One of the best loved British actors of all time, Alan Rickman, has passed away at his home in London. Rickman was 69, and had been suffering from cancer. Although he turned to professional acting fairly late in life, Rickman had a phenomenal career spanning thirty years, and delivered some tremendous performances both on stage and screen. He first came to the public?s attention in 1988, playing the role of Hans Gruber in Die Hard. His starring role as Jamie in Truly, Madly, Deeply and then his turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves cemented his status as a sublimely talented actor. Of all his work, it was perhaps his role as Severus Snape in Harry Potter which stood out the most. Although Rickman disliked being cast as a villain, he made Snape a character we all loved to hate and hated to love.
