Though he recently achieved fame as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, British actor Alan Rickman began as a stage actor and got his big break in 1985 with "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." He often performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and is pictured here with Helen Mirren in 1998 in "Anthony and Cleopatra." Rickman passed away on Thursday, January 14, after battling cancer.

The switch to film wasn't a bad move for Rickman, who received dozens of awards over his career. For his performance in "Rasputin" in 1996, he picked up (his only) Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Finding a niche in playing villains, Rickman excelled at it. The American Film Institute ranked him at 46 on their list of top villains for playing Hans Gruber in the Die Hard films, which also featured Bruce Willis. Pictured is a scene from the first "Die Hard" in 1988.

Rickman also brought out his "bad" side as the Sheriff of Nottingham in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (1991), starring Kevin Costner.

Rickman not only lent his face, but occasionally only his voice to film productions. In 2000, he spoke the part of Joe in "Help! I'm a Fish," and in 2002 he was King Philipp in "King of the Hill." Pictured is a scene from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" from 2005, in which Rickman was the voice of Marvin, the Paranoid Android.

Alan Rickman won over younger fans - or perhaps scared them off - by continuing his tradition of villains in Harry Potter. He embodied the malicious teacher, Professor Severus Snape, in all eight "Harry Potter" films, which were released between 2001 and 2011.

Rickman passed away on January 14 in London, where he was born in 1946. "Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends," a family statement said. He is survived by his long-time partner, Rima Horton.