Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor known for playing a variety of roles on stage and screen, often as a complex antagonist. Rickman was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in both modern and classical theatre productions. His breakout performance was as the Vicomte de Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Rickman was well known for his film performances as Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1991), and Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie series. More: en.wikipedia.org.