Alan Rickman’s widow, Rima Horton, spoke out on the 10-year anniversary of his death about his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Rickman, who was known for his roles in “Die Hard,” the “Harry Potter” franchise, “Love Actually,” “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves,” “Sense and Sensibility” and more, died at age 69 on Jan. 14, 2016, after a six-month fight against the disease.
Horton issued a warning about pancreatic cancer symptoms while appearing on “BBC Breakfast” via The Independent on Tuesday.
“The biggest problem is that by the time that people find out they’ve got it, it’s too late,” she said.
She added, “The symptoms are so difficult to work out. What we’re trying to do is raise money for a breathalyzer test which could provide an early diagnosis.”
Horton said chemotherapy extended his life expectancy an extra six months, but noted that the treatment “didn’t cure it.”
“He had so much more to give. There were so many more things he could have done,” she reflected.
All seven Harry Potter hardcover books signed by 12 cast members, including Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, Matthew Lewis and more, will be up for a drawing, according to Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Proceeds raised will “help fund life-saving research, campaigning and specialist nurse support,” according to the organization.
“Ten years on since he died from pancreatic cancer, we’re raising vital funds in his memory to change the future for everyone affected by his devastating disease,” the organization’s Instagram shared.
Pancreatic cancer’s early symptoms include weight loss, light-colored stool or floating stools, dark-colored urine, itching, loss of appetite, belly pain that spreads from the sides to the back and yellowing of the skin and eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The disease begins as a growth of cells inside the pancreas; the organ is part of the digestive system, and helps make enzymes to digest food, as well as hormones for managing blood sugar, per the website.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network reports that the five-year survival rate is 13% as of January 2026 (for all types of pancreatic cancers combined).
