Actor Alan Rickman, Snape in 'Harry Potter' films, dies at 69

Alan Rickman, the British actor with the unforgettable voice who played the brooding Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" films as well as "Die Hard" villain Hans Gruber, has died after a short battle with cancer, a source familiar with his career said Thursday.

He was 69.

"There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death," "Potter" author J.K. Rowling tweeted Thursday.

Fans had last "a great talent," she said, and his family "have lost a part of their hearts."