LONDON: Robbie Coltrane was a Scottish actor, comedian, and writer best known for his portrayal of the endearing half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" series. His agency WME confirmed to 'Variety' on Friday night. He was 72.
From "Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001 through "Deathly Hallows Part 2" in 2011, Coltrane appeared in every "Harry Potter" film and was praised for bringing the character from J.K. Rowling's book series to life.
He was among the first characters to appear on television, and he gave a young Daniel Radcliffe the line, "Yer a wizard, Harry," as he set off on his adventure into the wizarding world.
According to "Variety," Hagrid was a giant with a soft spot for dangerous animals. He took care of some of the fiercest and most recognisable animals from the "Harry Potter" universe.
He looked after the eerily gorgeous Thestrals, Buckbeak the hippogriff, Fang the boarhound, Fluffy the three-headed dog, Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, and Aragog the enormous talking spider.
"Robbie was one of the funniest individuals I've met," Daniel Radcliffe gushed in a touching homage to Coltrane. "Robbie used to keep us laughing continuously as youngsters on the set. I notably remember how he helped lift our spirits on "Prisoner of Azkaban," when we were all holed up in Hagrid's hut for hours in the pouring rain. To boost spirits, he was making jokes and telling stories. I consider myself tremendously fortunate to have met and worked with him, and I'm devastated by his passing. He was a beautiful man and a fantastic actor. Coltrane will always be remembered by millions of people for his role as Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" films, but he was also a part of the James Bond series, having starred in the films "Golden Eye" from 1995 and "The World Is Not Enough" from 1999.
The latest instance of Coltrane's "Harry Potter" comeback was when he joined Radcliffe and other actors, most notably Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, in HBO Max's 20th anniversary "Return to Hogwarts" reunion special.
In the reunion special, Coltrane observed, "The legacy of the movies is that my children's generation will show them to their children. "Therefore, you might view it in 50 years. Unfortunately, Hagrid will be here without me. I'll never know someone quite like Robbie again, wrote controversial "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling in a statement honouring Coltrane on Twitter. He had a very unique talent, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have known him, worked with him, and laughed uncontrollably with him. My heartfelt condolences and affection go out to his family, especially his children.
Legendary actress Meryl Streep to become a grandmother again
Why Melissa McCarthy messing up sex talk with her daughter?
Joaquin fled 'Her' set amid 'bizarre' fake orgasm recordings: Johansson