“The most fun uncle I've ever had”: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, JK Rowling and more lead tributes as Robbie Coltrane passes away at 72

Beloved actor Robbie Coltrane passed away on October 14 at the age of 72. He reportedly took his last breath at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert. The news of his demise was announced in a statement by his agent Belinda Wright:

“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.”

With a film and TV career spanning more than four decades, Robbie Coltrane won millions of hearts across the globe for his portrayal of Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter film franchise.

Following his demise, several Harry Potter cast and crew members took to social media to remember the late actor. Emma Watson, who played the role of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, referred to Coltrane as the “most fun uncle”:

“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.”

Speaking about his talent, the actress wrote:

“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.”

Watson also mentioned that she will miss Coltrane and thanked him for playing his role effortlessly and for treating the Harry Potter team like his family:

“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. There was no better Hagrid. You made it a joy to be Hermoine.”

Although no immediate cause of Robbie Coltrane’s death has been made available to the public at the time of writing, reports suggest that the actor has battled several health issues over the years, including osteoarthritis.

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Harry Potter cast and crew remembers Robbie Coltrane

Cast and crew members of 'Harry Potter' paid tribute to Robbie Coltrane on social media (Image via Getty Images)

Robbie Coltrane gained worldwide recognition after being cast as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter film franchise. He played the role in all-eight Harry Potter films, starting with Philosopher's Stone in 2001 until Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011.

Following his passing, several Harry Potter cast and crew members mourned the loss of their beloved colleague. Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular role in the franchise, issued a statement 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.”

He also mentioned that Robbie Coltrane was an “incredible” artist and “lovely” human being:

“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.”

Tom Felton, who portrayed Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, took to Instagram to reminiscence his memories with Coltrane. He also thanked the latter for taking care of everyone around him:

Twins James and Oliver Phelps, who played Fred and George Weasley, also took to Twitter to share their respective tributes to Coltrane:

Actress Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, wrote that Hagrid was her favorite character and that she was left “heartbroken” with Coltrane’s passing:

Neville Longbottom actor Matthew Lewis said Coltrane called him “Space Boy”:

“Robbie. Bobser. He called me Space Boy. We shared a love of the final frontier. He didn’t give a f**k and it always made you smile. A giant, in more ways than one. We had some times x”

Remus Lupin star David Thewlis fondly shared that the “richest, mightiest and most mischievous laughter” on the set of Harry Potter was “big Robbie’s fault”:

Warwick Davis, who portrayed the role of Filius Flitwick, said he was “saddened” to learn about Coltrane’s passing:

Harry Potter author JK Rowling also paid tribute to Coltrane on Twitter. She said that she was “beyond fortunate” to know and work with the actor:

The official Wizarding World Twitter account wrote that Robbie Coltrane was a “wonderful actor” and “a friend to all”:

Prior to his demise, Robbie Coltrane appeared in the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special documentary. Speaking about his much-loved character Hagrid, the actor said:

“The legacy of the movies is that my children will show them to their children so you could be watching in 50 years times, easy — I’ll not be here, sadly, but Hagrid will.”

Coltrane will certainly be missed by his family, friends, fans, colleagues, and industry associates, among others, but his legacy will always be cherished by contemporaries and newer generations alike.