The Simpsons (and Benedict Cumberbatch) created the perfect tribute to Alan Rickman and David Bowie
Before this sad week, probably not a lot linked Alan Rickman to David Bowie, besides their shared genius and country of origin. While the world has been mourning the loss of these two towering figures to that bastard, cancer, it turns out that, through a third beloved British star, the two have been linked longer than we thought.
In 2013, Benedict Cumberbatch made an appearance on The Simpsons, for a bit that included a play on not one but two Alan Rickman films. In a Valentine’s Day episode, Homer and Bart watch a movie called Love Indubitably which greatly resembles the Love, Actually. In a dramatic scene where the Prime Minister admits his feelings for his secretary, Eliza Commonbottom, the two embrace, and none other than Severus Snape pops up in the foreground to proclaim, “Love is more powerful than all my magic.” Cue British flag waving, dancing, and- this week, maybe some misty eyes.
Cumberbatch is known for his impression of the deep-voiced actor, so his portrayal of Rickman in a Simpsons episode isn’t that surprising. What does feel a bit more unusual is the use of the music that accompanies the movie-within-a-show: a cover of David Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes.” The nostalgic song is used to back both the romantic moment and a Full Monty inspired dance by Winston Churchill, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes (another Cumberbatch nod), and…Isaac Newton? Oh yeah, then the Tardis shows up. This is all starting to sound like a dream.
Although the combination of one of Bowie’s most famous songs and Rickman’s best-known role is naturally a coincidence (again, the episode was made in 2013,) it now stands as an amazing tribute that links the two of them forever- for a much nicer reason than their tragic passing.
Are you okay, guys? We’re still not okay. Try to find some laughs in the now-bittersweet video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPrYtb6diu8
(Image via YouTube)