Robbie Coltrane, remembered by Hagrid in Harry Potter, dies at 72

(CNN) –– Actor Robbie Coltrane, who played the beloved ranger Hagrid in the Harry Potter saga, died Friday at the age of 72, confirmed his agent, Scott Henderson.

Coltrane, who was born in Scotland, also starred in the British series “Cracker” and the James Bond movies. GoldenEye y The World Is Not Enough.

Information on the cause of death was not provided.

Before rising to world fame with the bearded Hagrid, Coltrane honed his comedy skills on the theater stage.

In the 1980s, the actor participated in a series of short scenes called “Alfresco” with the renowned Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson.

This Friday, Fry honored his former teammate in a statement posted on Twitter.

“I met Robbie Coltrane almost exactly 40 years ago. I felt awe/territy/love all at the same time. Such depth, power and talent – funny enough to cause hiccups and tears while making our first TV show, ‘Alfresco’ “, wrote. “Goodbye, old friend.”

Coltrane worked with Thompson on the drama series “Tutti Frutti,” for which he earned his first British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor.

But his first break would come with the television series “Cracker” in the 1990s. The show, a crime drama, ran for three seasons between 1993 and 1995, with two subsequent specials.

Hagrid, the beloved giant from Harry Potter

The role of Hagrid, a half-giant, half-human character, came naturally to Coltrane. He knew and loved the books because he read them to his children, he recalled in an interview.

“If you’re an actor, you have to do the voices. The children expect it. Monotone tones are not allowed,” he joked.

But it was his performance, which brought heart and humanity to the role of a gentle half-giant, that stuck with audiences.

Appearing in the HBO Max special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: ​​Return to Hogwarts,” Coltrane recalled his time in the movies and Hagrid’s impact.

“Everyone would like a really big, huge, strong, good man on their side, simple as that. That’s the attraction of Superman and these things,” he said. “Hagrid was always obviously the good guy, wasn’t he?”