Robbie Coltrane, 'Harry Potter's Hagrid, Dead At 72

Actor Robbie Coltrane has passed away at the age of 72.

His agent told Deadline that he passed away in the hospital near his home in Larbert, Scotland, after suffering ill health for the past few years. He is survived by two children.

Best known as Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" film series, Coltrane also appeared in "James Bond" and the TV murder drama "Cracker."

Although all "Harry Potter" fans know that Robbie Coltrane played Hagrid in the film series, maybe only Ravenclaws know that Coltrane was actually born Anthony Robert McMillan in Rutherglen, Scotland in 1950.

The "Tutti Frutti" actor took the stage name Coltrane in his early 20s as a tribute to jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. He later made his big debut in Byrne’s theater production of "The Slab Boys."

Although he starred in two "James Bond" films, it was his debut as the larger-than-life-giant in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in 2001 that brought him the most recognition.

Many “Harry Potter” fans took to Twitter on Friday afternoon as Robbie Coltrane and Hagrid immediately started trending upon the news of his passing. One “Harry Potter” fan tweeted a few screenshots from the “Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts” 20th anniversary special that aired on HBO Max on January 1.

In the special, Coltrane reflected on his role as Hagrid 20 years after the debut of the first film in the franchise. “So you could be watching it in 50 years’ time, easy. I’ll not be here, sadly, but… But Hagrid will, yes.”

Another fan shared another applicable Hagrid quote that featured him saying, "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet when it does."

Another fan shared a clip of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), saying, "There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid."

One YouTube gamer also shared his condolences to "an absolute movie legend."

Many fans who had grown up with "Harry Potter" were struck speechless by the news, with HuffPost editor Philip Lewis tweeting, "I’m going to need a moment to process Hagrid’s death."

The Wizarding World Twitter account tweeted, "We are hugely saddened to hear of the passing of the magnificent Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid with such kindness, heart and humour in the Harry Potter films. He was a wonderful actor, a friend to all and he will be deeply missed."

At the time of this writing, "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and other "Harry Potter" stars have yet to comment on his passing.

UPDATE 2 PM ET: Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular role of Harry Potter released a statement, saying:

“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. 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.”