Robbie Coltrane, Hagrid In 'Harry Potter,' Is Dead At 72
The actor brought the fan-favorite literary character to life in the beloved film franchise.
Robbie Coltrane, a Scottish actor best known for his roles in the Harry Potter and James Bond franchises, has died at the age of 72. His agent Belinda Wright confirmed the news, saying the “unique talent” passed at a hospital near Falkirk in Scotland.
She added to the BBC that Coltrane’s role as Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter films "brought joy to children and adults alike all over the world".
"For me personally I shall remember him as an abidingly loyal client. As well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent, brilliantly witty and after 40 years of being proud to be called his agent, I shall miss him,” she wrote.
Most recently, Coltrane appeared alongside his co-stars in HBO Max’s Return to Hogwarts special, in celebration of the film franchise’s 20th anniversary in January 2022.
“The legacy of the movies is that my children’s generation will show them to their children,” Coltrane said during the special. “So you could be watching it in 50-years time, easy. I’ll not be here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes.”
A wonderful performer, indeed.
Coltrane appeared in two Bond films, 1995’s GoldenEye and 1999’s The World Is Not Enough as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky. He’s also known for his work on the British sketch comedy series “Alfresco” in 1983, alongside the likes Emma Thompson, whom he also co-starred with in the 1987 BBC Scotland drama Tutti Frutti — earning his first Best Actor nomination from the British Academy Television Awards.
The actor won BAFTA TV awards for his role as criminal psychologist Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald in the ‘90s ITV crime drama Cracker in 1993-1995, and was celebrated for his work in the acclaimed 2016 miniseries National Treasure.
Colleagues and admirers alike took to Twitter to remember Coltrane and his career, including Harry Potter writer J.K Rowling.
In a statement, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said, “Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and used to keep us laughing constantly as kids on the set. I’ve especially fond memories of him keeping our spirits up on Prisoner of Azkaban, when we were all hiding from the torrential rain for hours in Hagrid’s hut and he was telling stories and cracking jokes to keep morale up. I feel incredibly lucky that I got to meet and work with him and very sad that he’s passed. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”
Coltrane is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his children, Spencer and Alice, and their mother Rhona Gemmell.
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