Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Harry Potter cast, Robbie Coltrane Hagrid, has been confirmed dead by top US tabloids. (Read More Here).
The Scottish star, whose real name is Anthony Robert McMillan, was born in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, in 1950.
Coltrane was the son of teacher and pianist Jean Ross and GP Ian Baxter McMillan, and was educated at independent school Glenalmond College in Perth and Kinross.
The actor’s career began in 1979 in the TV series Play for Today, but he came to prominence in A Kick Up the Eighties, a BBC TV comedy series which also starred Tracey Ullman, Miriam Margolyes and Rik Mayall.
He also appeared in the 1983 ITV comedy Alfresco, with Fry, Emma Thompson, Siobhan Redmond and Hugh Laurie.
By 1987 he had a leading role in Tutti Frutti, about Scottish rock and roll band The Majestics, which also starred Emma Thompson and Richard Wilson.The year before he was in British crime film Mona Lisa, starring Bob Hoskins.
Coltrane gained further fame starring as criminal psychologist Dr Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald in the ITV series Cracker from 1993 to 1995 and in a special return episode in 2006.
The role secured him the Bafta award for best actor for three consecutive years from 1994 to 1996.
Arguably his best-known role came in the Harry Potter film series as he starred in all eight movies as Rubeus Hagrid alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
The boisterous and decidedly eccentric Scotsman, who began his career in comedy and theater, also commanded the screen in two James Bond films during an illustrious career on both sides of the Atlantic.
Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950, in Glasgow, Scotland as the son of a doctor and teacher. After graduating from Glasgow Art School, he continued his studies in art at Moray House College of Education in Edinburgh.
But as his attempts to become an artist failed to pan out, Coltrane took up stand-up comedy in Edinburgh clubs. And he changed his last name in honor of the jazz legend John Coltrane as he turned to acting in London.
Coltrane’s early TV credits include Flash Gordon, Blackadder and Keep It in the Family. His other comedy credits included series like A Kick Up the Eighties, The Comic Strip and Alfresco as he became a mainstay on British TV screens.
Coltrane’s breakout role was playing Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald, an anti-social criminal psychologist with a gift for solving crimes, in Jimmy McGovern’s Cracker series, which ran over 25 episodes between 1993 and 2006.
That BAFTA-winning performance led Coltrane to roles in two James Bond films as he played Valentin Zukovsky in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. Coltrane’s other big supporting roles came as he played Rubeus Hagrid the Giant in the Harry Potter films, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001.
Coltrane penned an autobiography, Coltrane in a Cadillac, and also starred in the TV series of the same name in 1993, where he drove across America from Los Angeles to New York City in a classic 1951 Cadillac car.
Coltrane is survived by sister Annie Rae and his children Spencer and Alice and their mother Rhona Gemmell.
In a statement, his agent Belinda Wright confirmed the actor died in hospital near Falkirk in Scotland.
She described Coltrane as a “unique talent”, adding his role as Hagrid “brought joy to children and adults alike all over the world”.
“For me personally I shall remember him as an abidingly loyal client. As well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent, brilliantly witty and after 40 years of being proud to be called his agent, I shall miss him.
“He is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his children Spencer and Alice and their mother Rhona Gemmell. They would like to thank the medical staff at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert for their care and diplomacy.
“Please respect Robbie’s family’s privacy at this distressing time.”
Harry Potter author JK Rowling led the tributes on Twitter, describing Coltrane as an “incredible talent”.
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