But he gained legions of younger fans with his portrayal of the largely malicious teacher Severus Snape in all eight "Harry Potter" films from 2001 to 2011.
Potter's creator J. K. Rowling said she was "shocked and devastated" to hear of his death.
"He was a magnificent actor and a wonderful man... We have all lost a great talent
Rickman's death comes just months ahead of the release of a new film called "Eye in the Sky" in which he stars alongside Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.
The "Alice in Wonderland" sequel "Alice Through the Looking Glass" is also due for release later this year.