Ever wondered how to pull Professor Snape's gloomy, mysterious yet frightening demeanor? How to get his low, silky whisper? Here's how!
Steps
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Watch and make notes on Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter movies. How does he dress and act? How does he move around, what is his posture like? How does his voice sound like? Practice his movements and perfect them everyday. Also look in the books for additional information on this.
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Grow your hair to your shoulders and dye it jet-black. Don't wash your hair for long periods of time- that makes it greasy. Make sure it looks lanky, straight and not curly. If you don't want to do this you could always wear a wig.
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Go for a pale, almost sickly complexion. Spend most of your time indoors;somewhere cold, dark and gloomy is especially good. avoid the sun as much as possible and do not get a tan, no matter what. Snape is known for looking sickly and sallow.
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Work on your glare. Snape has "cold, black eyes", so wear black contacts if you don't have dark eyes, and tilt your head forwards as you tense the muscles around your eyes and eyebrows. Do not smile anytime, whatsoever, try out a menacing smirk instead.
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When talking to others, draw yourself to your full height and loom over them like a "giant, overgrown bat".
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Wear long black robes all the time. Do not forget the "billowing black cloak"! This is essential and Snape's trademark. No matter what, do not wear colours. Snape is very moody, any other colour except black would make him too cheery and happy.
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Tattoo the "Dark Mark" on your left forearm. If you can't get a real one, get a temporary tattoo or draw it on with ink.
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Talk in a low voice; it must be silky and smooth, but not whisper-like. Practise this everyday before you try it out in public. Make comments that are brief, direct and sarcastic. Do not say anything too long, spontaneous or has positive connotations. It is best to remain silent most of the time. Keep your diction formal and practice a southern English accent with slight upper class overtones. Do not let it lapse into Cockney or Northern English (Beatles etc.), remain upper class and formal. Sound slightly posh, and don't forget to add slight pauses between your words when you want to get your point across. Don't forget to properly pronounce your T's.
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Be formal: Snape's formality and dignity are imperturbable, his sarcasm is always from a superior, critical position. Even with superiors, dignity and formality are his way of facing criticism. When addressing inferiors including students, use salutation and last name. "Mr. Potter, are you quite finished?" "Miss Granger, your assistance was expressly forbidden." Take points from anyone not Slytherin for anything, including breathing offensively. It's all right to parody Snape! Judge non-HP characters at the party by what House they would be in if they were in Hogwarts. Magical creatures and monsters are your social inferiors. Evil Overlords are potential allies.
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If you do talk, however, keep it to non-personal subjects and never get emotional. Avoid anything sentimental.
Tips
- Make your own interpretation of Snape, but be careful not to get too carried away with it.
- Snape could come off as creepy when not in a fantasy book.
- If you're also a fan of Blake's 7, consider the similarities between Snape and Kerr Avon, the silky menacing voice especially is very similar. If you've costumed Avon, you can pull off Snape easily.
Warnings
- Friends and family may react oddly to your new personality.
- Getting a tattoo of the Dark Mark will be permanent, think about if for a long time before you get one.(Or you can use a fake tattoo, and be sure to have no regrets!)
- Some of these things might be hazardous to your health if you keep them up for too long.