Robbie Coltrane, (born Anthony Robert McMillan on 30 March, 1950), is a Scottish actor, comedian and author.
Robbie Coltrane was born in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire. He now lives in Killearn Stirlingshire, currently separated from his wife, and is the father of two children, Spencer and Alice.
As with Richard Harris being told by his granddaughter that she would never speak to him again if he didn't take the role of Albus Dumbledore, Robbie mainly took the role of Rubeus Hagrid because his children, Alice and Spencer pressured him into it. He also wished to do it, because J. K. Rowling only wanted him for the part.
In 2006, Robbie received an OBE for his services to drama.
Earlier career
Robbie has produced and directed two different shows as well as writing four scripts for shows. He has appeared/been credited in over 80 shows and films combined, including popular hits such as GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough (a pair of James Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan), Message in a Bottle with Kevin Costner, and From Hell with Johnny Depp. He also appeared in the 1986 comedy series Blackadder II, which also featured Miranda Richardson. In 1990 he starred in Nuns on the Run alongside Eric Idle as Charlie McManus. In 1991, Coltrane played the title role in the comedy film, The Pope Must Die, which garnered controversy over its title (resulting in it being retitled The Pope Must Diet in some markets).
During the mid-1990s, Coltrane starred in a popular UK crime drama TV series entitled Cracker; he reprised the role for a made-for-TV film in 2006.
The voice of Robbie was also featured in the CGI-film The Tale of Despereaux from Universal Studios, which also featured the voices of Emma Watson and Ciaran Hinds, who played Hermione Granger and Aberforth Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series.
After Harry Potter
Robbie later served as a voice actor again in Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios's film Brave alongside Emma Thompson, Kelly Macdonald, and Julie Walters.
Behind the scenes
- It was actually J. K. Rowling, the author herself, that suggested Coltrane to the then director Chris Columbus for the role of Rubeus Hagrid.[1]
