It’s being reported that Alan Rickman, star of movies like Die Hard, the Harry Potter franchise, and so much more, has passed away at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. The actor’s passing was confirmed by his family, who said Rickman died in London while surrounded by his loved ones.

Rickman was best known for his film roles, including the villainous Hans Gruber in the original Die Hard and Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie franchise. He also starred in Truly Madly Deeply, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sense and Sensibility, Michael Collins, Dogma, Galaxy Quest, Love Actually, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Perfume: The Story of a Murder, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Bottle Shock, Alice in Wonderland, Lee Daniel’s The Butler, and most recently A Little Chaos, which he also directed (his second directorial effort after 1997’s The Winter Guest), and Eye in the Sky. He also completed work voicing the Blue Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass.

And all of that is just his incredible resume in film. Rickman also did plenty of memorable work with different stage productions and also has done work in television.

If all of this sounds a little familiar it’s because Rickman is the third legend to die in just a couple of weeks now, following the passing of Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister on December 28th and the great David Bowie just three days ago. Three legends, all British, all passing away from cancer, with Rickman and Bowie both at the age of 69. Lemmy was just one year older than them.

This year’s Academy Award nominees were announced today—an award Rickman never won, which is truly hard to believe. It’s a day that’s usually exciting for movie fans, but not this year. Not today.

Fuck this week. Fuck cancer.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. Rickman.

Alan Rickman
1946 — 2016

[Source: The Guardian]