"Snape's dead"

Was the snippet I overheard on the train back from London today and while that is true of the Harry Potter character in book and film, it symbolised how Alan Rickman had remained in the public consciousness.  Like Bowie a few days earlier, the London-born actor died of cancer at the age of 69, not even reaching the standard three score years and ten.  He came to acting professionally quite late, being a graphic designer before RADA (something that would later aid him in his directorial forays), but his youthful features (he always looked like someone born in the 1950s, not 1940s) allowed him a versatility of roles and makes his death all the more shocking - for instance, I had no idea that he was that old.
Of course, there was that BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor as the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in which he himself admitted subtlety went out the window.  There was his performance in the touching Star Trek parody Galaxy Quest.  And though it forced him to postpone his directing duties for a decade, he had no regrets about the eight Harry Potter films.  All in all, he must be one of the actors I have seen the most.  But it was his breakthrough Hollywood role as Hans Gruber in Die Hard that stands out for me, made especially poignant as I saw it on the big screen before Christmas (perfect timing).  As good as the film is, Rickman takes it to a whole other level (and I'm not talking about the roof!).
It's sad that we won't see any more new contributions from him (aside from post-production projects) but he  has been released from a horrendous fate of cancer.  He is at peace now.