Robbie Coltrane, the Scottish actor who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter series, died on Friday (October 14th) at the age of 72. Coltrane’s agent, Belinda Wright, said in a statement, “As well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent and brilliantly witty, and after 40 years of being proud to be to called his agent, I shall miss him.”
Along with Harry Potter, Coltrane starred in two James Bond films: GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. He also won three consecutive BAFTA best television actor awards for his work in the British series Cracker.
Many stars from the Harry Potter franchise took to social media to honor the late actor, including J.K. Rowling, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
Daniel Radcliffe said in a statement, “Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and used to keep us laughing constantly as kids on the 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. 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.”
Watson wrote on her Instagram stories, “Robbie was like the most fun uncle I’ve ever had, but most of all, he was deeply caring and compassionate towards me as a child and an adult. His talent was so immense that it made sense he played a giant — he could fill ANY space with his brilliance. Robbie, if I ever get to be so kind as you were to me on a film set I promise I’ll do it in your name and memory. Know how much I adore and admire you. I’ll really miss your sweetness, your nicknames, your warmth, your laughs, and your hugs. You made us a family. Know you were that to us.”
