We're very sad to report that beloved Harry Potter star Robbie Coltrane has passed away at the age of 72. No cause of death was announced, but the actor was said to have been in ill health for the past two years.
Born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950, in Glasgow, Scotland , Coltrane began his career as a stand-up comedian before joining a theater company. Minor TV and film parts followed, with Coltrane’s big break coming when he landed the lead role of Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald in Jimmy McGovern’s Cracker, which ran for 25 episodes between 1993 and 2006.
After winning a BAFTA for his performance in Cracker, Coltrane went on to play Valentin Zukovsky in two James Bond films, GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. Of course, his most famous and recognizable character was Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise, a role which he'd reprise in the fantasy short film Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
Coltrane also wrote an autobiography titled Coltrane in a Cadillac, which was adapted into a TV series of the same name in 1993.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular wizard in the Harry Potter movies, shared the following tribute to his friend and co-star.
“Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and used to keep us laughing constantly as kids on the set,” Radcliffe’s statement reads. “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.”
Our thoughts go out to Robbie's family and friends during this difficult time.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.