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British actor Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. First Ziggy Stardust and now Severus Snape … it's too much for one week!

The deep-voiced actor is best known for playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films and Hans Gruber in Die Hard.

Rickman reportedly passed away in London with his family around him. A statement that was released read, “The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends.”

The Harry Potter books' scribe, JK Rowling, described Rickman as "a magnificent actor and a wonderful man." The writer tweeted her condolences, "There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death. My thoughts are with [Rickman's wife] Rima and the rest of Alan's family. We have all lost a great talent. They have lost part of their hearts."

Emma Thompson, who starred in Sense and Sensibility, several of the Harry Potter films and Love Actually, wrote in a statement: "Alan was my friend and so this is hard to write because I have just kissed him goodbye."

His Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe expressed his sadness in a touching Facebook post:

    Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people I've ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter. I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in London and New York. He didn't have to do that. I know other people who've been friends with him for much much longer than I have and they all say "if you call Alan, it doesn't matter where in the world he is or how busy he is with what he's doing, he'll get back to you within a day" ...

    As an actor he was one of the first of the adults on Potter to treat me like a peer rather than a child. Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career. Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man.


The Brit is survived by his wife, Rima Horton, whom he secretly married last year. The couple had been together since they were teenagers.