Robbie Coltrane's death saddens more than Harry Potter fans

Posted Nov. 1, 2022

By Sal McElhaney

Staff Reporter

Death amongst the world of actors is a very common thing, however, it affects everyone in the world very differently. On October 14th, 2022, we lost a legend of this world, Robbie Coltrane. He had passed away at age 72.

Robbie Coltrane was a Scottish comedian and actor, widely known for his role as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise. He really seemed to bring the magic of Hagrid from the books to the TV screen excellently, gaining love from Harry Potter fans everywhere. However, he is also well known for his role in Van Helsing as Dr. Henry Jeykll. Coltrane also made appearances in the 2006 New Years Honours and received an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his services in drama as a whole. 

As for Coltranes comedian career, he appears in the Lenny Henry Show, the Young Ones, and The pope must die. He plays the roles of an ensemble actor, Self, and The Pope. Of course, these are smaller roles, however he’s still quite well known for them. Just not as known as Hagrid.

According to https://www.eonline.com/ , Daniel Radcliffe who stars as Harry Potter, states “He was one of the funniest people Ive met and used to keep us laughing as kids constantly on 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 lovely man."

Within this same article, Emma Watson, known for her role as Hermione Granger in the movies, states that Coltrane was like “the most fun uncle I’ve ever had.” It is obvious within the article and the way each actor speaks of Coltrane that he was very loved appreciated amongst the actors and production crew members alike. 

Just a few short days after Coltranes passing, tributes of all kinds were being posted amongst social media, most popularly on tiktok. One sound that is used most often is of Coltrane himself, saying “The legacy of the movies is that my children’s generation will show them to their children, so you could be watching it 50 years time, easy. I’ll not be here, sadly. But Hagrid will…yes.” It truly shows how much of an impact Coltrane and especially his portrayal of Hagrid had on the world.

Rest in Peace, Robbie Coltrane, you will be missed by many.