Robbie Coltrane, probably best identified for his position as Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, has died aged 72.
Born Anthony Robert McMillan in Glasgow, Coltrane went to Glasgow School of Art till he had second thoughts about expertise, and switched to appearing in and doing standup, taking his name from jazz musician John Coltrane.
Coltrane began out with small elements in movies and TV shows, including Flash Gordon, and Are You Being Served? His distinctive look ensured he stood out from the group. In the early Nineteen Eighties, TV sketch shows corresponding to A Kick Up the Eighties positioned him in an alternate comedy camp alongside Ben Elton and Rik Mayall with regular appearances in Comic Strip Presents films including Five Go Mad in Dorset and The Bullshitters.
As Coltrane’s skills as an actor grew, he discovered himself wanted for better roles in greater tasks, including Falstaff in Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V. But it was two religious-themed comedy movies – Nuns on the Run, and The Pope Must Die – that propelled Coltrane to leading-man standing, and put him on the map in the US.
Coltrane’s standing was confirmed when he played the felony psychologist “Fitz” Fitzgerald in Cracker. A fully non-comic function, Coltrane gained the best TV actors Bafta in 1994, 1995 and 1996 for the function.
Coltrane admitted to being a heavy drinker within the Eighties, and remained famously combative, once threatening to beat up Piers Morgan in a London restaurant. He was then forged as KGB agent Valentin Domitrovich Zukovsky in two Bond movies, Golden Eye, and The World Is Not Enough. His performance as a TV star accused of sexual abuse within the 2016 Channel 4 present National Treasure was greeted with widespread acclaim.
Stratospheric fame and standing as a nationwide treasure got here when he was cast as Hogwarts’ school caretaker Rubeus Hagrid within the movie adaptations of the Harry Potter series – a job he took solely with his children’s persuasion.
Snap began pouring in on social media.
Stephen Fry said…
“I first met Robbie Coltrane virtually precisely forty years in the past. I was in awe, terror, and love-struck all on the identical time. Such depth, power and expertise: humorous enough to trigger helpless hiccups & honking as we made our first TV present, ‘Alfresco.’ Farewell, outdated fellow. You’ll be so dreadfully missed.”
JK Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter books, paid tribute to “an incredible expertise.” She said…
“I’ll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again. He was a whole one-off, and I was past lucky to know him, work with him and snort my head off with him.”
Daniel Radcliffe, who starred in the movies, said…
“Robbie was one of the funniest folks I’ve met and used to keep us laughing continually as children on the set. I’ve especially fond memories of him keeping our spirits up on Prisoner Of Azkaban once we have been all hiding from the torrential rain for hours in Hagrid’s hut and he was telling tales and cracking jokes to maintain morale up.
“I feel incredibly lucky that I got to satisfy and work with him and really unhappy that he’s handed. He was an incredible actor and a stunning man.”
Coltrane married the sculptor Rhona Gemmell in 1999, but they separated in 2003. They had two children. The actor was made an OBE in the 2006 New Year’s honours list for his providers to drama and was awarded the Bafta Scotland Award for outstanding contribution to film in 2011..