The death of Alan Rickman, the British stage and film actor widely known for his roles as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films and as Hans Gruber in Die Hard, has sent ripples of sadness around the world.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was "shocked and devastated" over the news, as she worked with the actor on the massively successful film franchise.
"There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death," she tweeted on Thursday morning.
"He was a magnificent actor & wonderful man."
The Golden Globe winner and two-time Tony Award nominee, who died at 69, had been battling cancer.