Hollywood and Harry Potter fans are in mourning over the sudden death of legendary British actor Robbie Coltrane OBE.
His agent Belinda Wright told how the 72-year-old died on Friday, spending his final days in Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Scotland.
Robbie - real name Anthony Robert McMillan - boasts an impressive 114 acting credits over a glittering 41-year acting career which included two James Bond movies.
The Glaswegian was perhaps best known for his portrayal of trusty Hogwarts caretaker Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise but older audiences first warmed to him in his role as Dr Edward Fitzgerald in a 13-year stint on hit ITV crime drama Cracker.
Here we run through some of his biggest TV and film roles in his own words - including some surprises.
Comic Strip series 1982 - 2012
IMDB reports how he became a well-known face through appearances in The Comic Strip series, then in Alfresco (1983) and Comic Strip movies The Supergrass (1985) and The Pope Must Die (1991), among other films.
At that time Coltrane reportedly had a drinking problem, downing as much as a bottle of whiskey a day. He once reportedly said of his drinking: “Booze is my undoing. I can drink a gallon of beer and not feel the least bit drunk,” and later professed himself to be a “bottle-of-whiskey-a-day-or-nothing-man.”
Cracker (1993-2006)
Robbie starred as the main character in Cracker, a criminal psychologist called Dr Edward Fitzgerald, from 1993 until 2006. Cracker followed Dr Fitzgerald as he helped the police in Manchester profile and catch some of the city's most notorious killers.
Speaking about his role on Cracker, he previously said: "A lot of people said 'Why would you want to make an entertaining show about people getting murdered?'
"It’s not about entertainment, it’s about finding out how people get like that. That’s what the whole show is about."
Harry Potter (2001-2011)
Robbie starred as trusty Hogwarts caretaker Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise. He was a much-loved part of the franchise, which also starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.
Speaking about his role as Hagrid, Robbie told Channel 4 : "Well it’s delightful really, it’s very nice.
"I get the sweetest little letters from people. I got one a while back from Moscow, asking me to fly through the window and punch their dad if he was rotten to their mum. And often in Tescos the mum will say to her kids 'do you know who that man is?' And the kids will go 'you’re not Hagrid – you’re not nearly tall enough."
James Bond (1995-1999)
Robbie Coltrane actually appeared in two James Bond films where he played Valentin Zukovsky, a fictional ex-KGB intelligence officer turned Russian mafia head who ran a bar, a casino, and a caviar factory.
He first starred alongside Pierce Brosnan during Goldeneye in 1995 followed by The World Is Not Enough in 1999.
IMD reports: "He made such a good performance as Valentin Zukovsky, a KGB man turned St. Petersburg mafia lord, in GoldenEye (1995) the producers called him back for the same character in The World Is Not Enough (1999)."
Tributes
In a statement, his agent, Belinda Wright said: "My client and friend Robbie Coltrane OBE passed away on Friday October 14. 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 Sir 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," she added.
She concluded: "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."
