British actor Alan Rickman lost his battle with cancer on January 14 at age 69.

Rickman is best known for the man we all love to hate, Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, as well as his roles in Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Rickman won a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of Rasputin in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny.

Rickman was an actor admired worldwide for his talent on both screen and stage, known for his range and his trademark nasally voice used to portray some of the best villains in recent media.

The prime example is the intricate role of Professor Severus Snape, the film character for which he’s best-known, and one he said in numerous interviews that he cherished as one of his favorites.