Alan Rickman, British film and theatre legend, dies at 69

Alan Rickman, the British stage and screen actor whose distinct voice and features were the basis for formidable characters, died on Thursday morning. He was 69.

A spokesman for the London-based Independent Talent Group confirmed his death. Mr. Rickman had been suffering from cancer, according to The Guardian.

His captivating stage breakthrough came in New York in 1987, as the ruthless Valmont, fatally at war with his true feelings, in Christopher Hampton’s “Liaisons Dangereuses.” He would continue to play the villain with zeal onscreen, from his first feature film role as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film “Die Hard,” to the decade he spent portraying Severus Snape, the sneaky, growly-voiced potions master in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series.

This is a breaking news article. A full obituary will follow shortly.

source:New York Times