People spat at Alan Rickman after he played Hans Gruber in 'Die Hard'

While it was testament to how well he embodied the role of German terrorist Hans Gruber in Die Hard, it sounds like the aftermath of the iconic action movie wasn't pleasant for Alan Rickman.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure star Alex Winter has shared an experience he had while chatting with the late British actor in a new interview.

Discussing being frequently associated with a single role, Winter told The New York Times: “It could be worse. I remember walking down the street with Alan Rickman once.

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“A fan came up to us, and afterwards Alan was like, ‘You’re so lucky that you’re known for playing Bill and not Hans Gruber the terrorist.

“'People come up to me and spit in my face. They come up to you and tell you how much they love you.’”

Rickman's Gruber faced off with Bruce Willis's off-duty policeman John McClane in the 1988 action classic, directed by John McTiernan.

Gruber's dastardly legacy was then revisited in Die Hard With A Vengeance, in which Jeremy Irons plays Simon, the brother of Gruber who intends to rob the Federal Reserve Bank and also avenge the death of Hans, killed by McClane in the first movie.

Though it was indeed a popular role for Rickman, he was also known for many others, from a career spanning decades, including Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

RADA and RSC alumnus Rickman died in 2016 at the age of 69 from pancreatic cancer.