 2015 and he's got he's still got one movie to come out posthumously posthumously uh alice through the looking glass where he uh voices absalom the caterpillar the what caterpillar the catapillar the caterpillar you nailed absalom but then stuffed is that right absalom abalom the caterpillar i think i got lazy after getting through absalom catapillar so that's yet to come out And that would be his final? That looks like...

Well, I mean, we think it'll be his final. We don't know what he'll do. Yeah, and he's been in a lot of stuff. Jess, sorry, no. There might be other things coming out. Zombie movies need zombies, Dave. Well... Hey, Jess, if you could just be...

Just sort of take the... I don't think I could ever do a recently deceased episode again because you just have not been immature enough for it. I have no respect for the dead. I bet Ciesel's glad he requested this topic. Oh my God. You know what I reckon? Sorry, Cicely.

Fuck him. Wait. The dead or Cicel? Yeah, fuck him. Fuck the dead. They're dead. No, I agree with that. Stay dead, dickhead.

I agree with that if we're talking about like you and me. But I don't, I think Alan Rickman's probably. Still dead. Yeah, you're probably right. He is probably still dead. Soaring above us. So Alan Rickman died of cancer on January 14th, 2016. statement was released by his family

confirmed that saying the actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69 he was surrounded by family and friends the pancreatic cancer was only discovered after a minor stroke in 2015 and Rickman only told his closest friends and family

so it was a big shock to a lot of people because he was still working yeah I was going to say I didn't know he was sick at all he directed that movie in 2015 wow yeah yeah and that his death, as you guys would have noticed, especially online, led to an outpouring of grief.

So I've got a few of the quotes from some people who knew him well. Harry Potter, author, J.K. Rowling, tweeted, there are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death. He was a magnificent actor and a wonderful man. My thoughts are with Rima and the rest of Alan's family. We have all lost a great talent. They have lost a part of their hearts. That's lovely, but that has to be two tweets.

I was going to say that was an incredible... Because I can't even finish a thought and a tweet. Sorry, yeah, that was two tweets. Okay, well you could have said that at the start, but... Okay. Okay. That was over two tweets in about a five minutes span of that. So if she took her a couple of moments to collect the second one as well.

She didn't just have him in the gun ready to go. No, I appreciate that. That's fine. Emma Thompson, who co-starred with Rickman seven times, said, his capacity to failure with a look or lift you with a word, the intransigence which made him the great artist he was, his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me,

and the fact that he never spared me the view, she said. He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being, and we shall not see his like again. Actually, I... That's very nice. Do you dislike Alan Rickman? Like, I'm just trying to figure out where... This attitude has come from today.

I have no respect. What if you just said? His tapes are already. No, just to speak. You know, this is going to be one of the podcasts that we put out on the internet. People are going to hear this? Yeah, I know. Do you have anything to say?

No. I miss Alan Wickman every day, just like we all do. Don't fuck with me on this one. Perkins is not on. All right, fun facts. You're going to finish off with some fun... After those dedications, you're going to bring things up. I do have respect for the dead.

So, this is... We just thought, you know, maybe bring it back up from the death to talk about some fun facts, things, interesting things about Alan Rickman's laugh. I was going to say the fun facts still have to do with Alan Rickman. Yes, not like puppies exist. That is fun. Oh, thank goodness. I mean, it is definitely a fact.

It's fun. I think it's fun. All right. I'd tell that at a party. All right. Well, see if you'll tell these Alan Rickman facts. Yeah, I'd love to know. So in 2008, this was from a BBC report. In 2008, a couple of researchers claimed to have designed a mathematical formula

that would help find the perfect human voice. The research was conducted by a linguist, Andrew Lynn, of Sheffield University, and sound engineer Shannon Harris. The study concluded that the ideal voice for males to be a mixture of Alan Rickman and Jeremy Irons. No mention of Morgan Freeman. No mention, no. Interesting. The pair worked out their formula based on the combination of tone, speed, frequency, words per minute and intonation.

They concluded the ideal voice should utter no more than 164 words per minute and pause for 0.48 seconds between sentences. Sentences themselves should fall rather than rise in intonation. You know when you hear about two people and it makes you feel like you're not wasting your life? Yeah, big time. That makes me feel so productive. But they also make me feel kind of bad for science because it's like, really? That's what we're spending our time on, but we still haven't cured cancer. Okay.

I found that quite interesting. I mean, maybe it's interesting that it happened, but they are two great voice as well. Jeremy Alain's also got a magnificent voice. It's no Rickman, but it's right. right up there. He was Disney's The Lion King's Scar. Ah, yes, of course. Another fun fact, that one definitely was.

I'm not even going to look to you just to find out. For the death plunge scene in Die Hard, you know, where he fell off or something. He actually, he didn't have a stuntman. He dropped the 20 feet onto an airbag against a green screen. Watching an air, you can sort of say it's a bit green screen, but it was quite a drop. Yeah, it's like that's six metres.

Yeah, it's quite a drop. apparently though the look on his face is actual fear as he was dropped on a count of two instead of three so one two yeah yeah and they did that on purpose apparently he would have acted the shit that's great they say they did it on purpose really that guy just dropped him and then he was like oh no I was doing it to help Alan's performance I am an artist so that's a fun fact makes a lot best boy key grip your dickhead yeah you got one One job.

You got one job and it's to have a good key grip. You dropped me. Still got my keys. Jing-d-jing-j-j-j-jinga. All right, well, you've done half your job. I'll dock you half a day's pay. Chim-a-ch-ch-ch-ch-k. Here's another fun fact.

He is 11 years older than Timothy Spall, 12 years older than Adrian Rawlins and Gary Oldman, 17 years older than David Thuleus. And 20, that's probably not right, and 21 years older than Jeremy. Geraldine Somerville. Nevertheless, the character that... Nevertheless, the character that the six of them play in the Harry Potter films are meant to be contemporaries and former classmates.

Ah. You play young. Gere. Well, it's the black hair, you know? When he's naturally salt and pepper, you go back to black, that takes ten years off easy. Yeah. You know? So...

All right, you just think it's the colour or the wig. It feels like to do his acting, does it? No, no. It's his hair colour. 90% of acting his hair colour. Dave, back me out. Yeah. And if they drop that hair on a two instead of a three count, wow.

You've lost 15 years. He's got an Oscar. Like onto his head. Yeah, just drop hair onto you. One, two. Oh my God, it's on my head. I wasn't ready for that. I thought I had one more second without this fucking uncomfortable thing on the head.

All right, so that's definitely a fun fact. I enjoyed it. I wasn't sure at first. I thought you were just listening other actors and how much older they were than he was. than he was. Same. And I thought, he is 1,946 years older than Jesus Christ.

Wow. Amazing. Wow, how is he still? Oh, he's not. Neither is Jesus. Dang. Had some respect for the dead. Sorry.

Just a couple more. Despite being author J.K. Rowling's first choice to play Snape in the Harry Potter films, apparently she actually even envisioned him when she was writing the character. No. That's cool. Apparently. That's cool.

Apparently. Yep, great. That's really cool. But he was only given the role in the movies after Tim Roth, who was the studios. After Tim Roth, who was the studio's preferred choice, backed out to star in Planet of the Apes. Good choice, Tim Roth. Your dickhead. Absolutely.

Yeah, that feels like an era. Career era. Absolutely. I think... It's weird. But I'm glad that he made that mistake. Yeah, totally. I mean, Rickman might have done something even better.

Planet of the Apes, for example. Something even better than even that. That was a series, though. I wonder if Tim Ross survive into the... What was the sequel called? The Beginning of the Planet of the Apes of the Apes of the... It adds like three Obdas in the title. So I reckon that is the most shit movie title ever.

And there's one called Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes of the Suck my dick. Yeah. I've never seen any of those sequels and I would never bother. Dawn of the Planet of the Gapes. I would never spend my time watching a movie called Dawn of the Planets of the Apes. It's like just fuck off. Yeah, just give up Tim Roth.

I would prefer to hang out with a bunch of accountants. Matt. Don't get it going. She's already feeling busy on this episode. We nearly lasted a whole episode. Sorry. That you bring up those gutter people. He couldn't commit.

That's funny. Couldn't hate on them enough. So, final fun fact, this is more of a sweet. I think there's kind of a, oh, no, I don't know. Rickman was only married once, and that was to Reema Horton in 2012. And I think that was only really discovered when he did an interview with Germany's build newspaper. when asked about his relationship, he replied, we are married.

Just recently, it was great because no one was there. After the wedding in New York, we just walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate lunch. It's just like totally secret. He only told people about it because they asked about it. There was no fanfare or anything like that. Pretty much did it in private. What a way.

That's great. What a boss. So I think that's kind of cool, but probably what heightens the interest there of that was that, so that was in 2012. they first met and started dating in 1965. What? And they were together the whole time.

Oh. What? Yeah. That's nice. For 50 years? Yeah, just about, yeah. Wow. So they were together for just over 50 years or maybe about 50.

All up, yeah. Yeah, about 50 years and we're only married for the last couple of years. Isn't that kind of sweet that? That is beautiful, Alan Rickman. She was even there during his graphic design days. Yeah. Yeah, she would have been supporting him when he was like, I'm 28, and I want to start studying acting now. And she was like, okay.

Aw. Yeah, so that's kind of... Love is real. Yeah, that melts even Jess's black. Icey cold heart. Rima, his widow, was a former Labour Party counsellor. And, yeah, so she's a career politician. And apparently, yeah, Rickman, not into that.

No, I'm just saying, what a life of these two. had. Yeah. And so I guess they saw each other go. Had. Cool. Because he's no longer living. Don't want to say that bit again?

Yeah, I don't know. I don't know how I'm going to feel about that at another time. Well, when I'm editing this, I'll be like, yeah, fuck it. Let's make Jess play the villain role. Uh-huh. As Alan would have wanted it all along. Oh. And now's for the Snape Twist.

I'm secretly a good guy. And I do have respect for him. And I miss him every day. I love a story of someone who sort of makes it in the second half of their life. It's like, yes, that's great. Because it gives you hope. Yeah, I just find that inspiring. And it's not like, and also that he didn't come from a career, a house with people in the film industry.

His dad worked at a biscuit farm. Growing biscuit from seed. Yeah, that's right. That's why Monte Colour is. so sweet. Yeah. But you know what I mean? Like he's a biscuit fun.

And he decided to just to make his own career and then, yeah. Oh, what a legend. What a legend. So good. Anyway, that's my report. I feel like I did not do the great man justice, but I'm sorry for the pandemic. Well, it's hard to sum up. It's very hard to sum up someone's life in about an hour, isn't it?

It is. It's especially a great life. Yeah. And, yeah, I mean, obviously 69 years jam-packed. And, yeah. we really just skimmed through it. But yeah, I just, I think he's a fucking legend. And, yeah, good on him.

Please, let's write. Could you start wrapping this up, Jay? So, well, I totally agree. I think he is a legend, 34th best actor of all time on my list. Don't ask me to name the first 33. Number one, Sean Connery. Yes, I am. So that one's the end of the episode.

Thanks so much, Matt. And that one was for Cecil. Thank you, Cecil. And also for Joe. Not for the first time for the topic There you go two topics in one Yeah And of course

For Alan And for Alan himself If you want to Us to do one of your Research one of your topics We always love getting them online At do go on pod on Twitter Do go on pod at gmail.com

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