Harry Potter’s Tom Felton Reveals His Hilariously Sweet First Impression Of Late Co-Star Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman and Tom Felton as Snape and Draco looking at each other in Harry Potter
(Image credit: (Warner Bros))

This year marks an entire decade since the cast of Harry Potter said goodbye to the Wizarding World with Deathly Hallows Part 2. The cast is getting older and moving to their own projects away from the franchise, but they’ll always be part of the Harry Potter family. With this, they have the memory of the late Severus Snape actor Alan Rickman in their thoughts, and fellow House Slytherin Tom Felton recently reflected on his first impressions of the late actor.

Recently, Tom Felton took over Peacock TV’s TikTok to watch the first Harry Potter movie with fans and answer questions about the making of the movie. During the livestream, Felton was asked what it was like working with Alan Rickman during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and he offered his first impression of the late talent with these words:

Scary. He was the only actor I knew and [he was] terrifying in the most pleasant way, but very, very kind, wicked sense of humor. I met him when I was 12 so it took me a few years to have enough courage to say more than 'Hi.’

Makes sense. We are talking about Die Hard’s Hans Gruber here. Alan Rickman definitely had an intimidating aura about him in the Harry Potter movies that must have come to life on set too. Felton expressed feeling a bit “terrified” by him in his younger years, but later he started to appreciate him and likely had much deeper conversations than an awkward "hello."

(Image credit: (Warner Bros))

Alan Rickman is also quite well known for being a method actor, with other members of the young cast also expressing some intimidation from Severus Snape, including the film’s director, Chris Columbus. Rickman’s Snape has one of the most intriguing arcs in the Harry Potter series. The actor must have been a great mentor and figure to actors like Tom Felton on set, as the Draco star also remarked that working alongside him was a “real privilege.”

Tom Felton recently caught up with his Harry Potter “dad” Jason Isaacs, who hilariously called their house “Slotherin.” Isaacs, of course, played Lucius Malfoy and has since kept in touch with his movie son. Felton has been staying busy on the acting front, recently starring in Netflix’s A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting as the movie’s villain, and he has a number of dramas lined up for the near future.

Of course, the Harry Potter series won’t stay in the past foreve,r considering how massive of a property it is. We’ve heard word that HBO Max is in early development onf a TV show based in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. There's also the Fantastic Beasts franchise that's still underway and, during a recent studio meeting, WarnerMedia Chief Jason Kilar seemingly teased the arrival of more Harry Potter content in the near future.

But no matter where the movies (or rumored TV shows) go next, there will “always” be one Severus Snape, and that is Alan Rickman’s unforgettable adaptation of the character.

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.