Alan Rickman's journal reveals why he continued playing Severus Snape in 'Harry Potter' films

Excerpts from late British actor Alan Rickman's journal have shed light on his decade-long journey through the 'Harry Potter' franchise and why he decided to continue playing the anguished wizard and Professor Severus Snape in it.

According to sources, in the excerpts published in a British newspaper, Rickman shared entries about his desire to exit Harry Potter as Snape in 2002, one month after the release of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'.

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

Rickman's decision to remain in the franchise came in 2006, not too long after the actor was released from the hospital, where he received treatment for prostate cancer.

Doctors later decided to remove his entire prostate, with surgery occurring at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to a media report in an entry dated 30 January, 2006, following the surgery, Rickman wrote, “Finally, yes to HP 5. The sensation is neither up nor down. The argument that wins is the one that says, ‘See it through. It's your story’.”

He also penned his thoughts regarding Snape's death, "I have finished reading the last Harry Potter book. Snape dies heroically, Potter describes him to his children as one of the bravest men he ever knew and calls his son Albus Severus."

Further, Rickman also noted that he had always known about his character's unrequited love for Harry's mother, Lily Potter. "This was a genuine rite of passage. One small piece of information from Jo Rowling seven years ago - Snape loved Lily - gave me a cliff edge to hang on to."

The diary entries, which span 25 years of Rickman's life, will be published as a book, 'Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman', out on 4 October.

A media outlet previously reported that publishing house Canongate would release the book, set to feature stories from the sets of some of Rickman's most significant films and stage productions. The actor died from pancreatic cancer in 2016. He was 69.