Robbie Coltrane, best known for his role as Rubeus Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter films, has sadly passed. He was 72.
Coltrane's agent and friend Belinda Wright confirmed the news, sharing:
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.
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.
In addition to starring in the Harry Potter franchise, Coltrane also appeared in 2004's Ocean's Twelve and the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999). His television credit includes starring in the series Cracker. The actor has received several accolades over his career, including multiple British Academy Television Awards and BAFTA Awards. He was also appointed an OBE in 2006, by Queen Elizabeth.
In the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, which aired on HBO Max earlier this year, Coltrane emotionally reflected on his time as Hagrid in the films, which were released between 2001 and 2011. He said:
I just think it's an end of an era. It's 10 years of my life, my children have grown up during it. The legacy of the movies is that my children's generation will show them to their children, so you could be watching it in 50 years' time, easy. I'll not be here sadly, but Hagrid will. Yes.
Our condolences to his friends and family.