Robbie Coltrane, actor who starred in ‘Harry Potter’ series as Hagrid, dies at 72
Coltrane’s voice and the voices of millions of fans across the globe were heard on the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which became the highest grossing film of all time, earning over $11.5 billion at the worldwide box office.
But Coltrane was best known for his role as a young wizard in the 1966 film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which starred Johnny Depp as the iconic wizard Harry.
He was also in the iconic cult TV show The Prisoner, opposite Hugh Laurie, and The Long Good Friday.
His other film credits also included The Wackness with Alan Bates, as well as the films Dementia 13 and The Darkroom.
The actor leaves his wife, actress Patricia Coltrane-Barnes, and their children – son Frankie Jr., and daughters Frankie, Rose, and Sophie – his family said in a statement.
His death in New York City was announced by the American Theatre Wing, which said he had passed away at the age of 72.
Coltrane was born to Cuban parents in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, before having his family move to New York when he was five years old.
In the film, Hagrid is a professor at the wizarding school, and his line is dubbed ‘Grammar’.
Coltrane’s first real acting experience came at the age of two, when he starred in the film Little Willie Brown.
He was also a singer, and his first big break was when he was cast for the TV series That’s My Boy.
Hagrid
He was then cast as the young wizard Voldemort in the 1965 film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which followed the book by J.K. Rowling.
In the film, Hagrid plays the role, while Colin Baker is the wizard and Harry is played by Daniel Radcliffe.
“It went from his first audition to filming,” actor Mark Gatiss told BBC News Online.
“There was a lot of pressure and there was a lot of tension.
“He just showed up on