British actor Alan Rickman dies aged 69 after battle with cancer

Alan Rickman, one of the bestloved and most warmly admired British actors of the past 30 years, died in London on Thursday aged 69, his family announced.

Rickman was considered one of Britain’s most versatile cinema and theatre actors, while he achieved global fame in recent years through the Harry Potter film series, in which he portrayed the character of Professor Severus Snape.

In a statement released today, Rickman’s family announced “The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69.

“He was surrounded by family and friends.”

Renowned for his deep voice, Rickman first shot to global acclaim in 1988, when he was featured in the first “Die Hard” movie as German terrorist Hans Gruber.

The veteran actor died just few months before the public release of his new movie “Eye in the Sky”, which also stars English actress Helen Mirren and U.S. actor Aaron Paul.

Rickman also finished shooting his voiceover in “Alice Through the Looking Glass”, which will be premiered in late 2016.

Last year, Rickman announced that he had married his childhood sweetheart and partner of 50 years, Rima Horton.

Born Feb. 21, 1946 in the Hammersmith district of west London, Rickman was famous for his roles in “Truly Madly Deeply” (1991) and “Sense and Sensibility” (1995).