What a week it’s been for bad news in the celebrity world. First Bowie and now Alan Rickman leaves us. 

What an actor Rickman was. I think my first ever viewing of him in anything would have to be Robin Hood Prince If Thieves where he played the Sheriff Of Nottingham. Sly, snivelling and evil…he played it so well. 

Then I remember him as Hans Gruber, terrorist elite in Die Hard. His mocking tone, teasing Bruce Willis’ John McLane at any opportunity. 

We journey through small films like “Blow Dry” (filmed in Yorkshire with Josh Hartnett doing a Yorkshire accent that I swear he picked up from me at a party – a story for another time), to bigger budgets in Dogma, Love Actually, Harry Potter…and of course Galaxy Quest, a personal favourite of mine. 

A fantastic actor with a uniquely sounding voice which was adopted by many. 

“By Grabthar’s hammer, you shall be avenged!”

Rest In Peace Mr Rickman X