Robbie Coltrane, who played the friendly half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the “J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter” movies, has died, his agency WME told Variety on Friday. He was 72.
Belinda Wright, Robbie’s agent of 40 years, confirmed the actor’s death. She described him as a “unique talent”.
“My client and friend Robbie Coltrane OBE passed away on Friday October 14. Robbie was a unique talent, sharing the Guinness Book of Records’ Award for winning three consecutive Best Actor Baftas for his portrayal of Fitz in Granada TV’s series Cracker in 1994, 1995, and 1996 with Sir Michael Gambon.”
Wright said IN. A STATEMENT
Coltrane was one of the first characters to appear in the Harry Potter films and became one of the film’s impactful supporting characters, from “Sorcerer’s Stone” in 2001 to “Deathly Hallows-Part 2” in 2011.
The Scottish actor, comedian, and writer also played Russian mobster Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in two James Bond movies, “GoldenEye” in 1995 and “The World Is Not Enough” in 1999.
In 1983, he had one of his first big roles on the British sketch comedy show “Alfresco.” He worked with then, future big stars like Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and Stephen Fry. A few years later, he worked with Thompson again on the BBC Scotland drama “Tutti Frutti” in 1987, which got him his first nomination for best actor at the British Academy Television Awards.
The actor’s last appearance with his Harry Potter family was in the “Return to Hogwarts” 20th anniversary special, which aired on HBO Max in January 2022. Fans were moved by the way he talked about how powerful the series was.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry in “Harry Potter” shared his fondest memory of Robbie and said he was lucky to work with him.
“Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and used to keep us laughing constantly as kids on that 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,” Radcliffe said.
“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.”
Daniel Radcliffe
Rowling, the ‘Harry Potter’ author, also mourns the passing of the legendary acror.
“I’ll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again. He was an incredible talent, a complete one-off, and I was beyond fortunate to know him, work with him, and laugh my head off with him. I send my love and deepest condolences to his family, above all his children,” Rowling said.