Juliet Stevenson on ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ co-star Alan Rickman: ‘A Complex Person’

Juliet Stevenson has shared her thoughts on her close friendship with the late actor Alan Rickman, describing him as a “complicated person” whom she likened to a “big brother”. Stevenson and Rickman were both nominated for Baftas for their performances in Truly, Madly, Deeply, the 1990 British fantasy drama centering on an interpreter mourning the death of her boyfriend.

Rickman passed away in January 2016 at the age of 69, following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He left behind a remarkable legacy as one of Britain’s most outstanding actors, with memorable roles in films such as the period drama Sense and Sensibility, the action film Die Hard, Dogma, Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy Love Actually, and the Harry Potter series.

In an interview with The Observer, Stevenson revealed that she hadn’t read her former co-star’s diaries, which were published posthumously. These diaries included Rickman’s personal reflections on his film and television colleagues, his friends, and the importance he placed on his work.

“I don’t know whether he wanted them published, but I just didn’t want to be involved in that world,” Stevenson said. She continued, “I know what my relationship with him was like. He was a complicated person, but like a big brother – he just picked me up and kind of looked after me, bossed me around, gave me notes endlessly, and taught me a huge amount.”

In a 2022 interview, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe remarked that it was “lovely and nostalgic” to read what Rickman had written about him in his diaries, which he had maintained since 1972. Radcliffe shared, “All the stuff that Alan wrote, it was very lovely and nostalgic reading his comments about us, being like, ‘These kids need to learn their lines, that’s kind of a nightmare right now’, all of that stuff.”

Radcliffe continued, “[It went] through to us meeting when I was over here doing a play and we met. It was very sweet to read all of that.”

The news of Rickman’s death brought a wave of tributes from other former co-stars, friends, and admirers. Kate Winslet, who starred with Rickman in Sense & Sensibility, remembered him as “warm and generous” during her speech at the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards. Colin Firth, who acted alongside Rickman in Love Actually and the 2012 heist comedy Gambit, also expressed his admiration.

Stevenson is set to star next in Reawakening, opposite Jared Harris and Erin Doherty. Directed by Virginia Gilbert, the film tells the story of a couple forced to confront old tensions when their daughter reappears after years of being missing as a teenager. Reawakening will be released in UK and Irish cinemas starting 13 September.