From: tsbrueni@dcn.davis.ca.us   
      
   On Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 7:31:50 AM UTC-8, john szalay wrote:   
   > LONDON (AP) — British actor Alan Rickman, a classically-trained stage    
   > star and sensual screen villain in the "Harry Potter" saga and other    
   > films, has died. He was 69.   
   >    
   > Rickman's family said Thursday that the actor had died after a battle    
   > with cancer.   
   >    
   > Trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Rickman was    
   > often cast as the bad guy; with his rich, languid voice he could invest    
   > evil with wicked, irresistible relish.   
   >    
   > His breakout role was as scheming French aristocrat the Vicomte de    
   > Valmont in an acclaimed 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company production of    
   > Christopher Hampton's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses."   
   >    
   > Film roles included the psychopathic villain Hans Gruber in "Die Hard" in    
   > 1988; a deceased lover who consoles his bereaved partner in 1990's "Truly    
   > Madly Deeply"; the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham in "Robin Hood: Prince of    
   > Thieves" in 1991; and a wayward husband in 2003 romantic comedy "Love    
   > Actually."   
   >    
   > Millions know him from the Potter films, in which he played the portions    
   > and defense against the dark arts teacher Severus Snape, who was either a    
   > nemesis or an ally — possibly both — to the titular teenage wizard.   
   >    
   > He appeared frequently onstage, earning Tony Award nominations for "Les    
   > Liaisons Dangereuses" in 1987 and Noel Coward's "Private Lives" in 2002.   
   >    
   > Rickman was also a filmmaker, directing and co-starring opposite Kate    
   > Winslet in 2014 costume drama "A Little Chaos."   
   >    
   > Frequently charming in person, Rickman was, by his own account,    
   > uncompromising as an actor. During the filming of "Harry Potter," he    
   > maintained Snape's air of haughty disdain even off-camera.   
   >    
   > "The animal in me takes over," Rickman said in 2011 when he appeared on    
   > Broadway in Theresa Rebeck's play "Seminar."   
   >    
   > "You're as polite as possible, but it's not always possible."   
   >    
   > Rickman is survived by his partner of 50 years, Rima Horton, whom he    
   > married recently.   
      
   Did Harry Porter come to the funeral?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)