In a career spanning five decades Robbie Coltrane took on hundreds of roles and guises, in every one giving a glimpse of the extraordinary talent that made him one of Scotland’s most beloved and talented actors.
A late arrival in the acting world, after a ‘militant’ youth, which saw him branded ‘Red Robbie’ Coltrane almost immediately stepped into a major role on stage, in John Byrne’s Slab Boys.
This would not be his first association with the great Scottish polymath and he would earn national acclaim when he starred as Danny McGlone in Tutti Frutti alongside Emma Thompson, Richard Wilson and Maurice Roeves almost a decade later in 1987.
By then he was well established as one of Britain’s leading actors and comedians, appearing in several of the Eighties biggest UK comedy shows, among them the Comic Strip Presents.
This comic brilliance was evident in many of his performances, but did not stop him from excelling in serious roles.
Between 1993 and 1996 he drew audiences of millions as the anti-hero Fitz in Cracker - memorably going nose to nose with another great Scot, Robert Carlyle in one memorable scene. There was also a one-off return to the role in 2006.
Coltrane also had success on the big screen, appearing in a run of now-cult and legendary movies in the Eighties, including Flash Gordon and Absolute Beginners.
Obituary: Robbie Coltrane, iconic actor and giant of stage and screen
The Nineties and Noughties brought even greater success and established his reputation with even younger audiences.
He was one of a select group of characters to appear in two Bond movies, as Valentin Zukovsky in GoldenEye in 1995 and The World Is Not Enough four years later in 1999.
However, it was the 6’1’’ Scot’s performance as the giant Hagrid which cemented his legacy in a new century.
Coltrane, who was author JK Rowling’s first choice for the role, appeared in the Harry Potter series between 2001 and 2011.
His final film role was in 2014 in Effie Gray, where he again performed alongside Emma Thompson.
By then his health was fading and a long battle with osteoarthritis was taking its toll. Despite this, he continued to appear regularly in television series and won acclaim for his role as Orson Welles in Urban Myths in 2020.
Coltrane, a motor enthusiast who was often seen driving in the west end of Glasgow in one of his classic cars, would also indulge his passions in numerous documentary series and wrote three books on the subject.
He won numerous awards, including three BAFTAs for best actor - twice for Cracker and once for Tutti Frutti and, in an ITV’s list of TV’s Greatest Stars he ranked in eleventh.
Among the many tributes posted in the wake of his passing, Stephen Fry, who starred with Coltrane in several series, captured his talent, character and giant personality: "I first met Robbie Coltrane almost exactly 40 years ago. I was awe/terror/love struck all at the same time. Such depth, power and talent: funny enough to cause helpless hiccups and honking as we made our first TV show, ‘Alfresco’. Farewell, old fellow. You’ll be so dreadfully missed.”
Robbie Coltrane 1950-2022
Three unmissable performances
1 Cracker 1993-2006
Coltrane won two BAFTAs for his performance as the criminal psychologist
2 Tutti Frutti 1987
Coltrane claimed one of six BAFTAs picked up by the BBC Scotland show
3 The Gruffalo / The Gruffalo’s Child - 2009 and 2011
One for the wee ones. Yes, his performances as Hagrid have to be see but he also lent his voice to another work by a great Scottish author, Julia Donaldson
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