It’s six years to the day since the death of Alan Rickman, a man known to most1 as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films but whose finest, most iconic role was also his first: as the villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard, 34 long years ago. In 2011, he wrote the following letter of advice to his 16-year-old self. It featured in the book, Dear Me: More Letters to my Sixteen Year Old Self, edited by Joseph Galliano.

Dear Me,

If, in future years, anyone asks you to give advice to your sixteen year old self… don’t.

Make your own unique messes, and then work your own way out of them.

See you,

Alan Rickman

Extracted from Dear Me: More Letters to my Sixteen Year Old Self. Edited by Joseph Galliano. Simon & Schuster UK.