A mere three days after the British entertainment industry lost one of its icons, David Bowie, after a bout with cancer, the industry has been left reeling yet again after Alan Rickman passed away today from the same reprehensible disease at the same age of 69. Rickman will be dearly remembered by legions of fans all over the world after a highly impressive career that spanned over 4 decades. With his instantly recognizable voice, Rickman is best known for his portrayals of various villainous characters that include his roles as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, Hans Gruber in Die Hard, and the Nottingham Sheriff in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. In recognition of his outstanding acting chops, he was awarded with a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild award, and an Emmy during his esteemed career. Despite his portrayal of these famously villainous characters, though, Rickman was always regarded as one of the most beloved British actors of his generation due to his thoughtful mind and loving personality. Actors with these qualities don’t come around very often.