VIDEO : What Helped Alan Rickman to 'Get a Handle' on How to Play 'Severus Snape'?

One of Alan Rickman's most Iconic character was his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies.
Rickman had previously hinted in interviews that he spoke with J.K. Rowling at the start of the filming process in order to "get a handle" on how to play Snape ? something which undoubtedly helped him play the antagonist with a suitable level of complexity.

Rickman said in an RTÉ interview,
"She certainly didn't tell me what the end of the story was going to be in any way at all, so I was having to buy the books along with everybody else.
"No, she gave me one little piece of information, which I always said I would never share with anybody and never have, and never will."

In the aftermath of Rickman's death, a fan took to Twitter to ask Rowling what the information was.

And, not long after, Rowling revealed what she had told Rickman.
Rowling twitted, "I told Alan what lies behind the word 'always'. "
The famous quote, "Always", refers to a scene in the final book in which we discover that Snape was always in love with Harry's mother, Lily. Despite hating Harry's father and being consumed with bitterness, Snape's enduring love for Lily meant he felt bound to watch over and protect her son.