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In the second of two major celebrity deaths this week, it has been confirmed that prolific English actor Alan Rickman has passed away earlier today. In a statement released to press just hours ago, Rickman's family confirmed that the death was cancer-related. "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69", said the press release. "He was surrounded by family and friends." Older viewers may remember him for his role as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988), his Bafta-winning part as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), or his portrayal of Emma Thompson's foolish husband in Love, Actually (2003). But for younger fans, his most iconic role will always be Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, a character he portrayed for over a decade. On the memorable part, for which he won an award for best character portrayal in the entire Harry Potter franchise, Rickman once stated, "What is splendid is that people in general adore Snape. He is sarcastic, stubborn, etc, etc...But he is also fascinating. I have a lot of fun impersonating him, I take immense pleasure in playing someone so ambiguous. We never know what to expect nor do we know what he really thinks." Following the conclusion of the Harry Potter series, Rickman tried his hand at directing, both directing and starring in passion project A Little Chaos (2014) alongside Sense and Sensibility (1995) co-star Kate Winslet. His last appearance will be in Alice Through the Looking Glass, in which he will play Absolem the Caterpillar, due to be released later this year. Rickman was notoriously private about his personal life, to the extent that it once took him three years to inform the press that he had been married. He met his first and only girlfriend in 1965, at the age of nineteen, when he began a relationship with eighteen year old Rima Horton. They moved in together in 1977 and their relationship continued until his death. However, while they were wed in New York City in 2012, Rickman did not officially confirm their marriage until 2015, presumably putting the lack of news about their wedlock down to the fact that no one had attended the wedding. "It was great because no one was there. After the wedding in New York, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate lunch", said Rickman, before confirming that he had given his wife a simple $200 ring that "she never wears". While Rickman never had any children, he will leave behind his godson, fellow actor Tom Burke. Somewhat curiously, Rickman shared several similarities with rockstar David Bowie, whose death also shook the world earlier this week. Both were successful English male actors, and both passed away from cancer at age 69. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the old Hollywood superstition about celebrity deaths coming in threes is proven untrue. Rest In Peace.

In the saddest bout of pop culture news we've had in a while, it has been confirmed today that legendary glam rock singer David Bowie has passed away at age 69. In a statement posted on Bowie's official Twitter acount, his publicity team simply stated: Bowie kept news of his illness largely under wraps, with most major news outlets failing to report on the news, and instead allowing him to continue the lack of media presence he had cultivated in the past decade. Indeed, the most news we've heard about the reclusive rockstar recently was related to his twenty fifth studio album, Blackstar, which was released just three days ago on January 8th, his birthday. With song titles like 'Lazarus' populating the project, it's likely the album will be reconsidered by critics once again with news of his death. Born David Jones in 1947, Bowie changed his name to distance himself from The Monkees Davy Jones after he achieved popularity. As a young man, he played saxophone and started a mime company for a living while singing in a string of bands on the weekends; and after signing with Mercury Records, he released his debut album Man of Words, Man of Music, in 1969. Bowie rose to popularity in 1972 with his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, which introduced his androgynous alien alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust. Three years later, he achieved his first American crossover hit with #1 single 'Fame' off the album Young Americans. In what he later considered a publicity stuny, Bowie revealed in a 1972 interview that he was gay, and, later claimed he was bisexual, later confirming an affair with The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger. He later introduced a "plastic soul" sound with 'Fame' in 1975, tributed A Clockwork Orange with 'Suffragette City' in 1976 and tore up the dancefloors in 1983 with 'Let's Dance', a #1 hit in America. After forming a short-lived band in 1989 with his brother Tony called Tin Machine, Bowie returned to a solo career in 1993 with 'Jump They Say', a song about his schizophrenic half-brother who had recently commited suicide. He worked consistently until 2004, when he went on an extended hiatus before returning with his highest-charting album ever, The Next Day, in 2013. Despite heavy demand for a tour, Bowie has kept a low profile, last performing on stage in 2006 when he earned a lifetime achievement Grammy Award. Outside of music, Bowie was also well known for his eccentric fashions, which frequently alternated between flamboyant space cowboy and all-American boy next door depending on the day. He was also an accomplished actor, with starring roles in films such as The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) in which he played an alien; Just A Gigolo (1978), starring alongside Marlene Dietrich in her final film role; Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983), in which he played a World War II prisoner of war; and Labyrinth (1966), a cult classic. Our thoughts go out to all of Bowie's family and friends, and to all of his fans touched by this unexpected tragedy.