Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid, the good giant of the Harry Potter films, has died at the age of 72, The Guardian wrote, referring to the artist’s agent’s announcement on Friday.
Coltrane was born as Anthony Robert McMillan in Glasgow, graduated from art school there, and doubting his painting skills, switched to acting and started playing in radical companies. He adopted the stage name Coltrane in honor of jazz musician John Coltrane. He got his first film role in 1979, after which he appeared in smaller roles in films and TV series, and his sheer size helped him stand out from the crowd. In the eighties, he got bigger roles more and more often, including in Derek Jarman’s Caravaggio, in which he played the cardinal, or in Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V, where he played Falstaff.
He was honored three times with the British film Bafta award, in 1994, 1995 and 1996 he was also awarded the award for best TV actor. He played in two James Bond episodes, Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough. When J.K. Rowling’s series of Harry Potter novels were filmed, he was one of the first to be asked to play the role of Rubeus Hagrid, the warden of the Hogwarts school of wizardry. The opening episode, The Philosopher’s Stone, debuted in 2001, and Coltrane gained new young fans as the benevolent giant. Coltrane’s wife was sculptor Rhona Gemmell between 1999 and 2003, they had two children together.
MTI
pixabay
