Kate Winslet has paid tribute to Alan Rickman in a touching tribute

She wrote in Entertainment Weekly: "He was always a great big softy. If there was one word I could use to really describe Al, it would be kind. He was so kind.

'At Al's memorial, Juliet Stevenson told the story of how whenever Al would go out to supper and anyone else would try and pay, he would somehow have phoned ahead or slipped his credit card ahead of the meal so no one even got a look at the bill.

"He'd just say, 'I've got two words for you: 'Harry Potter.' And he became known for doing that'."

Following 69-year-old Alan's death last year, after a secret battle with cancer, Kate, 41, also shared a moving tribute to him.

She said: "He was loved enormously by so many. He was an exceptionally warm and giving man and an utterly phenomenal actor and gifted director.

"I remember being so intimidated by him when we worked together when I was 19, because he had such a powerful and commanding presence . And that voice! Oh, that voice ...

"But the reality of course, was that he was the kindest and best of men. Had the patience of a saint. He was a warm hearted puppy dog, who would do anything for anyone if it made them happy."