Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022)
Hello moviegoers, we've just lost someone famous that happened quite recently. Scottish-born actor Robbie Coltrane, best known for portraying the lovable half-giant Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" series, died on 14 October 2022. He was 72 years old. Coltrane was only a stage name when the actor got it from the inspiration of his favourite jazz musician, John Coltrane. Before gaining international fame, Coltrane dabbled in comedy on the theatre stage and in 1980, he made his film debut in "Flash Gordon" in a minor role as a man at the airfield. The following year, Coltrane became a regular on the comedy "A Kick up the Eighties" and landed an iconic role in the Comic Strip's "Five Go Mad in Dorset" by playing a female shopkeeper and a male gypsy. He even appeared in a short-lived sketch TV series, "Alfresco", with English actors Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson.
In 1987, while the actor was becoming reasonably well-known on television, he made his big break when cast in the lead role in the six-part heartwarming rock 'n' roll drama series "Tutti Frutti". It reunited him with Thompson, earning him his first British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor. After "Tutti Frutti" came a few movie roles for him, including "Nuns on the Run" and "The Pope Must Die". In 1993, Robbie would land a lead role as a troubled criminal psychologist in the dark and hard-hitting drama series "Cracker", which won him three BAFTAS and ran for three seasons, with two subsequent specials. Coltrane continued to thrive extensively on television and cinema, especially when he appeared as a former KGB operative, Valentin Zukovsky, in the James Bond movies with Pierce Brosnan, "GoldenEye", and "The World Is Not Enough".
In 2001, he received a natural role in the "Harry Potter" franchise when J.K. Rowling was desperate to cast him as the bearded half-giant gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Naturally, Coltrane accepted it as his children urged him to do it. Starring in all eight movies, this impacted a new audience of younger fans for Coltrane that helped to re-energise his career, particularly on British TV. In 2016, he returned to the small screen with an edgy drama "National Treasure", where he played a TV actor accused of sexual abuse. Coltrane appeared less frequently in films and television, especially in later years when health issues started to plague him. However, he returned for an interview in HBO Max's "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts", where the aging actor recalled his time in the movies and Hagrid's impact.
Goodbye, Robbie and thank you for playing the character that impacted younger generations. Here is the clip of his iconic role in a pivotal moment that introduced Hagrid and utters the famous line to Harry about who he is.
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