By Alex Towers
Renowned English actor Alan Rickman visited Trinity College last fornight, where he treated a small audience to an interview with Myles Dungan. Rickman entered the packed theatre to rapturous applause before answering questions about his life and career.
When asked if his Welsh and Irish parents meant he had been given a “Celtic upbringing”, the actor responded, “Well yes, it was full of guilt”. Rickman also talked at length about his time spent studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, of which he is still heavily involved in.
The actor spoke about his portrayal of former Irish Taoiseach and President Éamon de Valera in Neil Jordan’s 1996 film Michael Collins. However Rickman revealed that he was disappointed with the portrayal of de Valera in the finished film and expressed disappointment over the films original ending, which showed de Valera expressing regret over not being able to stop Collins death being replaced “Julia Roberts in a wedding dress”.
The actor finished his visit with a few audience questions before being awarded an honorary patronage of the Dublin University Players.
