Alan Rickman.
Veteran British actor Alan Rickman has died at the age of 69 after suffering from cancer, his family said Thursday.
Rickman, who won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA during his career as a film, television and theatre actor, was well-known for his portrayal of menacing villains.
“The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends,” a family statement said.
Rickman started out in theatre and shot to international fame in 1988 playing the German terrorist mastermind Hans Gruber, Bruce Willis’s adversary, in “Die Hard”.
Rickman did a memorable turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 blockbuster “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”.
His performance earned him a BAFTA, Britain’s film awards, for best supporting actor.
Rickman also won a Golden Globe for best actor in a miniseries or television film for the title role in “Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny” (1996).
He gained legions of younger fans with his portrayal of the malicious teacher Severus Snape in all eight “Harry Potter” films from 2001 to 2011. – Agence France-Presse