Harry Potter and Die Hard actor Alan Rickman dies at 69

It's sadly been confirmed that British actor Alan Rickman, best known for his roles in Die Hard and Harry Potter, has passed away at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. The news was announced in a family statement which read: "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends."

Alan Rickman worked in film and on stage for over 30 years and had a reputation for playing baddies, such as Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (for which he won a BAFTA), and Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. However, he also appeared in a number of other major films, including Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually and Truly, Madly Deeply.

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What desperately sad news about Alan Rickman. A man of such talent, wicked charm & stunning screen & stage presence. He'll be sorely missedJanuary 14, 2016

I do not want my heroes to die! Alan Rickman is dead & he was another hero. Alan - thank you for being with us. We are sorry you had to goJanuary 14, 2016

Shocked & sad to hear Alan Rickman has passed away. One of the nicest actors I've ever met.Thoughts and prayers with his family at this timeJanuary 14, 2016

He did so much brilliant work but Alan Rickman in Galaxy Quest: one of the greatest comedy performances ever. RIP pic.twitter.com/E9sNR4rG8EJanuary 14, 2016

Just heard about Alan Rickman, the man who made Galaxy Quest exquisitely uncomfortable for me. Very sad news.January 14, 2016

Lauren O'Callaghan is the former Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar+. You'd typically find Lauren writing features and reviews about the latest and greatest in pop culture and entertainment, and assisting the teams at Total Film and SFX to bring their excellent content onto GamesRadar+. Lauren is now the digital marketing manager at the National Trust.