Robbie Coltrane, the Beloved Hagrid in ‘Harry Potter’ Films, Dies at 72 - The New York Times

Robbie Coltrane, the seasoned Scottish histrion who played the beloved half-giant Rubeus Hagrid successful the “Harry Potter” films and starred successful the cult British transgression bid “Cracker,” died connected Friday successful Larbert, Scotland. He was 72.

His death, successful a hospital, was confirmed by Belinda Wright, his British agent. Ms. Wright said that Mr. Coltrane’s household had not disclosed a cause, but that helium had been “unwell for immoderate time.”

Mr. Coltrane veered from the comic to the gritty successful a 40-year vocation successful movie and television, with turns arsenic an antihero detective successful “Cracker” (1993-96), a K.G.B. cause turned state to James Bond and a gangster who disguises himself arsenic a nun aft betraying his chap criminals successful “Nuns connected the Run” (1990).

But those roles did small to hole Mr. Coltrane to play Hagrid, a instrumentality favourite from the “Harry Potter” books whose modulation to the large surface would look the sky-high expectations of millions of young readers.

Mr. Coltrane successfully embodied the 8-foot-6 half-giant. He appeared successful each 8 “Harry Potter” films, infusing the franchise with warmth adjacent arsenic helium towered implicit the young witches and wizards astatine the halfway of the bid who were embroiled successful a combat against evil.

The archetypal film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” opened successful November 2001 and went connected to gross more than $1 cardinal worldwide, gathering connected the already fervent planetary instrumentality basal of J.K. Rowling’s publication series.

Ms. Wright, Mr. Coltrane’s cause of 40 years, said the relation was the crushed helium received a “stream of instrumentality letters each week for implicit 20 years.”

Fiercely protective of his privacy, Mr. Coltrane gave fewer interviews and could beryllium hard-edged with reporters. But helium said helium had to formed that gruffness speech erstwhile helium was embraced by a legion of young “Harry Potter” fans.

“Kids travel up to you and they go, ‘Would you similar to motion my book?’ with those large doe-eyes,” he told The Guardian successful 2012. “And it’s a superior responsibility.”

Mr. Coltrane was calved Anthony Robert McMillan connected March 30, 1950, successful Rutherglen, Scotland, extracurricular Glasgow. His father, Ian Baxter McMillan, was a doctor; his mother, Jean Ross Howie, was a teacher.

He grew up connected the outskirts of Glasgow and enrolled successful Glasgow School of Art, wherever helium studied drafting and coating but struggled to seizure his ideas connected canvas.

“I wanted to overgarment similar the painters who truly moved me, who made maine privation to weep astir humanity,” he told The Herald, a Scottish newspaper, successful 2014. “Titian. Rembrandt. But I looked astatine my diploma amusement and felt a unspeakable disappointment erstwhile I realized each the things that were successful my caput were not connected the canvas.”

As the imaginable of a aboriginal arsenic a creator dimmed, helium was encouraged by a play teacher who told him that helium had acting endowment aft helium appeared successful a staging of Harold Pinter’s one-act play “The Dumb Waiter,” The Herald reported.

After adopting his signifier sanction arsenic a tribute to the large jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, Mr. Coltrane recovered steadier footing erstwhile helium moved to London. He worked arsenic a stand-up comedian and actor, picking up theatre roles and tiny parts successful tv and movie productions.

He attracted captious acclaim arsenic Dr. Edward Fitzgerald, known arsenic Fitz, the chain-smoking transgression scientist successful the deed bid “Cracker,” whose intoxicant addiction echoed Mr. Coltrane’s ain issues with drinking. The relation earned him the BAFTA grant for champion TV histrion successful 1994, 1995 and 1996.

A crook arsenic Valentin Zukovsky, a erstwhile K.G.B. cause turned Russian mafia kingpin, successful the James Bond films “GoldenEye” (1995) and “The World is Not Enough” (1999) exposed Mr. Coltrane to a broader audience, peculiarly successful the United States.

There was nothing, however, that could vie with the planetary fame helium recovered aft helium was formed arsenic Rubeus Hagrid successful the “Harry Potter” series. With his bushy beard and growling voice, Mr. Coltrane brought the beloved quality to life.

The young actors who grew up connected the sets of the “Harry Potter” films fondly remembered Mr. Coltrane arsenic idiosyncratic they could number connected to assistance their spirits with a gag oregon a connection of encouragement.

Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, said connected Friday that Mr. Coltrane “used to support america laughing perpetually arsenic kids.”

“I’ve particularly fond memories of him keeping our spirits up connected ‘Prisoner of Azkaban,’” Mr. Radcliffe said successful a statement, “when we were each hiding from the torrential rainfall for hours successful Hagrid’s hut and helium was telling stories and cracking jokes to support morale up.”

James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley successful the series, wrote connected Twitter that erstwhile helium was 14 years aged and tense connected his archetypal time connected the set, Mr. Coltrane came implicit and said, “Enjoy it, you’ll beryllium great.”

Mr. Coltrane is survived by his children, Spencer and Alice, and a sister, Annie Rae.

In the HBO Max retrospective “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts,” which premiered connected Jan. 1, Mr. Coltrane reflected connected the relation that introduced him to a caller procreation of fans.

“The bequest of the movies is that my children’s procreation volition amusement them to their children,” he said. “So you could beryllium watching it successful 50 years’ time, easy. I’ll not beryllium here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes.”