Alan Rickman was born in Hammersmith, London to a working-class family. Rickman attended the Chelsea College of Art and made his way as a graphic artist in Soho. He received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) which he attended from 1972 - 1974. While there, he won the Emile Littler Prize, the Forbes Robertson Prize, and the Bancroft Gold Medal. Since then, he has been a constant presence on the British stage. A speech defect and an unusual tightness of his jaw have been credited with giving him his unique voice and line delivery.

more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Rickman Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.