The current 2022 does not continue to bring the most pleasant news. On October 14, the media reported the death of actor Robbie Coltrane, best known for playing the half-blood giant Hagrid from the Harry Potter films. He was 72 years old. The Hogwarts ranger is the case when the image of a character from books is inextricably linked to the person who embodied him on screen. We decided not to step aside and honor the memory of a bright actor, recalling how he came to his main role in life.
‘I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have said that…’
Robbie Coltrane was born in Scotland in 1950 into a family of true intellectuals. Mother – Jean Macmillan-Ross worked as a piano teacher, father – Ian Baxter Macmillan worked as a doctor and forensic surgeon. The parents named their middle son Anthony Robert McMillan. Only years later the famous pseudonym appears, which the man will assume impressed by the famous jazz saxophonist of the second half of the 20th century – John Coltrane.
Little is known about Robbie’s early years. He began his studies at Glenalmond College, a prestigious boarding school from which he was nearly expelled for misconduct. The young man continued his education at the Glasgow School of Art. From that time on, acting skills began to attract him. Robbie completed his studies at Moray House Teachers College in Edinburgh.
Young Robbie with colleagues: Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma ThompsonDespite an early penchant for art, Coltrane got into the business quite late – when he was 31 years old. With a completely non-cinematic appearance, Robbie had to start with comedic roles and sketches. There, however, he found great popularity.
Over time, the actor began to offer more serious projects. So, in 1989, he starred in the film based on the play by William Shakespeare (William Shakespeare) “Henry V” (Henry V), then lit up in two Bond films. First in Golden Eye (1995), then in The World Is Not Enough (1999), where he embodied Russian mobster Valentin Zhukovsky. The peak of the first wave of popularity was the detective series with Coltrane in the title role – “The Cracker Method” (Cracker). The show ran from 1993 to 1996 and lasted three full seasons.
List of “Henry V”
Coltrane in Bond…
…and in his own series, The Cracker MethodAnd yet comical images remained Robbie’s hallmark. Despite his solid filmography, he was known for his roles as Sister Inviolata in Nuns on the Run, the head of the church in The Pope Must Diet, and Tweedledum in Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland) 1999.
Robbie as Sister Inviolata
Pope
and TweedledeeIn 2000, Robbie Coltrane’s career slowly faded. He was increasingly involved in producing, directing and writing scripts, but the shooting of the main English saga, Harry Potter, broke out.
“Hogwarts without you is not Hogwarts, Hagrid”
JK Rowling conceived Hagrid in the early days of the book. The prototype was her famous motorcyclist, which looks especially ironic, because Robbie Coltrane herself was a long-time member of the Hells Angels motorcycle organization. The good-natured giant had to look both menacing and reassuring. The character is also important because Hagrid is the first wizard Harry met. The big man acted as a bridge between the two worlds, immersing readers and then viewers in real magic.
The question of who will play the role was complicated by the fact that “Mother Ro” put a condition on the studio – all actors must be English. It was rumored that Robin Williams himself showed interest in the statue, but had to get rid of this idea. As a result, Robbie Coltrane won the jackpot. And the decision was more than successful. His Hagrid was both clumsy and stern. With friends, the giant may seem cute, but the heavy crossbow and nighttime forays into the Forbidden Forest testified to his strength and good fighting skills.
Robie Williams would make a good HagridHagrid gave the actor a new wave of popularity. He was invited to TV shows and was even nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Robbie Coltrane also discovered voice acting. His voice can be heard in the movie “Van Helsing” (Van Helsing), as well as the tapes “The Adventures of Despero” (The Tale of Despereaux) and “Brave” (Brave).
Interestingly, Coltrane was one of the few to support Rowling in her conflict with trans minorities, even trying to “cancel” the writer. The actor took a strong stance that Twitter users themselves often look for a reason to be offended, and proved much bolder than most of his peers in the “Potteriana.”
Coltrane has been seriously ill in recent years. Joint problems chained him to a wheelchair, but Robbie didn’t despair and hoped to return to the stage after surgery and lengthy treatment. The news of his death was brought to the media by his agent, who had worked with him for over 40 years.
Coltrane’s last screen appearance was in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. Our material on this touching photo is here. In it, the actor recalled his impressions of the filming and also said, perhaps, the most touching words in the entire film: “For me, this is the end of an era, 10 years of my life. During this time, my children have managed to “The legacy these films left behind will be passed down from my children’s generation to their children, so they will be watched in half a century. Too bad I’m gone, but Hagrid is, yes.”
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Rereading the Harry Potter saga, it’s hard to imagine that the famed giant, ranger, and keeper of the keys to Hogwarts doesn’t look like the ones in the movies. Robbie Coltrane is a talented actor who managed to bring the character to life and give us Hagrid as he was conceived. Indeed, these movies will be watched in half a century, so Robbie’s memory will live on for many years to come. Sticks around!
Source: VG Times