Alan Rickman dies at 69

THE warmly admired British actor, who found a fresh legion of fans with his role as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, had been suffering from cancer.

His death was confirmed today (Thursday) by family members, who surrounded him during his final hours in London.

The star had been a screen regular since the late ’70s, both on TV and in films, and was recognisable across the generations for his languid diction.

Rickman had been a big-screen staple since first shooting to global acclaim in 1988, when he starred as Hans Gruber, Bruce Willis’s sardonic, dastardly adversary in Die Hard – a part he was offered two days after arriving in Los Angeles, aged 41.