Robbie Coltrane previously said he 'had to' take the role as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter films after his children convinced him.
The Scots actor passed away on Friday at the age of 72, his agent confirmed. The icon admitted that one of his main motivations for taking the Hagrid role was his then eight-year-old son. A young Spencer Coltrane could be to thank for the fact that his father played one of the most beloved roles of all time.
"He would have killed me if I'd turned down the role," Joked the comic and actor. "I had to do this for the kids. Can you imagine me refusing, 'Oh they've offered me Hagrid, but I'm not doing it, children'... large Scottish actor found in bottom of loch."
Robbie was given an ultimatum by Spencer - accept the part of Hagrid in Harry Potter or be disowned.
The actor would go on to love the now-iconic role in which he portrayed the groundskeeper. He talked with excitement about his first days on the Harry Potter film set.
He told the Evening Chronicle : "I remember the first day of going in, and it was like being a kid, four huge long tables laid out in a square and you go along the name cards and there's Dumbledore and Harry and Hermione. It was such a buzz. The sets were unbelievable, just quality.
"You should see Diagon Alley. It's full of all sorts of fantastic gags that no one will ever see, like 'purveyors to the gentry since 4,000 BC' written so small that even if the camera panned past it, you wouldn't see it.
"The prop guys scoured the world to find old fashioned-looking sweeties like bright orange gob stoppers and great big lollipops and funnily enough I watched Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory and it's so drab compared to it. The opening number where he goes into the sweet shop is rubbish compared to ours."
The sad news of Robbie's passing was announced by his agent Belinda Wright today. A statement reads: "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.
"Please respect Robbie's family's privacy at this distressing time."
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