Leavesden Harry Potter tour pays tribute to Robbie Coltrane

His agent confirmed that the actor died on October 14. He was 72.

The Scottish star, whose real name is Anthony Robert McMillan, was best known for playing the beloved Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid since the first Harry Potter movie was released in 2001.

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Warner Bros. Studios said in a statement on Facebook: “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.”

Mr Coltrane appeared in all eight Harry Potter movies that were filmed at the studios in Leavesden.  

J.K. Rowling, who authored the novels, also paid tribute to the actor on Twitter.

I'll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again. He was an incredible talent, a complete one off, and I was beyond fortunate to know him, work with him and laugh my head off with him. I send my love and deepest condolences to his family, above all his children. pic.twitter.com/tzpln8hD9z

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 14, 2022

And star of the Harry Potter films, Daniel Radcliffe, said in a statement shared to the PA news agency: “Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and used to keep us laughing constantly as kids on the set.

“I’ve especially fond memories of him keeping our spirits up on Prisoner of Azkaban, when we were all hiding from the torrential rain for hours in Hagrid’s hut and he was telling stories and cracking jokes to keep morale up.

“I feel incredibly lucky that I got to meet and work with him and very sad that he’s passed. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”

Born in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, in 1950, Mr Coltrane was the son of teacher and pianist Jean Ross and general practitioner Ian Baxter McMillan, and was educated at independent school Glenalmond College in Perth and Kinross.

Actor Robbie Coltrane with his OBE after receiving it from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2006. Picture: Andrew Parsons/PA (Image: free)

He later attended Glasgow School of Art and Moray House College of Education in Edinburgh and moved into acting in his twenties.

In addition to Harry Potter, Mr Coltrane stared in a string of TV shows and movies including GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough.

But it was his role as criminal psychologist Dr Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald in the ITV series Cracker that secured him the best actor BAFTA award for three consecutive years from 1994 to 1996.

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