Robbie Coltrane dies: Harry Potter fans fire Hagrid 0:40
(CNN) — The stars of the “Harry Potter” universe paid tribute to the gentle giant Robbie Coltrane from Hogwarts who passed away on Friday.
The 72-year-old Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series, was “one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” Daniel Radcliffe told CNN, according to a representative. “When we were kids, he used to make us laugh all the time on set,” he recalled.
“I particularly fondly remember him keeping our spirits up in ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ when we all hid in Hagrid’s cabin for hours from the torrential rain and he told stories and cracked jokes to keep morale up,” he said Radcliffe. , referring to the third film. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to meet and work with him and I am very sad that he has passed away. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the franchise, also paid tribute to her late co-star in an Instagram Story on Friday.
“Robbie was the funniest uncle I’ve ever had,” she captioned a photo of the couple. “His talent was so immense that playing a giant made sense – he could fill ANY room with his brilliance,” she added. “Robbie, if I’m ever that kind to me on a movie set, I promise I will do it in your name and in your memory,” Watson continued, saying Coltrane made them “family.”
Daniel Radcliffe and Robbie Coltrane at the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in London in 2002.
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, also posted a tribute to Coltrane on Instagram. “One of my fondest memories from filming ‘Harry Potter’ was doing a night shoot of the first movie in the Forbidden Forest. I was 12 years old. Robbie nurtured and cared for everyone around him. Effortlessly. And he made her laugh.” . Effortless. He was a big friendly giant on screen, but even more so in real life.”
Robbie Coltrane’s memories of his work on Harry Potter
Coltrane also shared fond memories of working with the film’s young stars in a recent HBO Max special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Hogwarts Returns. (Both CNN and HBO are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
“Watching them grow up was like watching your own kids grow up, you know? Because you kind of protected her,” she said. “It never ceased to amaze me how fearless they were.”
The author JK Rowling wrote on Twitter: “I will never meet someone remotely like Robbie again. He was an incredible talent, totally off the charts, and I was incredibly lucky to meet him, work with him and laugh out loud with him. Sending my love and more deep condolences to his family, especially his children.
And Warwick Davis, who played Professor Filius Flitwick and the goblin Griphook in the films, remembered Coltrane as someone who was “always cheerful” and “brought warmth, light and laughter to every set he walked on.”