Alan Rickman, the charismatic British actor with the svelte voice and unabashed delivery has died.
Rickman who was known for his high-octane performance in 1988’s Die Hard had been suffering from cancer and passed away at his London home surrounded by family. He was 69 years old.
Rickman enjoyed a lengthy and rewarding film and stage career – but his most recent achievement was his role as the majestically mysterious Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies.
Rickman also collaborated with fellow thespian – actress Emma Thompson who he starred with in Sense and Sensibility where he played the quiet suitor of Kate Winslet and again in Love Actually – where he embodied the character of Thompson’s emotionally distant husband.
Though he never won an Oscar in his lifetime – Rickman did win an Emmy and Golden Globe for astutely breathing life into the role of Grigori Rasputin in HBO’s Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. He also received a BAFTA for his memorable turn in Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves.
He leaves behind his wife Rima Horton whom he had been living with since 1977.