Inside Robbie Coltrane's Secluded Life Before His Death
On October 14, "Harry Potter" star Robbie Coltrane was pronounced dead at the age of 72. While details have remained under wraps regarding the beloved actor's cause of death, his agent revealed that he passed away at a Scotland-based hospital, per BBC News. "For me personally, I shall remember him as an abidingly loyal client. As well as a wonderful actor," she said in a statement. "He is survived by his sister Annie Rae, his children Spencer and Alice and their mother, Rhona Gemmell."
Prior to his death, Coltrane had cultivated an expansive and financially prosperous career as an actor and public figure. While a majority of pop culture enthusiasts knew him as the lovable half-giant, half-human Hagrid in the hit "Harry Potter" film series, the British comedian also gained notoriety for his hit TV series "Cracker" –– which earned him three BAFTA awards, per Deadline. Coltrane was also part of the successful James Bond film series, having starred in "GoldenEye" and "The World Is Not Enough" as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky. However, despite his successful career, Coltrane nixed having a fabulous and high-profile life for more humble and secluded world.
Robbie Coltrane's landlord hadn't seen him in years
When you think of wealthy celebrities, the first things that come to mind are mansions and nice cars. However, the life of luxury was never really appealing to the late Robbie Coltrane. In fact, for the last 20 years, the beloved Harry Potter star opted out of living in expensive homes and instead resided in a £1,000 a month barn conversion in Glasgow, Scotland, per OK!. But his living quarters weren't the only things secluded from the outside world. In an interview with OK!, Coltrane's landlord Andrew Edmonstone revealed that he hadn't seen the actor in four years.
"I have not seen him since a private dinner about five years ago or maybe more," Edmonstone explained. "He just does not want to be part of things in the community any longer." While Coltrane's hermit status may have been off-putting to some, the 72-year-old was also dealing with osteoarthritis — which left him in a wheelchair, per the Mirror. In 2020, Coltrane revealed that he was constantly "fighting pain 24 hours a day," per Express.
But even though he lived a secluded and sometimes painful life, Coltrane still set time aside for the "Harry Potter" franchise and its recent HBO Max special (via The Daily Beast). "The legacy of the movies is, I suspect, that my children's generation will show their children," he somberly said. "I'll not be here, sadly, but... But Hagrid will, yes."