Colbert on Alan Rickman’s Death: The World Is Poorer for His Loss

COLBERT: “Before we really get into tonight’s show, there are a couple of things I need to get off my chest — aside from a fair amount of phlegm. I am not only sick, I’m also heart sick, because it has been a hard week of losing iconic British artists. David Bowie’s death shocked us on Monday, didn’t it? And this morning the news that Alan Rickman died made me cry. I’m not entirely sure why, but we all know him as Severus Snape, the unlikely heartbroken hero of the “Harry Potter” stories. But he was also great in “Galaxy Quest,” “Die Hard,” “Love Actually,” “Truly, Madly, Deeply,” “Sense and Sensibilty.” He played so many characters who we the audience could see lived on the threshold of letting those around him know how he felt, the ways that he was hurt and couldn’t reveal. That’s a rare and beautiful gift to share with an audience, and the world is poorer for his loss.”