Credit: Harry Potter
Another star has passed on as we mourn Robbie Coltrane at this time, as the 72-year-old actor took the final bow recently. According to reports, Coltrane’s health hadn’t been that great for the past two years, and it would appear that complications led to this saddening moment as many actors and fans are currently in the midst of offering their condolences to Coltrane’s family as they choose to honor his memory in a variety of ways. There’s no doubt that his time in front of the camera will come into place since a carer spanning four decades is worth talking about, especially when an individual manages to portray several well-known and very well-liked characters. The larger-than-life actor is one of those that many could easily recognize from his time on the big and small screens, but it’s fair to state that a few roles would stand out among the many since the level of hype that certain movies have earned over the years would explain why certain characters are more memorable than others. With that in mind, let’s take a walk through time and recall just why Coltrane was such a beloved actor.
Credit: Goldeneye
His time in a couple of the James Bond movies was special for a lot of people.
GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough are just two of the many Bond movies that a lot of people feel one way or another about, but playing opposite Pierce Brosnan as a former KGB agent turned gangster was a great role for Coltrane since it allowed him to talk and act tough but look like someone whose better days were far behind him. The authority that he gave to this role was seen in GoldenEye, but it was almost stripped in the next movie since Valentin became a bit of a comical character after the initial meeting with Bond. There was nothing wrong with Coltrane’s acting, but the dialogue and the manner in which his character was set up to finally be taken out felt like it could have been a bit different. Still, he played his part, and he played it well, since Valentin died with the appearance of having tried to end Bond’s life, an act he was not successful in, but instead ended up helping his old acquaintance.
There are several other movies and TV shows that people are likely to remember him from.
Robbie was a big presence on TV for a long time, while his movie career ended around 2014, though whether this was due to ill health and his osteoarthritis is uncertain. But before that time he did manage to churn out several movies that might be known to diehard fans of the actor. One in particular that puts a smile on my face, despite the grim nature of the movie, is From Hell, a movie that was less than well-received by many for various reasons. Alongside Johnny Depp, Coltrane played the part of a detective that was placed on the trail of none other than Jack the Ripper, as the movie took to the old tales of the Whitechapel murders that occurred so long ago and have become a part of legend mixed in with the reality of the situation. While the movie wasn’t comical in the least, his portrayal of the sergeant who aided in the case was great since he and Depp managed to complement one another quite well.
Credit: Ocean’s 12
There’s no doubt about it, Rubeus Hagrid will be one of the ways that people remember him the most.
The one character that a lot of people will associate Coltrane with, undoubtedly, will be that of groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies, and there are plenty of reasons why. One of the best is that he was there from the first movie until the last, as he was the character who brought Harry to his uncertain home, and one of those who interacted with the character in every single movie. Not only that, but Hagrid was one of the most endearing characters in this franchise, since he was a part of every story in some way, no matter how big or how small his part might have been. He was a part of Hogwarts, so every movie was bound to have him as a part of it.
As actors go, he was skilled at what he did, and will be missed by those that recognize his contributions to cinema.
It’s a little too easy to say that there will be a lot of folks who won’t remember him by his name, but there are more who will remember the characters he played, what movies he was a part of, and the joy he brought to so many by dint of his skills on screen. There’s no doubt that those who knew who he was and what he was all about will miss him the most. Rest in peace sir, you’ll be in our thoughts.