How Alan Rickman Influenced Snape's Wardrobe In Harry Potter
The "Harry Potter" universe has always been divided over their feelings for Severus Snape. Is he a bully? An antihero? Did he save Harry's life or just make it harder? The questions are endless. But if there's one thing any "Harry Potter" fan worth their salt will agree — it is that Alan Rickman utterly embodied him. From his deep, languid voice down to his very mannerisms, the late actor breathed life into the controversial character, so much so, it has been hard to despise him completely.
The actor's incomparable acting talent helped make Snape an enigmatic character and one of the most fascinating antiheroes of all time. Still, Rickman's performance isn't his only contribution to "Harry Potter." The actor helped develop Severus Snape as a character, and his opinions influenced the final costume — the flowing black robes worn by him on the silver screen.
Alan Rickman Thought Snape's Costume Should Have Buttons
Severus Snape exclusively wore black throughout the movies. He wore a deep gray, long-sleeved button-up coat with matching trousers and flowing black robes as a cape. His outfit rarely changed in the films — Snape occasionally set aside his cloak during classes, but otherwise, he has a pretty standard uniform in the eight-film franchise.
Now, Snape's costume does help him keep his reputation of being totally unapproachable, but it also makes him look a tad bit scary — at least to 13-year-old wizards and witches (I mean, he's Neville's boggart!). Alan Rickman himself influenced Snape's wardrobe and thought the character wore a lot of "buttons," per ScreenRant.
The actor helped the "Harry Potter" costume team design his character's clothing. He envisioned Snape buttoning up his coat a lot and wanted him to have tight sleeves. Alan Rickman hoped for the costume to be very transforming — he wanted to feel like a different person as soon as he put it on. So, Snape's coat features buttons running along the middle, from the collar right down to the waistline.
The costume department didn't change Snape's costume throughout the films, apart from making it slightly larger following the actor's return from vacation each year.
Alan Rickman might have portrayed the overbearing, almost-tyrannical figure in "Harry Potter," but in reality, the actor was the opposite on set. He is fondly remembered for pranking Daniel Radcliffe during filming, listening to music on his iPod while being seated in the Great Hall, and wearing his costume at all times — even during filming breaks.
Unfortunately, the actor passed away in 2016 after his battle with pancreatic cancer, devastating fans across the globe. He was paid a heartfelt tribute during the recent HBO Max "Harry Potter" reunion special. While fans have continued to miss Rickman's charming presence in their lives, his endearing spirit lingers on in the hearts of "Harry Potter" fans.