Venerable Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, best known as the dragon-loving half-giant Hagrid from the “Harry Potter” movie franchise, died on fridaysaid his managers.
He was 72.
An agency representative, William Morris Endeavor, confirmed his death to NBC News, saying Coltrane had been ill and had been inactive lately.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the magnificent Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid with such kindness, heart and humor in the Harry Potter films,” the “Harry Potter” movie franchise said in a statement.
“He was a great actor, a friend to everyone and he will be sorely missed.”
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the seven installments of the franchise, fondly remembered all the moments he spent with Coltrane, who always kept it light even when it was dark outside.
“Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and kept us laughing like kids on set,” Radcliffe said in a statement.
“I have especially fond memories of him cheering us up about Prisoner of Azkaban, when we all hid for hours from the torrential rain in Hagrid’s cabin, telling stories and making jokes to keep morale up.”
Radcliffe added: “I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet and work with him, and I am very sad that he has passed away. He was an incredible actor and a nice man.”
And fellow “Harry Potter” actor James Phelps, who played one of the Weasely twins, recalled being a fresh 14-year-old nervous on the first day on set in September 2020.
He met Coltrane and the veteran actor reassured him: “Enjoy it, you’ll be great,” said Phelps.
“Thanks for that,” the actor tweeted.
Coltrane’s cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
“For me personally, I will remember him as an enduringly loyal customer,” his agent Belinda Wright said in a statement.
“Not only was he a great actor, he was forensically intelligent, brilliantly witty and after 40 years of being proud to be called his agent, I will miss him.”
While viewers in the US and around the world know him best for playing Harry Potter’s friend and pseudo parental figure, British audiences have long loved him as Dr. Edward ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald in the long-running crime drama ‘Cracker’.
He has won three consecutive awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for best actor for his work on ‘Cracker’ playing a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, gambling-addicted forensic psychologist.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said ‘Ftiz’ was one of her favorite TV characters and called Coltrane a ‘Scottish entertainment legend’.
“Very sad news. He had such range and depth as an actor, from brilliant comedy to gritty drama,” the leader of the Scottish National Party said in a statement.
His last credit came in 2020 on the British comedy drama, “Urban Myths”, with an off-beat, funny take on Orson Welles.
This is a story in development. Come back for updates.
Liam Woods and Maya Brown contributed.