Alan Rickman: A life in pictures

Actor Alan Rickman, known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard, Truly Madly Deeply and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, has died at the age of 69. A family statement said: "He was surrounded by family and friends."
Here, we present pictures of him in some of his best known roles.


Alan Rickman as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet
Image captionAlan Rickman began his film career as Tybalt in a BBC adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in 1978.
Alan Rickman and Janet Maw in a dramatisation of Anthony Trollope's stories The Barchester Chronicles
Image captionIn 1982, Rickman appeared in another BBC dramatisation, The Barchester Chronicles, as Obadiah Slope, alongside Janet Maw. The cast also included Donald Pleasence, Nigel Hawthorne and Susan Hampshire.
Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman in Die HardImage copyrightAlamy
Image captionMore television appearances followed - but, in 1988, he shot to fame as the villain in Die Hard. His portrayal of Hans Gruber opposite Bruce Willis' first appearance as New York cop John McClane was a role he would never shake off, and he became seen as the perfect actor to portray the screen villain.
Juliet Stevenson as Nina and Alan Rickman as Jamie in Truly, Madly, DeeplyImage copyrightAlamy
Image captionHe showed his gentler side in films such as 1990s Truly Madly Deeply, when he starred as a ghost, alongside Juliet Stevenson playing a woman mourning the loss of her partner. He was nominated for a Bafta.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Alan Rickman in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, 1991Image copyrightAlamy
Image captionA year later, though, he was back in the role of the villain, as the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, for which he won a Bafta. He is seen here with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio who played Maid Marian, with his main adversary, Robin Hood, played by Kevin Costner.
Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman in Sense and Sensibility, 1995Image copyrightAlamy
Image captionHe starred with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet (not pictured) in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility.
Greta Scacchi and Alan Rickman in Rasputin, 1996Image copyrightAlamy
Image captionIn 1996 he won a Golden Globe for best actor in a miniseries or television film for the title role in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny in which he starred with Greta Scacchi.
Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman during a photo call rehearsal for Anthony and Cleopatra at the Olivier Theatre on London's South BankImage copyrightJohn Stillwell / PA
Image captionThe London-born actor began his career in theatre and was a regular on the stage, seen here with Helen Mirren during a photo-call rehearsal for Antony and Cleopatra at the Olivier Theatre on London's South Bank.
Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Patrick Breen in galaxy Quest, 1999Image copyrightAlamy
Image captionHe took to the stars in Galaxy Quest, in 1999, alongside Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.Image copyrightAlamy
Image captionBut it was his role as Prof Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films that made him one of Britain's best-loved actors and brought him to the attention of another generation of filmgoers.
Alan Rickman, 2001Image copyrightPhil Coomes / BBC
Image captionAlan Rickman, 1946 - 2016