Actor Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter’s Hagrid, Dies at 72

Robbie Coltrane arrives in Trafalgar Square, central London, for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the last film in the series on July 7, 2011. (AP)
Robbie Coltrane arrives in Trafalgar Square, central London, for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the last film in the series on July 7, 2011. (AP)
TT
20

Actor Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter’s Hagrid, Dies at 72

Robbie Coltrane arrives in Trafalgar Square, central London, for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the last film in the series on July 7, 2011. (AP)
Robbie Coltrane arrives in Trafalgar Square, central London, for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the last film in the series on July 7, 2011. (AP)

Robbie Coltrane, the baby-faced comedian and character actor whose hundreds of roles included a crime-solving psychologist on the TV series “Cracker” and the gentle half-giant Hagrid in the “Harry Potter” movies, has died. He was 72.

Coltrane’s agent Belinda Wright said he died Friday at a hospital in his native Scotland, and did not immediately offer other details. She called him “forensically intelligent” and “brilliantly witty” in just one of many tributes made to him.

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who decades ago had said Coltrane was her first choice to play Hagrid, tweeted Friday that he was “an incredible talent, a complete one off.”

“I was beyond fortunate to know him, work with him and laugh my head off with him,” she wrote.

Born Anthony Robert McMillan in Rutherglen, Scotland, Coltrane was in his early 20s when he began pursuing an acting career and renamed himself in honor of jazz musician John Coltrane.

He already had a notable screen career, with credits including “Mona Lisa,” “Nuns on the Run” and Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of “Henry V” when he broke through on his own as a hard-bitten detective in “Cracker,” the 1990s TV series for which he won best actor at the British Academy Television Awards three years running.

He went on to appear in all eight “Harry Potter” movie as the young wizard’s mentor and had a wide variety of other parts, including a Russian crime boss in the James Bond thrillers “GoldenEye” and “The World is Not Enough” and Pip’s guardian Mr. Jaggers in a 2012 adaptation of Dickens’ “Great Expectations.”

More recently, he received rave reviews for playing a beloved TV star who may harbor a dark secret in the 2016 miniseries “National Treasure.”

On Friday, his “Nuns on the Run” co-star Eric Idle tweeted that he had been talking about Coltrane, “wondering where he was,” when he learned of his death.

“Such a bright and brilliant man. A consummate actor, an extraordinarily funny comedian and an amazing actor. He was also a very good friend,” Idle wrote.

Wright said Coltrane is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his ex-wife Rhona Gemmell and his children Spencer and Alice.



Olivia Rodrigo, John Cena and Other Celebrities Make Their Way to Wimbledon’s Royal Box

Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)
Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)
TT
20

Olivia Rodrigo, John Cena and Other Celebrities Make Their Way to Wimbledon’s Royal Box

Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)
Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)

Olivia Rodrigo. John Cena. Dave Grohl. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. There was as much star power - or maybe even more? - in the Royal Box at Wimbledon as there was down below on the Centre Court grass on Wednesday.

And that was on an afternoon that featured two-time defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz, No. 1-ranked woman Aryna Sabalenka, and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain all winning matches at the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament's main stadium to reach the third round.

"It's so special in the Royal Box to have those kind of people in there. It definitely adds a bit of pressure, I guess, if you look up and you kind of recognize (them)," Raducanu said. "That's why I try and stay with my eyes on the court as much as possible. Only after, you kind of look up and take it all in, if they're still there."

The seats in the Royal Box behind one of the baselines are by invitation only, and there was quite a list of celebrities on hand for Day 3 of competition.

"I was trying not to look today," Sabalenka said about the collection of boldfaced names, explaining that she might be distracted while competing. "I was just trying to focus on my game. Later on, I'm going to open the social media (and ask), 'OK, who was there?'"

Well, Aryna, here's a rundown:

Rodrigo, fresh off headlining at music festival Glastonbury while on tour for her GUTS album, sat next to Cena, the professional wrestler and movie star. Rodrigo chatted at one point with former England soccer coach Roy Hodgson (the current person in that job, Thomas Tuchel, also was in attendance).

Grohl, a member of the rock bands Foo Fighters and Nirvana, made an appearance, too, as did the married couple Chopra and Jonas. Hollywood's Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, who also are married, were on the Royal Box list, along with actor Dominic Cooper.

Others taking in a day of tennis at the most famous court in the world included British athletes from other sports, such as Olympic gold medalists Sophie Bray (field hockey) and Tom Daley (diving), and Paralympic gold medalist William Ellard (swimming).

Oh, and there was actual British royalty there Wednesday: Princess Michael of Kent.