Robbie Coltrane, the actor who brought the loving gamekeeper Hagrid to life in the Harry Potter film series, passed away on Friday, according to Scott Henderson, his agent. Coltrane was known for his work in the Harry Potter film franchise. He was 72.
Other works that the actor, who was born in Scotland, is known for include the British television series “Cracker,” as well as the James Bond movies “GoldenEye” and “The World Is Not Enough.”
There was no information supplied at this time on the cause of death.
On stage is where Coltrane first polished his comic abilities, long before he became famous all over the world for portraying the character of Hagrid with a beard.
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In the 1980s, he had an appearance in a sketch series called “Alfresco” alongside actors Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and Emma Thompson, all of whom are considered to be industry heavyweights.
Nearly forty years ago, to this day, I had my first encounter with Robbie Coltrane. I was overcome with amazement, dread, and love all at the same time. Such depth, strength, and talent: humorous enough to provoke hopeless hiccups and honking while we produced our first TV show, ‘Alfresco,'” he said in his letter. “Farewell, old buddy.
Coltrane worked with Thompson once again on the drama series “Tutti Frutti,” which lasted for six episodes and won him a nomination for the British Academy Television Award in the category of best actor.
His first victory would come in the ’90s for the television series “Cracker.” This drama about criminals aired for three seasons between 1993 and 1995, followed by two specials after its conclusion.
Coltrane seemed to be a perfect fit for the part of Hagrid, a character that is half-giant and half-human. In one interview, he remembered that he read the novels to his children, which is how he became familiar with and fond of them.
If you want to be an actor, you have to learn how to perform the voices. The children are accustomed to it. He laughed and said, “No monotones permitted.”
But what viewers remember most is his performance, which brought heart and empathy to the part of a literal gentle half-giant. This is what audiences found most memorable about his work.
Coltrane spoke on his experience working on the Harry Potter films and the influence Hagrid had during his appearance in the HBO Max special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.”
“The simplest way to put it is that everyone in the world would like to have a really large, gigantic, strong, and decent man on their side. “That’s what makes Superman and these other things so appealing,” he explained. “Hagrid has always been, without a doubt, the upstanding citizen, hasn’t he?”
According to a statement released by Belinda Wright, who worked as Coltrane’s agent in the United Kingdom, the musician is survived by his children, Spencer and Alice, as well as their mother, Rhona Gemmell, and his sister, Annie Rae.