A statement from his family said: "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends."

Rickman won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for TV biopic "Rasputin," and a BAFTA for "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." He was BAFTA nominated for "Michael Collins," "Sense and Sensibility" and "Truly Madly Deeply."

He made his directorial debut with 1997's "The Winter Guest," which played in competition in Venice, and also directed 2014's "A Little Chaos," which ran at the Toronto Film Festival.