The great thing about Marvel is: even if you’re exhausted with superhero movies (it’s okay, I am too) the franchise often sprinkles their mega fights and formulaic plots with thought provoking, empathetic character studies.
In the recent limited (or maybe not so limited) series “Moon Knight”, the hero Marc Spector has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a mental condition where a person has at least two or more distinct personalities. As with any piece of art made public, there has been criticism of the show, in particular of the accuracy of its portrayal of DID.
However, the negative feedback misses Moon Knight’s ultimate success: Marc’s story not only inspires compassion for mental illness, it also shows us that sometimes the biggest battle we face is simply loving ourselves entirely.
Warning: Spoilers for the series below!
For most of the show, Marc’s alternate personality Steven Grant is the primary protagonist. Until the penultimate episode, when we learn he was created by Marc to help escape his painful childhood.
After the tragic death of his younger brother, who drowned in a cave while the two were playing, Marc’s mother blamed him for the loss. Her resentment forced him to endure severe neglect, abuse, and cruelty while internalizing his own guilt.
While in reality DID is much more complex, “Moon Knight” does faithfully capture the healing made possible through opening up about our trauma and mental illness. As both characters face the truth together, both Marc and Steven are able to reconcile. In the end, they are no longer at odds—they become brothers.
In the final episode’s emotional climax, we see Marc, a man bestowed with magical fighting abilities, turn to Steven, the creation forged by his own suffering, and whisper:
“You are the only real superpower I ever had.”
In this hard won victory of self-acceptance; Marc’s heart becomes whole again.
In my personal life, I’m a practitioner of EFT, a healing modality that blends aspects of both psychotherapy and acupressure. In EFT, there’s a concept of “bringing love to the pain.” In a session with a coach, or by themselves, a person visualizes a traumatic memory from childhood. As they tap on their body—where trauma often gets stuck—they repeat phrases like “even though this happened, I still love and accept myself.”
The idea is that by repeating these positive phrases out loud while simultaneously releasing stored negative energy in the body, we can rewire our brains to stop repeating the same story associated with those memories. It might sound a little woo-woo, but there’s quite a bit of scientific evidence showing how effective EFT can be. Sometimes all it takes is genuine love and forgiveness for ourselves. It’s simple, but not always easy. Even Marc had to go through Egyptian Hell to achieve it.
Regardless of a mental health diagnosis, this is a universal challenge. How many of us can look into the mirror and truly love everything that we see?
For some, perhaps even for most, this is a lifelong process. But “Moon Knight” teaches is that self acceptance has profound benefits on our character.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.
Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
“JAW.” Cute, simple, straightforward. You can take any movie with a plural “s” and just remove it for a tiny chuckle. “The Avenger.” “Star War.” “Heather.” But the best responses make you think for a minute before the light bulb goes on and the belly laugh hits:
“The Postman Rang Once The One Time He Stopped By.”
“I for Vendetta”
“Malcom I”
“Jumanjus.”
That last one is a perfect example of why people are loving the responses to this prompt. “Jumanji” isn’t even plural, but applying the rule that gives us cactus/cacti and octopus/octopi, we get “Jumanjus.” Cleverly hilarious.
Some adjustments are just so silly, you can’t help but laugh, like “Indiana Jone.” Many of them use animal groups (pride of lions, murder of crows, school of fish) that you have to decipher or stretch your logic to break down things we don’t think of as plural (wall to brick, wind to air molecule, corporation to sole proprietor). And “I for Vendetta” and “Malcolm I”? Perfect. (As one person said, we don’t have enough Roman numeral humor in the world.)
People loved seeing how creative others were in their responses:
“This thread is for the ‘pleasure to have in class’ kids only and I love it. 😂”
“Gods everyone is so much smarter than me. I’m just over here trying to think of titles ending in S.”
“I’ve never been more ok with everyone been smarter than me. 😂”
“I cannot read this thread while my partner is trying to sleep beside me. I am SHAKING the bed, laughing.”
Why do people find these depluralized titles so funny, though? Likely the same reason we delight in puns and spoonerisms. Wordplay tickles our brains and our funny bones.
As neuroscientist Dean Burnett shared with BBC Science Focus, “Humor is essentially our brain going ‘This isn’t how things usually work… but I’m okay with it!’”
Burnett explains that humor happens in our brains when there’s incongruity between what we expect to happen and what actually happens and we resolve that incongruity.
“Basically, thanks to these complex systems in our brains, humour can be derived from things being surprising, unexpected or wrong in some form, as long at it’s resolved, without negative consequences,” he writes.
That’s essentially what’s happening when we see a familiar movie title altered in a way that we don’t expect but that ultimately makes sense. Whatever the humor trigger, it’s so fun to have so many people enjoy some wordplay together.
In 1969, the Juggy Sound Studio in New York City was forever changed. It was that year and place that Led Zeppelin recorded (at least part of) their album Led Zeppelin II, with the song “Ramble On” its 7th track. The song, co-written by front man Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page (who also produced the track), has remained a staple in their extraordinarily rocking catalogue for over half a century.
So when Robert Plant, at the ripe young age of 77, casually strolled onto the set of The Late show with Stephen Colbert and flawlessly belted out the song, fans sure noticed. Yes, his face has more wrinkles – time will do that to a person. But it’s time itself that made the lyrics to this particular song all the more meaningful.
“Like he wrote it this morning”
Guitar Gods Unleashed took to X to share the video, writing “’Ramble On’ is 56 years old, and Robert Plant just walked onto The Late Show and made it sound like he wrote it this morning.”
The comments are so fitting for such a powerhouse performance. One X-er notes that some rock stars age. But Robert Plant? “You see the aging rock star trying to replay their youth, then you have Robert Plant being Robert Plant, and it rivals the original from a half century ago. Just incredible.”
Lord of the Rings
Another points out the lyrics, which reference J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular book series turned movies, Lord of the Rings. “I like that ‘Ramble On’ has Lord of the Rings references from back when Robert was reading the book series. I had no idea what Lord of the Rings was back when I first became a fan of the song, but eventually I said, “wait…did he mention Gollum and Mordor?”
In a piece for Far Out Magazine, Jack Whatley discussed the fact that many bands are influenced by authors. “The singer used moments throughout the lyrics to express his connection; lines like ‘the darkest depths of Mordor’ and ‘Gollum and the evil one’ are both doffs of the caps to the writer. Many artists have made references to great literature in their time; whether it is The Beatles and C.S. Lewis’ influence on ‘I Am The Walrus’ or The Cure’s nod to Albert Camus.”
The lyrics
The lyrics are so hauntingly beautiful and even more impactful now that Plant is older.
“Leaves are fallin’ all around It’s time I was on my way Thanks to you, I’m much obliged For such a pleasant stay
But now it’s time for me to go The autumn moon lights my way For now, I smell the rain, and with it, pain And it’s headed my way
Ah, sometimes I grow so tired But I know I’ve got one thing I’ve got to do
Ramble on And now’s the time, the time is now Sing my song I’m goin’ ’round the world, I gotta find my girl
On my way I’ve been this way ten years to the day I’m gonna ramble on Gotta find the queen of all my dreams
Got no time for spreadin’ roots The time has come to be gone Though our health, we drank a thousand times It’s time to ramble on
Ramble on And now’s the time, the time is now Sing my song I’m goin’ ’round the world, I gotta find my girl
On my way I’ve been this way ten years to the day I’m gonna ramble on Gotta find the queen of all my dreams
I ain’t tellin’ no lie
Mine’s a tale that can’t be told My freedom I hold dear How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air
‘Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair But Gollum and the evil one Crept up and slipped away with her, her, her, her, her, yeah
And ain’t nothin’ I can do, no I guess I’ll keep on
Ramblin’, I’m gonna say Sing my song, I’ve gotta find my baby I’m gonna ramble on, sing my song Gonna work my way, gonna ramble on Gonna ramble on, yeah-yeah”
Another fan shares their thoughts on just how brilliant the performance was. “To craft a new arrangement of a rock classic – a completely new composition – centered around the limitations your aging 80-year-old voice… and create something still so artistic and beautiful… it’s why this man is on the shortest of short lists of the best front men of all time.”
CNN had created a remembrance video for the Back to the Future star, titled “Remembering the life of Michael J. Fox.” Now, it’s fairly standard practice for news outlets to make these sorts of posthumous tributes in advance. But publishing them before the celebrity actually passes away? Not so much.
And yet, on Tuesday, April 7, that’s what happened. But when Fox saw the accidental announcement of his death, he met it with a bit of philosophical humor.
On Threads, Fox wrote, “How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death? Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding hot water on your lap, if it hurts your fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she’s concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, (E) Ask yourself wtf ?”
@realmikejfox Threads
Ending with just a dash of self-deprecation, he concluded, “I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me and I’m ok. Love, Mike.”
As to be expected, fans were quick to “yes and” Fox’s sense of humor.
“Go outside and ask the first person you come across: ‘Can you see me?’ Glad you’re ok btw!” wrote one person.
Meanwhile, actor Kathy Griffin quipped, “You’re a helluva ghost.”
In CNN’s defense, the tribute, however premature, did respectfully honor Fox’s legacy not only as a beloved actor, but also as an active Parkinson’s advocate.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the narrator in the now-deleted video said of Fox: “He came into our living rooms on the small screen each week as Alex P. Keaton [on Family Ties] and eventually onto the big screen as Marty McFly in [Back to the Future]. But Michael J. Fox had a compelling third act as a Parkinson’s sufferer and stem cell research advocate.”
“His most lasting role may have been as a tireless voice against Parkinson’s, a performance the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2022,” the clip went on. “In the end, Fox came to understand that his battle against the disease brought out the best in him.”
A CNN spokesperson also stated: “The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”
On Wednesday, Fox’s rep assured TMZ that “Michael is doing great.”
So great, in fact, that he was out and about in Los Angeles speaking on a panel for the Apple TV series Shrinking, in which he filmed a three-episode guest arc playing a character who also deals with Parkinson’s disease. The guest spot marked his first on-screen appearance since 2020. Harrison Ford, who also plays a character with Parkinson’s on the show, regarded Fox as “an extraordinarily powerful person” after meeting and working with him on set.
So, Michael J. Fox is still kickin’. And he’s still meeting each moment with a tremendous amount of humility and humor, lifting our spirits as he does it.
As the music began, no one knew what the apparatus made of poles and bars surrounding the dancers was for. But it soon became apparent that they would use it to lift themselves off the ground. What started with a simple pull-up, however, turned into an incredible synchronized dance to Justin Bieber’s “Where Are U Now” in which the dancers synchronized their movements without their feet even touching the ground.
AIRFOOTWORKS dancing to Justin Bieber on AGT
The dancers, who hail from Japan, were mentored by Kenichi Ebina, who won AGT Season 8 in 2013. Their performance earned them a standing ovation from all four judges and the audience.
“Everything about the performance was perfect,” said judge Sofia Vergara.
“It was so creative and so different—and so difficult, by the way,” said judge Simon Cowell. “So you have a great mentor. However, even if you’ve got a great mentor, you’ve still got to be able to do what your mentor helps you to do. And you did it immaculately.”
AGT fans agree with the judges
People in the comments were equally blown away.
“How do people find out they have talents like this??? ✋ “
“My toxic trait is thinking I can do this without any difficulty .”
“Insane core strength.”
“OBSESSED with this audition.”
“What kind of core strength is this… flawless, “
Many people were disappointed that none of the judges hit the Golden Buzzer.
“Why no Golden Buzzer?!?!?! If I’ve seen any act more deserving of it, I can’t recall. These guys were AWESOME!!!!!!!”
“Did they run out of golden buzzers? This is worthy.”
“THEY DESERVED THE GOLDEN BUZZER!”
“This performance absolutely deserved a golden buzzer. It was just spectacular.”
“Can only assume all the judges were so enthralled and mesmerized by this performance they forgot there was a golden buzzer.”
The ‘Golden’ performance
AIRFOOTWORKS did, in fact, earn a Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel during the Quarterfinals sending them directly to the finale, where the group performed to an EDM mix by Steve Aoki. While they didn’t receive enough votes to win the entire competition, they have certainly earned AGT royalty status.
Since their AGT run, AIRFOOTWORKS have continued to take the world stage – reaching the finals of talent competitions in France and Italy, and performing at the Royal Variety Performance in the UK.
For more talent auditions, you can follow America’s Got Talent on YouTube and TikTok.
This article originally appeared 2 years ago. It has been updated.
Odds are you’ve heard Wally de Backer, aka Gotye, and his song “Somebody That I Used to Know.” It’s the Australian musician’s biggest commercial hit, selling more than 20 million copies since its release in 2011, making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. Not to mention it inspired several amazing covers, which you might have also stumbled upon.
The music video, in its poignant simplicity, is every bit as iconic. Gotye stands naked facing the camera, as featured singer Kimbra faces him. As they sing, they are slowly “painted” into and out of the background of geometric shapes using stop motion animation. There’s a very Wes Anderson feel to it that adds so much to the story told in the song, making it all the more memorable.
This dance troupe was up to the task
All this to say…it would be a challenge to recreate the magic that’s so inherent in the original. And yet, Netherland-based dance troupe CDK clearly understood the assignment with their highly stylized movement performance set to the well-known art pop ballad.
As thousands of viewers were quick to note, it’s not just the incredible dance moves that made this performance so captivating. It’s the killer combination of choreography, camerawork and costumes that make the piece impossible to turn away from.
“This is pure art,” one person wrote. While another added, “I think I’m going to watch it everyday for the rest of my life.”
Watch CDK’s Stunning Performance Here
This group is clearly at the top of their game, simply by how easy they make it all look (like, I’ve already convinced myself that I can pull off those moves). But what’s more evident is that they enjoy what they’re doing to the nth degree. Over on their Instagram page, you’ll find equally mesmerizing routines set to Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, and more.
1: Gotye allows small independent projects, like student films—and probably this dance piece—to use his music free of charge. “If someone wants to use it commercially I look at what the budget is and the creativity of the project,” he said, according to News.com.
2: CDK isn’t the only group to have recently breathed new life into the song. Also in 2024, an electronic remix of the song titled “Somebody (2024),” created by electronic music producers Chris Lake, Fisher, and Sante Sansone, debuted. Much like its predecessor, “Somebody (2024) topped the charts.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
During an episode from the latest season of Love on the Spectrum, Netflix’s heartwarming, critically acclaimed reality series that follows autistic individuals navigating the complexities of relationships, two fan favorites—Madison Marilla and her now fiancée, Tyler White—shared a moment that many couples face regardless of neurodivergence: emotional triggers.
As the two approached their date location, a fan can be heard saying, “Maddie! I love you!” This visibly affected Marilla, who explained that her autism causes “black and white thinking.” So hearing a nickname, like “Maddie,” causes her to feel “anxious and thrown off.” In fact, she noted it’s one of her “biggest sensitivities.”
In an Instagram post, marriage counselors Chris & Jamie Bailey break down how the couple’s handling of the situation was a prime example for anyone who witnesses their significant other getting triggered.
Chris and Jamie noted that in the clip, White stayed calm, moved towards Madison, validated her feelings without judgment, stayed present in the situation, listened to understand, and then, after Madison was able to express herself, he reassured her that they are a team and that he is there for her.
And for her part, Madison “chose to process what was happening instead of reacting.” She also reminded herself that “it was going to be ok” and “moved forward” rather than ruminate.
All relationships deal with triggers
While relationships involving autism or other forms of neurodiversity have their own unique set of challenges, Chris and Jamie noted that every couple will at some point face triggers. When that happens, each partner has a “responsibility.” The triggered person is responsible for their emotional regulation, while the non-triggered person is responsible for offering support. Both Tyler and Madison exemplified what can go right when each partner takes on their individual responsibility—especially staying present.
“What couples often miss is the simplicity of just remaining with your spouse during a trigger, “ Chris and Jamie added.
Judging by the comments, the Baileys were clearly not the only ones who felt Madison and Tyler offered a “masterclass in emotional regulation and communication.”
“This was incredibly impressive. The way she worked through a trigger, the way he supported her and validated it. Well done everyone. We could all learn from this. ❤️”
“Responding before reacting is something every single person I’ve ever met has struggled with. I love how hard she’s working to stay aware of her mind, heart and body and how best to keep them regulated in these really difficult situations.
“This was such an incredible thing to witness. I’m so grateful for Madison’s ability to be vulnerable through this and to allow the world the opportunity to learn from her 😭 I needed this today!
“These two humans are pure good. They totally get each other and provide such a safe space.”
“I love that Tyler didn’t even try to hug her or touch her and he let Madison’s nervous system calm down first. Full respect!!”
Expert-backed methods for dealing with emotional triggers in a relationship
For your own triggers, awareness is the first step. Many people notice physical cues before anything else. It might be a racing heart, a tight chest, or a sudden urge to withdraw or lash out. Naming what is happening, even silently, can help create space between the feeling and the reaction. Simple grounding techniques, like slowing your breathing, focusing on your senses, or giving yourself permission to pause, can make a meaningful difference. Just as Madison demonstrated, reminding yourself that the moment will pass can help shift your nervous system out of alarm mode.
When it comes to supporting a partner who is triggered, the goal isn’t to fix the feeling, but to help create safety. That often looks like staying calm, listening without interrupting, and validating what they are experiencing, even if you do not fully understand it. Avoid rushing them, minimizing their reaction, or immediately offering solutions. Instead, gentle reassurance and presence can go much further than advice.
Of course, this kind of mutual support works best when both people are willing to take ownership of their emotional patterns over time. Conversations outside of triggered moments can help partners learn each other’s sensitivities, boundaries, and preferred ways of being supported.
As Madison and Tyler remind us, when both people are willing to meet each other with awareness and care, even the most uncomfortable moments can become opportunities for deeper connection.
It seems like at least once a year, the debate over BMI (body mass index) resurfaces. Experts are quick to point out that it’s a flawed system: at best, it ignores key factors that shape a person’s body composition; at worst, it creates real health consequences, influencing eligibility for weight loss medications, insurance rates, joint-replacement surgery and fertility treatment. Then the conversation fades, life moves on and not much changes.
And yet, despite the constant debunking, the belief in BMI still marches on. This time, it was hurled at the USA rugby star and Olympian Ilona Maher. More specifically, someone commented “I bet that person has a 30% BMI” on one of Maher’s TikTok videos.
Could this person have simply been pointing out the inherent flaw of BMI and that Maher, an elite athlete, would be considered “overweight” using this system? Perhaps. But this is the internet we’re dealing with, so Maher (and others) interpreted it to be an insult.
Under that context, Maher wasn’t having it, and chose “not to just ignore the haters.”
“Hi, thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact. I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be exact,” Maher said in response video…which became something of a roast itself.
Maher talked about how she had been considered “overweight” her entire life, and even recalled being “so embarrassed” to turn in a physical form to the office which had “overweight” written on it.
“I chatted with my dietitian, because I go off facts, and not just what pops up here. You know, like you do.” she quipped while tapping her temples.
What the numbers actually tell us
Maher is 5-ft.-10-in. and 200 lbs, which is considered “overweight” by BMI standards. But as she explained, about 170 of those 200 pounds are “lean muscle mass.”
“Do that math in your head…you probably can’t,” Maher said sarcastically.
It’s easy to see through this example how bogus BMI really is, especially for athletes.
Essentially, “BMI doesn’t tell you what I can do.”
“It doesn’t tell you what I can do on the field. How fit I am. It’s just a couple of numbers put together,” she said. “It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have, or anything like that.”
Maher concluded by faux lamenting, “I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight. But alas, I am going to the Olympics, and you’re not.” Maher went on to win a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The U.S. women’s rugby team with First Lady Jill Biden and members of the U.S. delegation to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games The White House/Public Domain
Why This Hit Home for So Many People
While Maher’s clapback was certainly satisfying, it also provided some much needed reassurance to folks. So many commented on how this outdated concept has affected (or still effects) their own body image or that of a loved one.
“How can I get my teenage daughter with a high BMI (but fit!) to understand this?! She feels shamed even at the doctor for her BMI.”
“Dancer here, I’ll never forget at 13 being told I had the BMI of 24 of ‘overweight.’ I broke down and the nurse said it didn’t mean anything and all I could think was then WHY are you making me do this?!”
A registered dietitian explains why BMI is so flawed. YouTube
“I had to ask the doctor’s office to put a note on my child’s file to not bring up/talk about BMI in her check ups. It isn’t an accurate representation of health!”
“Thank you for sharing your weight, bc seeing lbs numbers in different bodies has been so helpful in me loving mine. I’m nowhere near an athlete’s body but damn, the numbers really do us in.”
Until a more affordable solution pops up, BMI will continue to rear its ugly head in doctor’s offices and in our psyches. Maybe this is a reminder that our bodies are so much more than height and weight every now and again is a good thing. And if it comes from an Olympian…even better.
Maher also shut down any notions that her BMI was high due to anything other than muscle with a Sports Illustrated cover shoot in August of 2024. Um, yeah.
Actor Alan Rickman gave us so many memorable characters, from the terrorist Hans Gruber in Die Hard to the oft ill-tempered antihero Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, to the unfaithful husband who broke Emma Thompson’s heart in Love Actually.
Though he was often cast as a villain, Rickman’s distinctive voice and irresistible screen presence made audiences love him. He brought a unique human touch even to his most odious bad guy characters, a quality that makes perfect sense when you hear Thompson, his friend and co-star in seven films, talk about his character in real life.
In a moving tribute upon the release of his diaries in October 2022, Thompson shared insights into the virtues and quirks that made Rickman “blissfully contradictory.”
Alan Rickman signing autographsu00a0at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, January 2011. Photo Credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen via Wikimedia Commons
Thompson is at the top of her award-winning writer game here, and her words about Alan Rickman are filled with heart, wit, respect, admiration and love. It’s truly a eulogy for the ages.
Watch (or read the full transcript below):
People love Thompson’s tribute to her friend and some have even shared their own stories of their encounters with Alan Rickman:
“A close friend of mine bumped into him in a theatre in London many years ago. My friend instantly recognised Mr Rickman and from nowhere, instantly found the courage to ask him for his autograph. Having neither pen nor paper for this, he asked Mr Rickman if he would mind waiting a moment whilst he collected the items from somewhere, anywhere! The moment became at least 10 minutes or so, and when my friend ran back to a now empty theatre foyer, he noticed one solitary figure. Mr Rickman had waited patiently for my friend to give him what he asked for.”
“I was lucky enough to work with him on a film. At lunchtime I joined the line for a meal and as I payed and went to turn to look for a table, someone knocked into me from behind and my drink went flying. I turned and it was Alan, he apologized put his hand on my shoulder and said let me get you another. He came back with a cup of tea and I was so overwhelmed. I was shocked how he was so down to earth and a real gentleman.”
“I meet him once in Boots and said hello, he realised it was a reflex to recognising a known face. He picked up an item we both were looking at, smiled and said “well hello there are we going to arm wrestle for this?” That deep tone rendered me mute, I realised it was Mr Rickman and instantly denied needing this forgotten thing, apologised for well nothing really, smiled and backed away. He was a giant of a fellow on and off the stage and will be missed.”
“Everything she said is true. I was fortunate to have dinner with him and his wife and his drama teacher. He was charming and friendly and shared some great ideas about directing, which I use today in my theater group. He is missed by many.”
Indeed he is.
Here’s the full transcript of Thompson’s tribute:
“The most remarkable thing about the first days after Alan died was the number of actors, poets, musicians, playwrights and directors who wanted to express their gratitude for all the help he’d given them. I don’t think I know anyone in this business who has championed more aspiring artists nor unerringly perceived so many great ones before they became great. Quite a number said, latterly, that they’d been too shy to thank him personally. They had found it hard to approach him. And of all the contradictions in my blissfully contradictory friend (hold on, Thompson), this is perhaps the greatest this combination of profoundly nurturing and imperturbably distant.
He was not, of course, distant. He was alarmingly present at all times the inscrutability was partly a protective shield. If anyone did approach him with anything like gratitude or even just a question, they would be greeted with a depth of sweetness that no one who didn’t know him could even guess at. And he was not, of course, unflappable. I could flap him like nobody’s business and when I did he was fierce with me and it did me no end of good.
He was generous and challenging, dangerous and comical, sexy and androgynous, virile and peculiar, temperamental and languid, fastidious and casual, the list could go on. I’m sure you can add to it. There was something of the sage about him, and had he had more confidence and been at all corruptible, he could probably have started his own religion.
His taste in all things from sausages to furnishings appeared to me anyway to be impeccable. His generosity of spirit was unsurpassed and he had so much time for people I used to wonder if he ever slept or ever got time for himself. A word not traditionally associated with Alan is gleeful, but when he was genuinely amused he was absolutely the essence of glee. There would be a holding back as the moment built, and then a sudden leaning forward and a swinging around of the torso as a vast, impish grin flowered, sometimes accompanied by an inarticulate shout of laughter. It was almost as if he was surprised by himself. It was my life’s mission to provide those moments. I remember Imelda Staunton nearly killing him by telling him a story about my mother and an unfortunate incident with some hashish—it’s a really good story, I won’t tell it now—I’ve never seen him laugh more before or since. It was a bit like watching someone tickling the Sphinx.
One Christmas Eve party I had a sprig of mistletoe hanging up at home, and I was loitering under it and turned to find Alan bearing down on me. I lifted up my chin hopefully. He smiled and approached. I puckered. He leaned in under the mistletoe and a sudden change came over his face. His eyes started to glitter and his nostrils to quiver. He lifted up a hand, reached in, and pulled a longish hair out of my chin. ‘Ow!’ I said. ‘That’s an incipient beard,’ he said, handing me the hair and walking off.
That was the thing about Alan—you never knew if you were going to be kissed or unsettled, but you couldn’t wait to see what would come next. And the trouble with death is that there is no next. There’s only what was, and for that, I am profoundly and heartbrokenly grateful. So the last thing we did together was change a plug on a standard lamp in his hospital room. The task went the same way as everything we have ever done together. I had a go. He told me to try something else. I tried. It didn’t work, so he had a go. I got impatient. I took it from him. I tried it again. It still wasn’t right. We both got slightly irritable, then he patiently took it all apart again and got the right lead into the right hole. I screwed it in with a screwdriver. We complained about how fiddly it was, and then we had a cup of tea. Took us at least half an hour, this thing, and he said after, ‘Well it’s a good thing I decided not to become an electrician.’
I’m still heartbroken that Alan’s gone, but these diaries bring back so much of what I remember of him. There is that sweetness I mentioned, his generosity, his champion of others, his fierce, critical eye, his intelligence, his humor. He was the ultimate ally in life, art, and politics. I trusted him absolutely. He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again.”
