Alan Rickman died Thursday. He was 69.
Rickman, who had been suffering from cancer, was “surrounded by family and friends” in London, a spokesman for the actor said.
The British actor was best known for his roles as Hans Gruber in “Die Hard” and Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” franchise.
(Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Qatar Goodwood Festival)
During an interview in 2011, Rickman said playing Snape was one of his most cherished roles, which he spent a decade mastering. (RELATED: David Bowie Dead At 69)
“People in general adore Snape,” Rickman said. “He is sarcastic, stubborn, etc, etc. But he is also fascinating. I have a lot of fun impersonating him.”
“It was a punctuation mark in my life every year because I would be doing other things but always come back to that and I was always aware of my place in the story even as others around me were not.”
“The point about a great story is that it’s got a beginning, a middle and end,” he added. “The ending of this story was quite popular and beautifully judged by Jo Rowling and David Yates, so it’s not a cause for sadness; it’s a cause for celebration that it was rounded off so well.”
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