Robbie Coltrane, the Scottish actor best known for playing the lovable half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, died on Friday at the age of 72.
Coltrane’s more than four-decade-long career ranged from roles in the James Bond films “GoldenEye” and “The World Is Not Enough” to the lead in the 1990s British TV series “Cracker”, as criminal psychologist Dr. Edward ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald.
The actor’s agent Belinda Wright said he died Friday at a hospital in Scotland. Belinda Wright said that “as well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent, brilliantly witty and after 40 years of being proud to be called his agent, I shall miss him.” She added that Coltrane is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his ex-wife Rhona Gemmell and his children Spencer and Alice.
Robbie Coltrane gained recognition in the 1990s as a tough-guy detective in Cracker. He earned the best actor prize at the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA) three years in a row for his work on the show.
He gained global popularity as Hagrid in the film version of JK Rowling’s famous and best-selling Harry Potter novel.
In all eight Harry Potter films released between 2001 and 2011, he plays the kind half-giant who serves as a mentor and companion to the child wizard.
In the James Bond films GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough, he played a Russian mafia leader.
In recent years, he has received critical acclaim for his role in the 2016 miniseries National Treasure as a popular TV personality who may be harboring a dark secret. He was most recently seen in Harry Potter and the 20th Anniversary of Hogwarts: Return to Hogwarts.