Remembering Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the ‘Harry Potter’ films
The eccentric actor appeared in the movie franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s novels and also starred in the British crime drama ‘Cracker.’
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Robbie Coltrane, a seasoned humorist, and actor best known for his leading roles in the Harry Potter film series and the British police drama Cracker, passed away on Friday. He was 72.
Belinda Wright, Coltrane’s agent, described him as a “special talent” and “an enduringly loyal client.”
“As well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent and brilliantly witty, and after 40 years of being proud to be to called his agent, I shall miss him,” Wright added of Coltrane in a statement.
In addition to commanding the screen in two James Bond films over an illustrious career on both sides of the Atlantic, the loud and unmistakably eccentric Scotsman began his career in comedy and theatre.
The son of a doctor and a teacher, Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950, in Glasgow, Scotland. He pursued his studies in art at Moray House College of Education after graduating from Glasgow Art School.
But when Coltrane’s attempts to pursue a career as an artist failed, he turned to stand-up comedy in Edinburgh venues. And when he decided to pursue acting in London, he changed his last name in tribute to jazz great John Coltrane.
Flash Gordon, Blackadder, and Keep It in the Family are a few of Coltrane’s early television appearances. As he rose to prominence on British TV, his other comic credits included shows like A Kick Up the Eighties, The Comic Strip, and Alfresco.
Coltrane’s breakthrough performance came in Jimmy McGovern’s Cracker series, which ran for over 25 episodes between 1993 and 2006. He played Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald, an anti-social criminal psychologist with a talent for solving murders.
Coltrane won three consecutive BAFTA best television actor awards for that role, sharing a record for most wins in a row.
Coltrane received roles as Valentin Zukovsky in the James Bond movies GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough as a result of his performance. However, Rubeus Hagrid, the enormous groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the Harry Potter movies, beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, is where most people first became familiar with Coltrane.
J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, paid tribute to Coltrane on social media, stating, “I’ll never know someone remotely like Robbie again. He had a very unique talent, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have known him, worked with him and laughed uncontrollably with him. My heartfelt condolences and affection go out to his family, especially his children.
Robbie was among the funniest individuals I’ve encountered, and he used to keep us laughing nonstop as kids on the set, according to Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter opposite Coltrane’s Hagrid in a statement. On Prisoner of Azkaban, when we were all sheltering from the pouring rain for hours in Hagrid’s hut, I have very cherished recollections of him keeping our spirits high. He did this by sharing jokes and stories to lighten the mood. I consider myself tremendously fortunate to have met and worked with him, and I’m devastated by his passing. He was a beautiful man and a fantastic actor.
Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter, Emma Watson, said in a message posted on her Instagram account, “Robbie was like the most fun. uncle I’ve ever had, but most of all, he was deeply caring and compassionate towards me as a child and an adult. His talent was so immense that it made sense he played a giant — he could fill ANY space with his brilliance. Robbie, if I ever get to be so kind as you were to me on a film set I promise I’ll do it in your name and memory. Know how much I adore and admire you. I’ll really miss your sweetness, your nicknames, your warmth, your laughs, and your hugs. You made us a family. Know you were that to us.”
Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, and other Harry Potter actors paid tribute to the late actor on social media.
Hugh Laurie, who commented on Twitter, “I used to ride with Robbie Coltrane between Manchester and London in his sort-of-restored MGA,” was among several who also shared their recollections. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed or learned so much in my life while rolling him cigarettes while he talked about the ways of the world.
“I first met Robbie Coltrane almost precisely 40 years ago,” Stephen Fry recalled. I simultaneously experienced amazement, dread, and love. We developed our first television program, Alfresco, with such depth, power, and talent that it made people hiccup and honk in helplessness. Goodbye, elderly man. You will be terribly missed.
Coltrane traveled across America in a vintage 1951 Cadillac from Los Angeles to New York City for his autobiography, Coltrane in a Cadillac, and for the 1993 television series of the same name.
Spencer, Alice, and their mother Rhona Gemmell are the last living members of Coltrane’s family, along with his sister Annie Rae.
The family, Wright said, “would like to thank the medical staff at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Scotland for their care and diplomacy.”