Robbie Coltrane: Tributes paid to Harry Potter’s Hagrid and Cracker actor following his death
Harry Potter and Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane has died aged 72.
The Scottish-born star, known for playing the Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid in the Potter film franchise and criminal psychologist Dr Eddie ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald in the 1990s TV crime drama, died on Friday.
In a statement, his agent of 40 years, Belinda Wright, said the actor will probably be best remembered as Hagrid, which led to a “stream of fan letters every week for over 20 years”.
(L-R) Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Jason Isaacs in 2002
She described Coltrane, whose real name was Anthony Robert McMillan, as a “wonderful actor” and “forensically intelligent”.
Coltrane won the best actor gong at the British Academy Television Awards three years running for his role in Cracker and was made an OBE in the 2006 New Year Honours list.
His agent did not give details on his death – but said Coltrane’s family thanked the team at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert for their care.
‘A complete one-off’
Tributes have flooded in for the actor, as Harry Potter author JK Rowling tweeted an image with Coltrane and said: “I’ll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again. He was an incredible talent, a complete one off.”
Coltrane’s role in all eight of the Potter films arguably became his best known.
Daniel Radcliffe, who starred as Harry Potter, said: “Robbie was one of the funniest people I’ve met and used to keep us laughing constantly as kids on the set.
“I’ve especially fond memories of him keeping our spirits up on Prisoner of Azkaban, when we were all hiding from the torrential rain for hours in Hagrid’s hut and he was telling stories and cracking jokes to keep morale up.”
Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Pic: Lux/The Hollywood Archive/Alamy
While James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley, said he will miss the “random chats about all subjects under the sun”.
Tom Felton, who starred as Draco Malfoy in the fantasy film series, described Coltrane as a “big friendly giant”, and recalled shooting a scene with him during Harry Potter And The Phisopher’s Stone.
“One of my fondest memories of filming Harry Potter was a night shoot on the first film in the forbidden forest,” Felton tweeted.
“I was 12. Robbie cared & looked after everyone around of him. Effortlessly. And made them laugh. Effortlessly. Love you mate – thank you for everything xx.”
Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom, described Coltrane as “a giant, in more ways than one” and said they “shared a love of the final frontier”.
Bonnie Wright, who featured in the Harry Potter films as Ginny Weasley, said she was “heartbroken” and thanked Coltrane for “all the laughter”.
Sir Lenny Henry, who voiced Dre Head in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, tweeted: “This is awful news. Rob was the real thing. Condolences to his family. Big love big fella xxx”
Professor Flitwick actor Warwick Davis said he was “saddened” by the news, adding: “Always jovial, he brought warmth, light and laughter to any set he walked on to. RIP Robbie, Beloved Giant of comedy.x”
Coltrane’s ‘talent knew no bounds’
James Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli also paid tribute to Coltrane, who starred as Valentin Zukovsky in Bond films GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough.
They described him as an “exceptional actor”, adding that “his talents knew no bounds”.
While Stephen Fry, who starred with Coltrane in the comedy series Alfresco and narrated the British version of the Harry Potter audiobooks, said the actor will be “dreadfully missed”.
Fry said he met Coltrane almost 40 years ago and added: “Such depth, power & talent: funny enough to cause helpless hiccups & honking as we made our first TV show, Alfresco.”
Hugh Laurie, who also acted alongside Coltrane in Alfresco, and the period sitcom Blackadder, recalled fond memories of his time with the actor.
Fellow Blackadder star Tony Robinson described him as “such a sweet man” and “so talented as a comic and as a straight actor”.
He added in a post to Twitter: “‘Dictionary’ was my favourite episode of the Adder ever and it was all down to you mate. Rest well x”
‘A Scottish entertainment legend’
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called Coltrane a “Scottish entertainment legend” and said he will be “hugely missed”.
Actor Robert Lindsay, who starred alongside Coltrane in the 1989 film Bert Rigby, You’re a Fool paid tribute to his “dear pal”, adding: “We shared a Hollywood journey that will live with me forever.”
Coltrane was born in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire and attended Glasgow School of Art and Moray House College of Education in Edinburgh.
He is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his children Spencer and Alice and their mother Rhona Gemmell.
NHS England has warned the health service is facing a “worst case scenario” December with a surge of “super flu”.
The warning comes as new figures revealed the number of people in hospital with flu have increased by more than half in just one week.
Catch up as it happened: NHS warns of ‘worst-case scenario’ as ‘super flu’ surges
Latest figures show:
• An average of 2,660 patients were in hospital per day with flu last week
• This is the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% on last week
• At this point last year the number stood at 1,861 patients, while in 2023 it was just 402
Health service bosses are warning the number of flu patients in hospital has already increased sharply since the week covered by this data – with no peak in sight.
Read more: Why is flu season worse this year?
Virus outbreaks coincide with doctors’ strikes
Weekly flu numbers in England peaked at 5,408 patients last winter and reached 5,441 over the winter of 2022/23, the highest level since the pandemic.
Alongside rocketing flu, the number of norovirus patients in hospital has also risen by 35%.
The NHS is now warning winter viruses are starting to “engulf hospitals”.
Demand for A&Es and ambulance services is also soaring.
New monthly figures show A&E attendances were a record for November at 2.35 million – more than 30,000 higher than November 2024.
In addition, there were 48,814 more ambulance incidents (802,525) compared with last year (753,711).
Some hospitals across the country have asked staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks to cut the spread of flu, while others have gone in and out of critical incident status due to the high number of people attending A&E.
The record-breaking demand on the NHS coincides with a resident doctors’ strike from 17 to 22 December over pay and jobs – sparking fears of major disruption for patients in the run up to Christmas.
People are being advised to attend any planned appointments scheduled during the strikes unless they have been contacted to reschedule.
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Will doctors accept late deal to avoid strikes?
Flu vaccinations on the up… who can get one?
The NHS is urging anyone eligible to get their flu vaccination to help prevent them getting seriously ill.
Latest figures show more than 17.4 million people have been vaccinated so far this year, more than 381,000 higher than last year.
You can get it if you:
• Are 65 or over in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Are pregnant
• Live in a care home
• Are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive carer’s allowance
• Live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• Are a frontline health and social care worker
• Are of school age
• Have certain medical conditions (the NHS has a full list)
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, warned of a “tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals”.
“We are working with the NHS to make sure it is able to cope with this as best as possible,” he said.
Warning ‘extremely challenging few weeks ahead’
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, warned the health service faces “an extremely challenging few weeks ahead” with “staff being pushed to the limit”.
She said: “With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors’ strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.
“The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year. Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.”
She added: “We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.
“For non-life-threatening care, people should call NHS 111 or use 111 online, which can direct you to the most appropriate place, and use A&E and 999 for life threatening conditions and serious injuries.”
Read more from Sky News:
US accused of ‘piracy’
Flights diverted in Moscow
Mr Streeting has offered the British Medical Association (BMA) a last-minute deal in the hope doctors will call off the walkout, which starts next Wednesday.
The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming day, and is expected to announced a decision on Monday, just two days before the planned strike.
The offer includes a fast expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, but does not include extra pay.
The spread of subclade K, the super flu, is picking up – and it’s not looking good for the NHS.
An average of just under 2,700 hospital beds a day in England were occupied by patients with flu last week.
There are fears that could jump to somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 by the end of this week.
That’s on top of COVID and RSV.
And with the possibility of a five-day strike by resident (junior) doctors next week, it’s a perfect storm for hospitals.
An NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London. Pic: PA
Christmas flu
Children are the super-spreaders of flu. It races around classrooms and some schools have temporarily shut because of the impact.
The Christmas holidays aren’t far off. They are likely to put the brakes on children passing around the virus.
But it’s also a time of year when families mix with elderly relatives, who are more likely to be hit hard by the infection – perhaps even needing hospital care.
So while the holidays may temporarily slow the overall rise in infections, the impact on hospitals could get much worse.
File pic: PA
Subclade K
Flu is spreading so rapidly at the moment because immunity to subclade K from previous infections and vaccinations is low.
The virus – a variant of the H3N2 flu strain – suddenly acquired seven new mutations in late summer.
Every 100 people infected with seasonal flu would typically pass the virus on to 120 others.
With subclade K, it’s 140.
And that’s why cases are rising so quickly on the charts.
At the moment, 18 in every 100,000 patients in England are consulting their GP with flu-like symptoms. That’s still well short of the peak of around 50 in every 100,000 in 2017/18, the worst flu outbreak in recent years.
File pic: PA
The grim reality of flu
Flu is a really unpleasant disease, nothing like a cold. I’ve had it twice in my life and it physically hurt to get out of bed. It’s grim.
Most people get over it with a few days’ rest and paracetamol to take the edge off the fever.
But vulnerable people can become seriously ill. In the outbreak of 2017/18, around 22,000 died.
Read more:
Nurses ‘deeply concerned about what lies ahead’
NHS braced for ‘toughest winter’ after record-breaking month
That’s why the NHS is urging people in certain groups – the over 65s, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, carers and children – to get the jab.
The vaccine isn’t a great match for subclade K, but still reduces the chance of hospital admission by 30-40% in adults.
It’s impossible to say when the spread will peak, but the latest figures suggest the outbreak is far from over.
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