Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter’s Hagrid, Passes Away at 72
He rose to prominence for his portrayal as Dr Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald in the ITV series Cracker.
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Actor Robbie Coltrane, who played the role of Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, passed away at the age of 72, his agent said on Friday.
"My client and friend Robbie Coltrane OBE passed away on Friday October 14," Belinda Wright said in a statement. Wright also called him "a unique talent".
Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on 30 March, 1950, in Rutherglen near Glasgow. He forged a career as an actor, comedian and writer.
He rose to prominence for his portrayal as the hard-drinking criminal psychologist Dr Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald in the ITV series Cracker (1993-2006).
On the big screen, Coltrane had roles in the 1987 Neil Jordan crime drama Mona Lisa and teamed up with former Monty Python star Eric Idle in the 1990 comedy Nuns on the Run.
He also played a former KGB agent-turned-Russian mafia boss in two James Bond films -- Goldeneye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999) -- with Pierce Brosnan.
He will be best remembered as Hagrid. The role "brought joy to children and adults alike all over the world, prompting a stream of fan letters every week for over 20 years", said Wright adding, "For me personally I shall remember him as an abidingly loyal client. 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."
Coltrane is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his children Spencer and Alice and their mother Rhona Gemmell.
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