Robbie Coltrane, the man who brought the half-giant Hagrid to life on the silver screen, has passed away today; he was 72. His cause of death was not immediately made available, but his passing was confirmed via his agent, according to The Guardian.

For a decade, Coltrane portrayed the friendly gamekeeper of Hogwarts Castle. The Scottish actor had a healthy career long before being tapped for the adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s books. I was first introduced to him when he showed up in Blackadder The Third and The Young Ones reruns here in the States.

Unsurprisingly, he got his start as a theatre actor in Edinburgh. This would eventually lead him to join The Comic Strip Presents, which launched many careers, such as those of Rik Mayall and Jennifer Saunders. Coltrane had a big presence in his robust physique and his acting skills. Even in nonspeaking roles (National Lampoon’s European Vacation), the actor could convey so much with his eyes and cherubic smile.

In 1990 Coltrane became a bit more well-known to those of us in the states when he teamed up with Eric Idle for the comedy crime film Nuns on the Run. Yes, the comedy duo got to dress up as nuns while being on the run from the authorities.

It cannot be denied that his lasting renown will be due to Harry Potter. Thankfully, in the immediate future, Coltrane will be immortalized within the Universal parks thanks to his appearances in various rides and the animatronic on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Robbie’s other role in long-running series includes James Bond. Coltrane played Russian mafia lord Valentin Zukovsky in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. The role same him doing some great action scenes while also putting on a Russian accent.

What are your favorite memories of Robbie Coltrane? Let us know below.

[Source: The Guardian]