Internationally acclaimed stage and screen actor Alan Rickman, whose performances repeatedly generate the epithet "mesmerizing," was the first and only choice for the title role in Mesmer.  With his intense and meticulous approach to creating a character, Rickman devoted himself to the project, turning down other work for two years in order to play the 18th century revolutionary healer who so outraged the medical establishment of his time.

Born in London, Rickman studied graphic design at the Royal College of Art before entering the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal.  He performed with numerous British repertory companies, maintained a strong connection with the Royal Court Theatre, appeared  three times at the Edinburgh Festival and spent two seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where his performance as le Vicomte de Valmont in RSC's London and Broadway productions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses became a stage sensation, earning him a Tony nomination and catapulting his career on both sides of the Atlantic.

Not surprisingly, movies followed.  In Die Hard, his first Hollywood role, Rickman's unique interpretation of the villainous Hans Gruber garnered worldwide attention and set a chilling new standard for screen "bad guys."  He then captivated audiences everywhere with his engaging portrayal of the ideal, albeit dead, boyfriend in Anthony Minghella's Truly, Madly, Deeply and went on to win acclaim and a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor for his scene-stealing turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Subsequent film credits include starring roles in Closetland, Bob Roberts, the HBO film Rasputin, Michael Collins, Dark Harbor, and Judas Kiss.  Recently, Rickman has starred in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, Kevin Smith's Dogma,  Galaxy Quest, and the upcoming Never Better.

In 1997 Rickman made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed The Winter Guest.