Silke Jasso
It’s a sad day for Harry Potter fans after iconic star Robbie Coltrane has died at the age of 72. According to his agency with me, the Scottish-born actor began his career in theater and comedy.
Videos by Rare
Through a statment, his agent Belinda Wright noted, “He will probably be best remembered for decades to come as Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, a role which brought joy to children and adults alike all over the world, prompting a stream of fan letters every week for over 20 years.”
Robbie Coltrane Dies at 72
The actor was born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950, in Glasgow, Scotland. After graduating from Glasgow art school he then went on to continue at Morehouse College of Education located in Edinborough.
Unfortunately, his career as an artist didn’t take off as well. This led him to take up stand-up comedy in Scotland clubs. He later went on to change his last name in honor of John Coltrane, who was a jazz legend and quickly moved to London to start acting. Some of his TV credits include Blackadder, Keep It in the Family and Flash Gordon. Other comedy series include Alfresco, A Kick Up the Eighties and The Comic Strip.
His breakout role came later playing Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald in the series Cracker. He appeared in over 25 episodes between the years 1993 and 2006.
Harry Potter– Best of Hagrid
After receiving a BAFTA, the actor went on to star in two James Bond films where he played Valentin Aukovsky in GoldenEye and The Word Is Not Enough. He went on to gain International attention after starring in Harry Potter films. Coltrane starred in a big supporting role-playing Rubeus Hagrid. We first met his character in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, becoming a fan favorite.
Back in 2019, he reprised his role as Hagrid in the short film Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. He went on to write an autobiography, Coltrane in the Cadillac, and starred in the TV series of the same name back in 1993. In the show, he drove across the United States from Los Angeles to New York City in a 1951 Cadillac car.
Details of his death have yet to be revealed, but his family thanked doctors and nurses at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert. Coltrane is survived by his sister Annie Ray, his children Alice and Spencer, and their mother Rhona Gemmell.
