‘He was my protector’ Ruby Wax praises late friend Alan Rickman for ‘saving’ her career

Actress and comedian Ruby Wax has hailed the late Alan Rickman as her “protector” in a new interview. Speaking about her late friend who tragically died in 2016, the mental-health campaigner, 68, explained how the Harry Potter star turned her from a “c**p” actress into a comedian after “mentoring” her over the course of their friendship.

The duo worked together at the Royal Shakespeare Company and even lived together in Stratford while they were forging their careers as actors.

Reflecting on the late actor, Ruby hailed him as her “protector” as well as her teacher.

Speaking about Alan, she said: “He was hilarious.

“He was my mentor and he taught me how to do comedy.

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She continued: “Alan Rickman who saved me from my parents, but don’t make me talk about him, cause I’ll get upset… I would be put away if it wasn’t for him.

“When my parents would come, he’d stand between us literally and keep them talking and say, she’s not a loser, she’s really talented, he defended me for 30 years.”

Wax admitted he was the first person to notice she had talent and took it upon himself to give her acting training.

The star recalled: “He was the first one, I think, that said, ‘You’ve got talent. You don’t have it now but I could teach you’. So he taught me for 30 years.”