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The latter part of Mr. Rickman’s film career was defined by the Snape character in “Harry Potter.” Beneath that character’s ominous exterior, Snape was “unutterably honorable,” Mr. Rickman said in a 2011 interview with The Times.
Murray Close/Warner Bros.
Alan Rickman
Died on January 14, 2016 at age 69
Mr. Rickman was the accomplished British stage actor who brought an erudite dignity to film roles like Hans Gruber, the nefarious mastermind of “Die Hard,” and Severus Snape, the dour master of potions in the “Harry Potter” series.
Notable Deaths 2016
Remembering Muhammad Ali, Prince, Patty Duke, Edward Albee, Pat Summitt, Gene Wilder, Phyllis Schlafly, David Bowie, Elie Wiesel, Shimon Peres, Nancy Reagan, Arnold Palmer, Harper Lee and others who died this year.