In October 2022, the Wizarding World, and real world in general, lost one of its brightest stars and warmest souls with the passing of Robbie Coltrane. The veteran stage, film, and TV actor best known for his portrayal of Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, left behind an endearing legacy and countless performances in the realms of fantasy, comedy, drama, action, and so much more.
With the sea of tributes coming in from the likes of his Harry Potter co-stars, and even Universal Orlando attendees, since the late actor’s passing at the age of 72, we would be doing a major disservice to his life, career, and legacy, if we didn’t highlight some of his best on-screen appearances. That being said, here are the best Robbie Coltrane movies and TV shows and how to watch them.
The Harry Potter Movies (2001 – 2011)
One of the most successful film franchises of the 21st Century, the Harry Potter movies told the story of “The Boy Who Lived” as he rose from an unwanted orphan living beneath his aunt and uncle’s stairs to the only person powerful enough to destroy “He Who Shall Not Be Named.” But Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) had some help along the way from countless friends, teachers, and a certain gamekeeper.
It’s hard to imagine the Harry Potter movies without Robbie Coltrane’s Rubeus Hagrid, as the kind and gentle half-giant and half-human was one of the Hogwarts students’ biggest allies who was always there to lend a hand or piece of advice. And to the younger generations, Coltrane is surely most remembered by his Wizarding World character.
Stream The Harry Potter Collection on Peacock. (opens in new tab)
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Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Mona Lisa (1986)
Released in 1986, Neil Jordan’s crime drama, Mona Lisa, centers on a recently paroled gangster named George (Bob Hoskins in a BAFTA-winning performance) as he’s given the new job of driving a high-priced prostitute named Simone (Cathy Tyson) who is working for his boss. As time goes by, George and Simone become close, but their bond could be the downfall of each.
Robbie Coltrane is seen throughout the movie as Thomas, George’s longtime friend who runs a modest garage instead of working in London’s criminal underworld. Though not the main character and not really connected to the main struggle, Coltrane’s “everyman” character is a delight and is made better thanks to the late actor’s innate likability.
Stream Mona Lisa on HBO Max. (opens in new tab)
Blackadder The Third (1987)
Between 1983 and 1989, the BBC period comedy series, Blackadder, told four different stories that focused on different historical eras, with the only shared commonality being that Rowan Atkinson portrayed antihero Edmund Blackadder. The first installment was set in the Middle Ages, the second during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the third in the Regency Era, and fourth during the First World War.
Robbie Coltrane appeared throughout Blackadder the Third, the 1987 season that saw the legendary actor take on the role of famous English writer, Samuel Johnson. Given yet another opportunity to show off his incredible comedic timing and the ability to go on long, extended tangents that would make a lesser man pass out from lack of oxygen, Coltrane was magnificent in the role.
Stream Blackadder the Third on Hulu. (opens in new tab)
Get it on DVD on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Henry V (1989)
Long before he was adapting Agatha Christie novels into movies like the upcoming, A Haunting in VeniceKenneth Branagh cut his teeth with good ole William Shakespeare, specifically 1989’s Henry V. Based on the classic tragedy of the same name, the adaptation focuses on the life and times of the monarch during 15th-century England.
Robbie Coltrane appeared in Henry V as Sir John Falstaff, one of King Henry’s (Kenneth Branagh) old friends whom he denounced after taking the throne. Both comedic and tragic (this is Shakespeare, after all), Coltrane’s performance was a work of art and helps make this one of the best big-screen interpretations of Shakespeare’s work.
Stream Henry V on Tubi.
Get in on DVD on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
The Brothers Bloom (2009)
Brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody) and Stephen Bloom (Mark Ruffalo), tired of going from one small con to the next in order to support themselves and their lifestyle, set out to pull off one final job by conning New Jersey heiress Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz) out of her fortune. But things don’t go according to plan…
Before he was breathing new life into the whodunit genre with Knives Out and the upcoming Glass Onion: A Knives Out MysteryRian Johnson released the crime comedy The Brothers Bloom. Among the cast in this hilarious and savvy caper was Robbie Coltrane, who portrayed another con artist by the name of Maximilien Melville, posing as a European art curator. Like the rest of the cast, his trustworthiness was dubious at best, making for a great, well-rounded character.
Rent/Buy The Brothers Bloom on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Goldeneye (1995)
When a satellite-based weapon gets into the hands of a terrorist organization headed by a former MI6 operative, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is thrown into a race against time to save the world from being destroyed by the single push of a button in goldeneye.
The first James Bond movie with Brosnan portraying the iconic and suave spy, goldeneye features a tremendous number of supporting characters, from the villainous Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) to Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) and many more. One of the highlights is former KGB-turned-mobster Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky, one of Bond’s old enemies who becomes a reluctant ally and helps out the spy in a bind.
Stream Goldeneye on Prime Video. (opens in new tab)
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Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Let It Ride (1989)
One of the best Richard Dreyfuss movies, the 1989 comedy, let it ride, follows down-on-his-luck Jay Trotter (Dreyfuss) as he attempts to turn his fortunes around after getting a tip on a race horse who can’t lose.
Though he appears in a small part as the ticket seller who hands out Trotter’s earnings, Robbie Coltrane’s brief appearance was full of humor, warmth, and joy, much like he would pull off in the Harry Potter movies a little more than a decade later. The way he counts the massive stack of cash for the troubled bettor is just so much fun to watch over and over.
Stream Let it Ride on Starz. (opens in new tab)
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Get it on DVD on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Alfresco (1983 – 1984)
Just like how Saturday Night Live launched the careers of comedy legends like Bill Murray, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, and Gilda Radner, the British sketch comedy show, Alfresco, did the same for prominent figures like Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Robbie Coltrane during its two-season run in the early 1980s.
Those who want to see why Coltrane would later earn so many big-time TV and film roles should look no further than Alfrescoas the comedy series served as a launching pad for the late actor and allowed him to use his classical training in the theater and turn it into brilliant comedy with some of the hilarious skits and songs.
Stream Alfresco on BritBox. (opens in new tab)
National Treasure (2016)
The 2016 British drama series National Treasure centers on a former comedy legend named Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltrane) as he is thrust into the news cycle after allegations of sexual abuse from decades earlier resurface.
Perhaps one of Robbie Coltrane’s heaviest and most dramatic roles, the four-part series touches on some rather delicate topics that are far more intense than the subject matter of his earlier comedic work and Harry Potter role. Coltrane also won several accolades for his performance, including the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor – Male.
Stream National Treasure on Hulu. (opens in new tab)
Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
In the fallout of the nine-figure heist pulled off at the end of Ocean’s Eleven, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the rest of his crew become the target of their old mark, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who is now demanding they pay him back more interest. In order to do so, the group of thieves have to set up another job with its own set of dangers.
Ocean’s Twelve takes the characters from the first film and introduces a whole other cast of new additions like Vincent Cassel’s Baron François Toulour, Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Isabel Lahiri, and Robbie Coltrane’s Matsui. Coltrane does a masterful job of playing a character who gives you so many trust issues, and you don’t really ever know where his true allegiances lie.
Stream Ocean’s Twelve on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Rent/Buy Ocean’s Twelve on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Brave (2012)
And then there is Bravethe 2012 Pixar movie about an adventurous and headstrong princess named Merida (Kelly Macdonald) who wants to chart her own path instead of following the ancient customs of her family and kingdom.
Though he doesn’t have a massive role in Brave, Robbie Coltrane still provides a memorable performance as Lord Dingwall, one of the three lords who come to Dunbroch to try to win Merida’s hand in marriage for their sons. A fun supporting character with some humorous scenes, Coltrane’s performance helps bring the movie up a few notches.
Stream Brave on Disney+. (opens in new tab)
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Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. (opens in new tab)
As great as these movies and TV shows are, this is barely scratching the surface of Robbie Coltrane’s accomplishments throughout his long and storied career. Coltrane, and his larger-than-life personality and boundless talent, will surely be missed.
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