Robbie Coltrane has died aged 72

Stage and screen legend Robbie Coltrane has died aged 72.

Coltrane, who was born in 1950 in Scotland, was perhaps best known as Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise, though has a variety of stage and screen credits to his name.

A regular presence on the stage in the 1960s and 1970s, Coltrane appeared in The Slab Boys at the age of 28 at the Traverse Theatre, as part of John Byrne’s famous trilogy. A couple of years later, he appeared in Threads at the Hampstead Theatre in London. Byrne reunited with the Slab Boys cast in 2011 to reflect on the show’s impact.

Other credits included a Borderline theatre company production of Dick Whittington, as well as a one-man show Your Obedient Servant at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in 1987. In 1990, Coltrane appeared in a Borderline production of Mistero Buffo, later to be screened on BBC2.

His most recent stage appearance came in 2005, when the actor appeared in Peter McDougall’s The Brother’s Suit at Oran Mor in Glasgow.

He also played the role of Falstaff in Kenneth Branagh’s seminal filmed version of Henry V on screen – held as one of the most influential filmed productions of a Shakespeare play.

According to reports, Coltrane had been battling illness for the last couple of years, and passed away in hospital near his Larbert home.

Coltrane’s agent Belinda Wright said in a statement: “My client and friend Robbie Coltrane passed away on Friday 14 October. Robbie was a unique talent, sharing the Guinness Book of Records’ Award for winning three consecutive Best Actor Baftas for his portrayal of Fitz in Granada TV’s series Cracker in 1994, 1995 and 1996 with Michael Gambon.

“He will probably be best remembered for decades to come as Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, a role which brought joy to children and adults alike all over the world, prompting a stream of fan letters every week for over 20 years.

“James Bond fans write too to applaud his role in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough.

“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.

“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.”