Fans are paying tribute to the Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who has passed away at the age of 72.
Coltrane, known to a generation of film fans for his potrayal of Hagrid in the 'Harry Potter' films, and also boasted a remarkable career on British television, most notably in the 90s crime drama 'Cracker'.
The actor had a varied career, from roles in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond films, starring alongside an Oscar-nominated Bob Hoskins in the Neil Jordan film 'Mona Lisa', and a role in the 2004 blockbuster 'Ocean's Twelve'.
His agent of 40 years, Belinda Wright, said that Coltrane died today in hospital near Falkirk in Scotland, and thanked the staff for their "care and diplomacy".
"For me personally, I shall remember him as an abidingly loyal client as well as being a wonderful actor, he was forensically intelligent, brilliantly witty and after 40 years of being proud to be called his agent, I shall miss him."
Tributes have also poured in from fans, with many pointing to his role as Hagrid in the 'Harry Potter' series as his defining role, sharing clips of him as the gentle gamekeeper of Hogwarts.
Coltrane's co-star, Daniel Radcliffe, led the tributes, referring to him as "one of the funniest people I’ve met."
"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."
"I feel incredibly lucky that I got to meet and work with him and very sad that he’s passed. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”
Actor Stephen Fry shared an anecdote about the first time he met Coltrane, saying "I was in awe, terror, and love struck all at the same time" and hailed him for "such depth and talent, adding that "you'll be so dreadfully missed."
English journalist Stig Abell said "you couldn't take your eyes off him' in 'Cracker', and regarded him as "a proper actor who knew how to do loveable as well as complex."
'Harry Potter' series creator JK Rowling paid tribute to the actor, saying "I’ll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again."
"He was an incredible talent, a complete one-off, and I was beyond fortunate to know him, work with him and laugh my head off with him."
Coltrane is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his children Spencer and Alice and their mother Rhona Gemmell.
