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Alan Rickman died Thursday after a battle with cancer. The actor was 69.
Rickman was 39 when he landed his big break as the lead male role in the 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses". He reprised the role in the 1987 Broadway revival and earned his first Tony nomination.
A year later, he made his film debut as the notorious villian Hans Gruber in "Die Hard". And thus began Rickman's ascension to one of the most recognizable actors, helped in part by his perfect voice. In 2001, he wove his way into the hearts of "Harry Potter" fans as the beloved Severus Snape and continued the role through 2011.
In honor of his remarkable career, here's a look back at 16 of his most memorable roles:
SEE ALSO: How the 'Die Hard' director tricked Alan Rickman into making the best scene of his career
Alan Rickman's first major film role was portraying the memorable villain Hans Gruber in 1988's "Die Hard."
In 1992, he was nominated for two BAFTA Awards. One for "Truly Madly Deeply"...
...and the other for "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," for which he actually won.
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