The beloved actor died in the hospital near Falkirk in Scotland.
Robbie Coltrane, the beloved actor best known for his roles in Harry Potter, two James Bond films, and the UK television series Cracker, has died. He was 72.
According to multiple reports, the Scottish actor died Friday in a hospital near Falkirk in Scotland. According to NBC News, Coltrane had been ill and wasn't active recently.
Born Anthony Robert McMillan in Rutherglen, Scotland in 1950, Coltrane's acting career started in theater. He appeared on The Slab Boys before finding his way onto the big screen in films such as Flash Gordon and Mona Lisa. He also appeared in Nuns On the Run and Ocean's Twelve. In his 20s, Coltrane adopted the last name as his stage name in honor of the jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.
He earned critical acclaim for his role as Dr. Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald in the UK TV drama Cracker. That role would go on to earn him three straight BAFTA Masks for Best Actor in 1994, 1995 and 1996. He earned two more BAFTA nominations for his roles in Tutti Frutti (1987) and National Treasure (2016).
But it was his portrayal as the lovable half-giant, half-wizard Rubeus Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter films that made him a household name. It's been reported that, when J.K. Rowling was asked who was at the top of her list to play Hagrid, she immediately said "Robbie Coltrane for Hagrid" without skipping a beat.
Coltrane also starred in the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and The World is Not Enough (1999), portraying the character Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky. He was bestowed with the Order of the British Empire honor in 2006 for his services to drama. BAFTA also honored him with the Scotland Award for outstanding contribution in 2011.
The news of his death quickly spread around the world on Friday. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted after hearing the "very sad news."
"He had such range and depth as an actor, from brilliant comedy to hard-edged drama," she wrote. "I think my favourite of all his roles was Fitz in Cracker. Robbie Coltrane, Scottish entertainment legend - you will be hugely missed. RIP."
Actor Stephen Fry also tweeted, "I first met Robbie Coltrane almost exactly 40 years ago. I was awe/terror/love struck all at the same time. Such depth, power & talent: funny enough to cause helpless hiccups & honking as we made our first TV show, “Alfresco”. Farewell, old fellow. You’ll be so dreadfully missed."
Coltrane is survived by his two children.
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