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Alan Rickman remembered by young fans for role in the 'Harry Potter' movies

Film fans also know the actor, who died on Jan. 14, from such movies as 'Die Hard' and 'Sense and Sensibility,' but because of the massive popularity of the 'Harry Potter' series, many know him best from his role onscreen as Severus Snape.

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Warner Bros.
The 'Harry Potter' movie series star Alan Rickman (second from r.), Daniel Radcliffe (r.), Emma Watson (l.), and Rupert Grint (second from l.).

Actor Alan Rickman, who died on Jan. 14, is remembered especially by many younger moviegoers for his role in the “Harry Potter” series as Professor Snape.

Mr. Rickman starred in the eight-film “Potter” series as the character, whose questionable allegiances were the subject of much debate for fans. 

Film fans also know the actor from projects including “Die Hard,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Truly Madly Deeply,” and “Galaxy Quest,” but because there are so many “Potter” fans, Rickman was remembered during his lifetime and now often for his role as the snide Potions master. 

Many fans referenced Rickman's role when mentioning the actor's death on Twitter.

The "Potter" movie series arrived on the scene in 2001 and, along with the "Lord of the Rings" films, ushered in a boom of fantasy movies. Both series quickly topped the box office, becoming some of the highest-grossing series of all time, and arguably made possible the success of such current fantasy properties as HBO's "Game of Thrones." 

Rickman was often praised for his work in the "Potter" movies as part of a cast of well-regarded British actors. Nicole Arthur of the Washington Post called him "a formidable presence" and Entertainment Weekly writer Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote of the role of Snape, "As played with mysterious, concentrated power by Alan Rickman, Snape’s character is so vividly established that even the shadowed silhouette of his Byronic black hair and cape triggers an immediate audience response."

When his character of Severus Snape was selected as a favorite by fans, Rickman said that fans appreciating Snape was to appreciate “courage and determination and loyalty and love.”

“I won’t really miss anything because it’s been such an extraordinarily complete character to play,” he said of the end of the movie series, saying on another occasion of whether he had ever considered giving up the role, “I wasn’t going to let anybody else finish that story.”

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