Gary Oldman says Alan Rickman brought kids to Harry Potter sets every day
Gary Oldman says Alan Rickman brought children onto the Harry Potter sets every single day. He shared the memory on Thursday at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, according to Variety.
Oldman was speaking during a festival appearance in September, as noted by AOL. The conversation turned to Rickman, his former co-star. Oldman spoke with clear affection.
Oldman said Rickman would bring in kids from a school and from a hospital, according to Variety. Friends arrived with their own children too. They joined him for lunchtimes. Every day. He then led the young guests on organised tours of the sets, showing them where the cast and crew worked.
For anyone who has never been on a working film set, that access is unusual. Sets are closed workplaces. Hours are long, space is tight, and lunch is often a brief break in a busy day. Rickman made that break open to visitors.
Oldman played Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films, while Rickman portrayed Severus Snape in all of the films, according to Variety. That meant long stretches together on the same productions. Oldman described Rickman as “kind of like the cheerleader” of those productions, according to SYFY.
He recalled that Rickman often brought children to watch the actors film, as reported by People. No special occasion was needed. The visits were part of the routine. The children could sit nearby and see how scenes were put together.
Rickman died on Jan. 14, 2016, following a battle with cancer, according to Variety. He was 69 and died of pancreatic cancer, according to Yahoo. Oldman’s reflection in September 2026 came 10 years after that death, as noted by Yahoo.
What makes this stand out is the consistency. Not a single visit. Not a publicity event. A daily habit of making room for children in the middle of a major film production.
