Why Alan Rickman and His Wife, Who Were Together for More Than 50 Years, Never Had Children
Why Alan Rickman and His Wife, Who Were Together for More Than 50 Years, Never Had Children
Gillian TellingMon, June 29, 2026 at 2:10 PM UTC
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Alan Rickman (L) and Rima Horton attend the UK Premiere of "The Invisible Woman" at the ODEON Kensington on January 27, 2014 in London, England.Credit: Dave M. Benett/WireImage -
Alan Rickman's widow Rima Horton explained why the couple never had children, despite being together for over 50 years
She also talked about his friends coming to see him before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2016
She spoke of how he loved his Harry Potter character, but hated the long days on the sets of the films
Alan Rickman and his wife Rima Horton, who first met in 1965 when they were both at a youth drama workshop in London together in their late teens, remained together until Rickman's death in 2016 from pancreatic cancer.
In January, Horton gave an interview to the Times of London, 10 years after her husband died at age 69, about his career and his final days.
Recalling their early days at drama club together, Horton, a longtime academic and lecturer, said, “He was a bloody good actor. He stood out from an early age. He was always in a different league.”
Horton, who married Rickman in 2012 in a private ceremony after more than 40 years together, also told the outlet that the diagnosis had been a horrible shock to them both. "We had no idea," she said, adding that it was only discovered after Rickman underwent scans for deep vein thrombosis. He passed just months after undergoing chemotherapy for the cancer.
She recalled friends like Emma Thompson, coming to visit him at his hospital bed prior to his passing.
"She brought in a standing lamp and throws so that it didn't feel like a hospital room," Horton said. “I think he wanted to say goodbye to his friends and have it under his control. He even organised his own funeral because he didn't want it to be a mess.”
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Horton also told the outlet why the two never had children, saying it was a combination of “not wanting to and it being difficult with our careers. It wasn't a strong drive for either of us, I don't regret it,” she said.
RIMA HORTON AND PARTNER ALAN RICKMAN 06/15/1992Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Rickman and Horton always maintained a low-key relationship, but in 1992, the actor spoke to Elle magazine about his partner, saying, "We're just as messy and complex as any other couple, and we go through just as many changes. But I really respect her. Rima and I can sit in a room just reading, and not saying anything to each other for an hour, then she'll read something to me and we'll both start giggling."
Rickman, who first rose to fame playing villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard in 1988, later became beloved for playing Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise — a role Horton says Rickman loved, despite loathing the long wait times between takes on the massive film set.
Actor Alan Rickman on the set of the film, 'Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix', London, England, 2006Credit: Murray Close/ Getty
“Snape was a brilliant character and Harry Potter was an important part of Alan's life,” Horton told the outlet.
She added that he and Maggie Smith grew close on the set, and could complain to one another about the long shooting days.
“They always sat next to each other in the Great Hall scenes and Maggie was very, very funny,” Horton said. “She hated being there, hated having to do it, but luckily she had Alan next to her, so they could moan together.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
