Who was ‘Harry Potter’ star Robbie Coltrane? Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson pay tribute to ‘Hagrid’
Actor Robbie Coltrane, best known for his role as ‘Hagrid’ in the Harry Potter series, breathed his last on Friday at the age of 72 in Scotland. His co-stars from the film, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, paid their tributes to the actor calling him an “incredible actor” and that “there was no better Hagrid”, respectively.
FollowActor Robbie Coltrane, best known for his role of gentle half-giant ‘Rubeus Hagrid’ in the Harry Potter franchise, breathed his last on Friday night (IST) at the age of 72. Robbie was also famous for his stellar performance in the British series 'Cracker'. His passing away has created a wave of mourning not only among his co-stars but also among his fans across the globe, including India. Robbie’s ‘Hagrid’ was one of the much-loved characters of from the franchise based on author JK Rowling’s novels.
Robbie Coltrane was born on March 30, 1950, in Glasgow, Scotland, as ‘Anthony Robert Macmillan’. After completing his studies, he tried his hand at acting but could not succeed. This led him to do stand-up comedy at clubs.
Robbie Coltrane eventually started his acting career with a TV serial. Before appearing in films, he also worked in shows such as ‘Flash Gordon’, ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Keep It in the Family’. Apart from this, he also appeared in comedy shows including ‘A Kick Up the Eights’, ‘The Comic Strip’ and ‘Alfresco’. Robbie appeared as an antisocial criminal psychologist in Jimmy McGovern's ‘Cracker’ series, which aired between 1993 and 2006.
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Meanwhile, Robbie Coltrane’s Harry Potter co-stars, Daniel Radcliff and Emma Watson have paid tributes to the late actor. Daniel, who played the titular role in the franchise, issued a statement in which he called Robbie “one of the funniest people” he had met, adding that he feels “incredibly lucky” to have worked with him.
Daniel Radcliffe also spoke about an incident from the sets of Harry Potter when he and Robbie Coltrane were filming ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’. "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," wrote Daniel Radcliff in his statement.
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Similar thoughts about Robbie Coltrane were echoed by Emma Watson, who played the role of ‘Hermione Granger’ in the franchise. Taking to Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Rest in peace, Robbie Coltrane. 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 it made sense he played a giant-he could fill any space with his brilliance."
Author JK Rowling also poured her tribute on Twitter for the late actor. In a tweet for Robbie Coltrane, she wrote: “I'll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again. He was an incredible talent, a complete one off, and I was beyond fortunate to know him, work with him, and laugh my head off with him. I send my love and deepest condolences to his family, above all his children."
