By Nikita Vance
Coltrane passed in Forth Valley Royal Hospital on 14 October following lengthy battle with a debilitating illness. Coltrane was wheelchair bound since 2019 due to severe osteoarthritis, which left him with “no cartilage” in one of his knees, and was said to have been in pain “24 hours a day” in the period leading up to his death. The cause of his death is currently unknown.
He was previously forced to cancel his appearance at July’s Comic Con this year due to ill health, presumably caused by this ongoing condition.
His passing was confirmed by his agent Belinda Write who spoke of him fondly, “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.
Image via Wikipedia
“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.”
Coltrane, real name Anthony Robert McMillan, was best known for his roles as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter series and as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in the James Bond films GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. He had numerous successes across his almost 39-year career, most notably he was made an OBE in the 2006 New Year Honours list for his services to drama and was subsequently awarded the Bafta Scotland Award in 2011 for outstanding contribution to film.
Tributes have been pouring in for the beloved star. His Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe gave a statement to The New York Post saying, “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.”
Image via The Sun
Fellow co-star Emma Watson also paid tribute to via Instagram Story which she wrote, “Robbie was like the most fun uncle I’ve ever had, but most of all, he was deeply caring and compassionate towards me as a child and an adult. His talent was so immense that it made sense he played a giant—he could fill ANY space with his brilliance. Robbie, if I ever get to be so kind as you were to me on a film set I promise I’ll do it in your name and memory. Know how much I adore and admire you. I’ll really miss your sweetness, your nicknames, your warmth, your laughs, and your hugs. You made us a family. Know you were that to us.”
Hollywood and Scotland have been joined together, as both were shaken by this unexpected loss. The actor touched the lives of so many throughout his career, with fans citing Coltrane as their “childhood hero”. Without a doubt, he will be sorely missed and never forgotten.
