Respected Scottish actor, writer, and comedian Robbie Coltrane, known for portraying Rubeus Hagrid in Harry Potter and Dr. Fitz in Cracker, has passed away at 72.
He embodied the humble gamekeeper giant in every single film entry of Harry Potter, from 2001’s Philosopher’s Stone all the way to 2011’s Deathly Hallows Part II.
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Furthermore, Coltrane was not only one of the first characters to appear in the movies, but he was also one of the most beloved. Hagrid was responsible for securing Harry’s passage to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during his first year.
A massive figure with an incredibly soft heart, Hagrid also served as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, caring for many of the most iconic beasts and creatures that are seen throughout the saga. This includes the incredible griffon named Buckbeak.
In response to his passing, Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who played Harry Potter, paid tribute to the time spent on the set with Coltrane. “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.”
Coltrane’s career spans more than 35 years. One of his major debuts took place in 1983 on the British sketch comedy show Alfresco. He played alongside other up-and-coming performers, including Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie. Several years later, he was brought back together with Thompson on Tutti Frutti, a drama that aired on BBC Scotland in 1987.
In the early 1990’s he played the criminal psychologist Dr. Edward Fitzergald on the show Cracker and was recognized for his performance with multiple British Academy Television awards.
He was also well-known for his portrayal of Russian mobster Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in GoldenEye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999) during the Pierce Brosnan era of James Bond films.
The famous Scottish performer is survived by his children Alice and Spencer, Rhona Gemmel (their mother), and sister Annie Rae. His agent throughout his long career, Belinda Wright, said that she will “remember him…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.”
His last appearance was the Harry Potter 20th anniversary HBO Max reunion special, in which the cast reflect on their time bringing the most successful series of children’s books to life on the big screen. This aired in January 2022. Sharing his thoughts on the series also acted as an emotional farewell to longtime fans.
In the special, he states that “the legacy of the movies is that my children’s generation will show them to their children. So you could be watching it in 50-years time, easy. I’ll not be here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes.”