Kevin Smith spoke about his friendship with late actor Alan Rickman after filming Dogmawhich became Smith’s fourth film. In the 1999 film Rickman played an angel named Metatron.who helped Bethany Sloane (Linda Fiorentino) stop the fallen angels Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon). The film also stars Chris Rock and Salma Hayek, as well as Jason Mewes and Smith as Jay and Silent Bob.
While talking with GQSmith said he was already a fan of Rickman because of his work in the original. Die Hard film where he played the villain Hans Gruber. While Smith was preparing for casting Dogma– the head of Miramax told him. that Rickman asked what the director was talking about Chasing Amy did the next one. Smith then cast Rickman as Metatron in the film. Read his report below:
Now, when I first watched Die Hard, I fell in love with Alan. I came to this theater to see Bruce Willis, I was a huge Moonlight fan, but I left wondering, “Who is this other guy?” So we showed up to do the movie, and one day John Gordon, our boss at Miramax, called me and said, “Bro, Alan Rickman just came in.” And I said, “Get out of here, hooray, mom, Hans Gruber, are you serious?” And he was like, “He was here, bro.” All he said was, “What does the guy who made Chasing Amy do next?” And I was like, “That’s me.” And he was like, “Yes.” So Alan joined us…
Smith also talked about how he became friends with Rickman. He said that before Rickman’s death in 2016, he thought the actor was just being polite to him because they worked together. The director said that whenever he was in England for a live performance, Rickman was there. Read his comment below:
“We became friends like I never realized until the very end of his life. Honestly, until he passed away. I always thought he was just being polite because we did Dogma together and all that. But he was genuinely interested in me and my family.”
Smith also shared one of his favorite behind-the-scenes memories of Dogmawhich included Rickman and Muse. While they were getting ready to film the scene in front of the church, Rickman and Muse had what Smith described as “tense conversation“ At the time, Smith wondered what the two actors said to each other. Rickman later told Smith that Muse was “a true American icon“
One of my favorite moments was on the set of Dogma, in that church in Pittsburgh, and I looked up on the church steps and there was Alan Rickman sitting next to Jason Mewes and they were having the most intense conversation. And I remember thinking, “What the hell can these two say to each other?” But Rickman was genuinely interested in Jason, he always said: “He is a true American icon.”
What Smith’s Friendship with Rickman Meant for Dogma
Smith often enjoys working with his friends on his films
Smith’s friendship with Rickman shows the type of relationships the director creates with his actors. In his films, Smith likes to collaborate with actors he has worked with before. This includes Mewes, Affleck, Damon, and Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson from his debut film. Clerks. Unfortunately, Dogma was the only Smith film in which Rickman appeared.. However, the fact that he and Smith continued their relationship after working on the film shows that Smith is the type of director that actors enjoy working with.
Our look at Smith’s friendship with Rickman
Smith went from fan to colleague and friend
Since Smith was already a fan of Rickman, the director must have been interested in working with him on the film. Dogma. Rickman’s attendance at Smith’s live performances also shows that the actor wanted to continue to support Smith in his career.
In his films, Smith’s characters often talk about franchises he is a fan of, such as superheroes and Star Wars. Throughout his career, Smith has cast other celebrities of whom he is a fan in his films. This includes Stan Lee in RatsMark Hamill and Carrie Fisher Jay and Silent Bob Strike Backand Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy in Yoga. In addition to bringing in celebrities, it allows Smith to pay homage to those who have greatly influenced him and influenced his desire to become a storyteller himself.
Source: GQ