10 Genius Ways Directors Got The Actor They Wanted

Though the late great Alan Rickman's Severus Snape would go on to become quite possibly the most compelling, complex, and unexpectedly beloved character ever to wave a wand in the Wizarding World, it wasn't simply a case of offering the star the conflicted role and throwing him straight into a jet-black robe.

Rickman was said to have been a tad reluctant to appear in the cinematic adaptations of J.K. Rowling's fantastical world, with Chris Columbus noting how the Die Hard and Robin Hood actor wasn't exactly over the moon about playing yet another apparent villain.

So, in a bid to get him thoroughly onboard the Hogwarts Express, after begrudgingly saying "yes", Rowling herself took Rickman out for a spot of dinner. It was here when the author revealed to the Snape star what his rather tragic character arc would actually entail, completely changing the way the actor saw and played the role.

In fact, it got to the point where Rickman would add little elements to his performance on set that made little sense to Columbus while filming Philosopher's Stone, only for the actor to quip "Oh, you'll know when you read the seventh book."