Robbie Coltrane, Hagrid In ‘Harry Potter’ Films, Dead At 72

(CTN News) – Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter film franchise, died on Friday, according to his agent. He was 72 years old.

Also among his credits are the British series “Cracker” and the James Bond films “GoldenEye” and “The World Is Not Enough.”

It was not immediately possible to determine the cause of death.

Coltrane honed his comedic skills on the stage before he achieved international fame as the bearded Hagrid in the Harry Potter series.

It was in the 1980s that he appeared in a short-lived sketch series called “Alfresco” alongside Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and Emma Thompson.

A statement posted on Twitter on Friday honored Fry’s former co-star.

It has been almost exactly 40 years since I first met Robbie Coltrane. At the same time, I was struck with awe, terror, and love. There is such depth, power & talent: funny enough to cause helpless hiccups & honking during the production of our first TV show, “Alfresco,” he wrote. “Goodbye, old friend.

For his role in the six-part drama series “Tutti Frutti,” Coltrane was nominated for his first British Academy Television Award for best actor.

His first award would be for the television series “Cracker” in the 1990s. During 1993-1995, that series, a crime drama, aired for three seasons with two additional episodes.

As Hagrid, a half-giant, half-human character, Robbie Coltrane was a natural choice. During one interview, he recalled that he read the books to his children and loved them.

Robbie Coltrane As an actor, you must perform the voices. Children are expecting it. Monotones are not permitted,” he joked.

But it was his performance, in which he brought heart and humanity to the role – a literal gentle half-giant – that impressed audiences.

When Coltrane appeared in the HBO Max special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts,” he recalled his time on the films and the impact Hagrid had on him.

There is no doubt in my mind that everybody in the world would like a strong, powerful, good man on their side. This is what attracts people to Superman and these things,” he said. As far as I was concerned, Hagrid was always the good guy, wasn’t he? ”

Robbie Coltrane is survived by his children, Spencer and Alice; their mother, Rhona Gemmell and his sister Annie Rae, according to a statement from his UK agent, Belinda Wright.

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