The great comedian and character actor Robbie Coltrane has passed away, at the age of 72. For many people, he was the warm and welcoming half giant Rubeus Hagrid in the “Harry Potter” films. But if you don’t know much of his other filmography, you’re missing out on one of the greats. He’s been everything from a brief TV show appearance to being prominent “James Bond” character. So, without further ado here are some of his other iconic roles you should check out.
“Tutti Frutti” (1987)
Coltrane played Danny McGlone on this 6 episode mini series. The logline is: Trouble ensues for the Majestics, Scotland’s “Kings of Rock,” when a good-looking redhead joins the band on tour. This series won multiple BAFTA Awards in 1988 including Best Actress and Best Drama Series. Robbie Coltrane was also nominated for Best Actor.
This series is available on DVD, but only for Region 2(PAL). So you’ll need a region unlocked player to watch it, even if you could import the set. It’s also available to stream via Amazon UK.
“Cracker” (1993)
Cracker was one of Robbie’s most prominent roles winning him an award for Best Actor at the BAFTA Awards in 1994. His portrayal of Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald is one that resonated with audiences world wide. Fitz is a classic antihero: Scottish, an alcoholic, a chain smoker, obese, sedentary, addicted to gambling, manic, foul-mouthed and sarcastic. Yet he has a brilliant mind and is a genius in criminal psychology. His character says in one episode called “Brotherly Love,” “I drink too much, I smoke too much, I gamble too much. I am too much.”
You can watch this series streaming now on Amazon Prime.
“GoldenEye” (1995)
Coltrane plays iconic 007 James Bond…’villain’ Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in this iconic film. Zukoysky is sought out by Bond and is asked to do him a favor. After being shot in the knee, he has to deal with chronic pain because not only is it painful on its own, it’s exacerbated by the cold Russian weather.
You can watch “GoldenEye” streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
“The World is Not Enough” (1999)
Continuing his role from “GoldenEye,” Valentine still holds a grudge against Bond. Now owning a casino bond goes to him for information on a terrorist named Renard. This devolves into an entire plotline where Valentine is one of the main villains and has a pretty great story line. Coltrane does an excellent job making us suspect him of the worst possible thing.
You can watch “The World is Not Enough” streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
“From Hell” (2001)
Coltrane plays alongside Johnny Depp in this psychological thriller. He plays the role of Sergeant George Godley, the humorous and literary-minded subordinate assistant and friend of Abberline(Depp). Abberline is a cop who is investigating the Ripper murders. The use of drugs help him dream of scenes from the murders but Godley helps him to investigate the murders in a logical way.
You can watch “From Hell” streaming now on HBO Max.
“Van Helsing,” “Van Helsing: The London Assignment” (2004)
Robbie Coltrane plays Mr. Hyde in both “Van Helsing” and “Van Helsing: The London Assignment.” These movies star Hugh Jackman as Van Helsing himself and are action packed. Great for right now especially because it’s spooky season(at the time of this writing.)
You can watch both films streaming on AppleTV+.
