‘Harry Potter’ Actor Robbie Coltrane Dies at 72 Years Old
It’s a sad day in the Wizarding World. Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane has died. The actor was only 72 years old, having been born on March 30, 1950, in Rutherglen, Scotland. Coltrane famously played Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in all eight of the Harry Potter films.
‘Harry Potter’ star Robbie Coltrane dead
According to Deadline, Harry Potter star Robbie Coltrane died at a hospital close to his home in Larbert, Scotland, on Oct. 14, 2022.
It’s unclear what the exact cause of death was, but the actor was known to be in poor health for the past couple of years.
Coltrane married Rhona Gemmell in 1999, and they had two children together — Spencer, born in 1992, and Alice, born in 1998. Sadly, Coltrane and Gemmell divorced in 2003.
What other movies besides ‘Harry Potter’ did Robbie Coltrane star in?
Although most of the world knows Robbie Coltrane for his role as Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise, the Scottish actor starred in many other famous movies and television series.
Coltrane played the James Bond character Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. He starred in the series Alfresco and Tutti Frutti, the latter of which earned him his first British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Actor nomination.
However, Coltrane’s role as Dr. Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald in Cracker gave him the most notoriety. He earned three British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor from 1994 to 1996.
Coltrane most recently appeared as himself in the Harry Potter reunion — Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.
And to further cement his star status, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Coltrane an OBE in 2006.
The actor reflected on the legacy of ‘Harry Potter’
During Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, Robbie Coltrane shared his thoughts on the franchise and how it will live on forever.
“I just think it’s the end of an era — 10 years of my life,” the actor tearfully said. “My children have grown up during it, of course. 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.”
Many fans are sharing a clip of this video from the reunion to mourn Coltrane and celebrate his own legacy as Hagrid, who was a mentor to not only Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, but fans worldwide.
The official Harry Potter Twitter account released a statement regarding Coltrane’s death. It reads, “We are hugely saddened to hear of the passing of the magnificent Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid with such kindness, heart and humour in the Harry Potter films. He was a wonderful actor, a friend to all and he will be deeply missed.”
