Harry Potter Star Matthew Lewis Shares Heartwarming Alan Rickman Story

Matthew Lewis, the Leeds-born actor who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series, stopped by Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast to talk about his career, the pandemic, and all of the regular life and comedy stuff that Rosenbaum expertly pulls out of the guests on his lengthy interview podcast. Among the stories the actor shared from his time at Hogwart’s, though, one story in particular stood out, and it’s a sweet little anecdote about working with the late Alan Rickman. Rickman, who appared in movies like Die Hard and Love, Actually, played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, and was one of the only adult actors to appear in every installment of the film series.

Apparently, Rickman made a great impression on the kids who worked with him. According to Lewis, he went to visit Rickman as the actor was just about to complete principal photography on the franchise in the film’s last installment.

Here’s how Lewis tells the story:

“I went to his trailer. And I just said to him, ‘Hey, I know it’s your last day, and I just wanted to say this has been incredible, to have worked with you for this long. I know that we’ve not really spoken very much, but I just wanted to say it was because I terrified, but you were incredible… Thank you for allowing me to work with you for 10 years and not ever shout at me or treating any of us as anything less than your equal.’ And he was like, ‘Come on in.’ And he put the kettle on, and we had a cup of tea and we chatted about what I was going to do in my career moving forward and what he recommended I do.”

You can see the video below.

Whether it’s as a young costar or just as a fan of Rickman’s (and the Potter films), it’s hard to imagine not being pleased with how that interaction went.

Lewis has diversified his post-Potter career, appearing onstage as well as in film and television. Among the highlights, the actor appeared in 2012’s indie darling The Rise, 2016’s box office hit Me Before You, the crime dramas Ripper Street and Happy Valley; the ITV drama Girlfriends; and the Channel 5 television series All Creatures Great and Small, which is what he has been doing in 2020 and 2021 so far.