Gary Oldman reveals Alan Rickman’s rare gesture for hospitalized children on ‘Harry Potter’ sets

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Gary Oldman is reflecting on his cherished memories with his late 'Harry Potter' costar Alan Rickman, recalling the actor's enthusiasm for the franchise and his efforts to share its magic with children.

Oldman, who played Sirius Black, discussed Rickman's legacy during an appearance at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where he recalled how the late actor made an effort to bring children, including those from hospitals, onto the 'Harry Potter' sets.

Gary Oldman recalls Alan Rickman's kindness on the 'Harry Potter' set

Oldman, 68, spoke about his bond with Rickman on Thursday, September 10, at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Rickman played the beloved anti-hero Professor Severus Snape at the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while Oldman portrayed Sirius Black in the film franchise.

“Alan was kind of like the cheerleader of it. He was into it, he was doing it, so he was with it and committed to it,” Oldman said while addressing a crowd at TIFF, per Entertainment Weekly.

'The Slow Horses' actor recalled that Rickman, who died at 69 from pancreatic cancer in 2016, regularly brought children to the 'Harry Potter' set to watch the actors film their scenes.

“He would bring them in from a school, he’d bring them in from the hospital, he’d bring friends and their kids in every single day for lunchtimes and things,” Oldman shared.

Rickman would also take the children on tours of the sets and introduce them to the actors. Oldman said the late performer understood how extraordinary it was to be part of the fictional world and recognized how much the films meant to young fans.

“He thought that was the most extraordinary thing, that he was in this world that he got to be in, come in every day, and that he knew how much it meant to these kids. So, he wanted to share it,” Oldman recalled.

The gesture gave children a chance to experience the world of Hogwarts beyond the screen, with Rickman making time to introduce them to the actors and show them around the sets. Oldman's recollection highlighted a lesser-known side of Rickman's time on the hugely successful franchise.

 Following Rickman's death, Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular Harry Potter, described him as “one of the greatest actors I will ever work with” and “one of the loyalest and most supportive people I’ve ever met in the film industry.”

Alan Rickman's legacy as Severus Snape

In January, Rickman's widow, Rima Horton, reflected on her husband's legacy on the 10-year anniversary of his death. Horton, 79, appeared on BBC Breakfast on January 27 to promote a charity prize drawing supporting Pancreatic Cancer UK in his honor.

“He had so much more to give. There were so many more things he could have done,” she said during the broadcast, per The Independent.

Rickman’s private diaries have also offered insight into his experience playing Severus Snape and his decision to remain in the franchise despite difficult circumstances. Excerpts published online by The Guardian revealed that he considered leaving the series in 2002, one month after the release of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.'

“Talking to [agent] Paul Lyon-Maris about HP exit, which he thinks will happen,” Rickman wrote in a December 4, 2002, entry. “But here we are in the project-collision area again. Reiterating no more HP. They don't want to hear it.”

However, Rickman ultimately decided to stay after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in 2005, before filming 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.'