The Best Robbie Coltrane Movies And TV Shows And How To Watch Them
In October 2022, the wizarding world, and the real world in general, lost one of its brightest stars and warmest souls with the death of Robbie Coltrane. The veteran stage, film and television actor best known for his portrayal of Hagrid in the films Harry Potter films, left a lovable legacy and countless appearances in fantasy, comedy, drama, action and much more.
With the sea of tributes coming from his own kind Harry Potter Co-stars and even visitors to Universal Orlando, since the late actor passed away at the age of 72, we’d be doing his life, career and legacy a great disservice 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 being an unwanted orphan living under his aunt and uncle’s stairs to the only person powerful enough to say “He Who Shall Not Be Named.” destroy. But Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) had help from countless friends, teachers and a certain gamekeeper along the way.
That’s hard to imagine Harry Potter Films without Robbie Coltrane’s Rubeus Hagrid, as the kind and gentle half-giant, half-human was one of Hogwarts students’ greatest allies, always there to lend a helping hand. And among younger generations, Coltrane is surely remembered most for his Wizarding World character.
Stream the Harry Potter Collection on Peacock. (opens in new tab)
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Mona Lisa (1986)
Released in 1986, Neil Jordan’s crime drama, mona lisa, follows a recently paroled gangster named George (Bob Hoskins in a BAFTA-winning performance) who has landed a new job driving a highly paid prostitute named Simone (Cathy Tyson) who works for his boss. Over time, George and Simone grow closer, but their bond could spell their downfall.
Robbie Coltrane stars throughout the film as Thomas, George’s longtime friend who runs a humble garage rather than work in London’s criminal underworld. While not the main character and not really connected to the main fight, Coltrane’s “Everyman” character is a delight and is enhanced thanks to the late actor’s innate liking.
Stream Mona Lisa on HBO Max. (opens in new tab)
Blackadder the Third (1987)
Between 1983 and 1989 the BBC comedy series, black viper, told four different stories centered on different historical eras, with the only commonality being that Rowan Atkinson portrayed the anti-hero Edmund Blackadder. The first part takes place in the Middle Ages, the second during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the third in the Regency era and the fourth during the First World War.
Robbie Coltrane performed throughout Blackadder the Third, the 1987 season in which the legendary actor took on the role of the famous English writer Samuel Johnson. Coltrane had another opportunity to show off his incredible comedic timing and ability to play long, drawn out tangents that would make a lesser man pass out from lack of oxygen, and Coltrane was great in the role.
Stream Blackadder the Third on Hulu. (opens in new tab)
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Henry V (1989)
Long before he adapted Agatha Christie novels into films like the ones to come, A spook in VeniceKenneth Branagh cut his teeth with good old William Shakespeare, especially with the 1989s Henry V. Based on the classic tragedy of the same name, the adaptation focuses on the life and times of the monarch in 15th-century England.
Robbie Coltrane showed up Henry V as Sir John Falstaff, an old friend of King Henry (Kenneth Branagh), whom he denounced upon his accession to the throne. Both comedic and tragic (this is Shakespeare, after all), Coltrane’s performance was a work of art, helping to make this one of the finest large-screen interpretations of Shakespeare’s work.
Stream Henry V on Tubi.
Get it on DVD from Amazon. (opens in new tab)
The Brothers Bloom (2009)
Brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody) and Stephen Bloom (Mark Ruffalo), tired of going from one small scam to another to support themselves and their lifestyle, set out to get one last job done by… New Jersey heiress Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz) from her fortune. But things don’t go according to plan…
Previously, he breathed new life into the whodunit genre knife out and the coming Glass Onion: A Knives Out MysteryRian Johnson published the crime comedy The Bloom brothers. Among the performers in this hilarious and slick prank was Robbie Coltrane, who portrayed another con man named Maximilien Melville, posing as a European art curator. Like the rest of the cast, his credibility was iffy 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 from Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Goldeneye (1995)
When a satellite-based weapon falls into the hands of a terrorist organization led by a former MI6 agent, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is in a race against time to save the world from destruction with the push of a button Gold eye.
The first James Bond film starring Brosnan as the iconic and suave spy, Gold eye features a massive cast of supporting characters, from the villainous Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) to Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) and many more. One of the highlights is ex-KGB gangster Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky, one of Bond’s old enemies who reluctantly becomes an ally and bails the spy out of a tight spot.
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Let It Ride (1989)
One of Richard Dreyfuss’s best films, the 1989 comedy, Let it go, follows hapless Jay Trotter (Dreyfuss) as he attempts to reverse his fortunes after being tipped off on a racehorse that can’t lose.
Although he has a small role as a ticket seller doling out Trotter’s earnings, Robbie Coltrane’s brief appearance was filled with humor, warmth and joy, as if he were leaving town Harry Potter Movies a little over a decade later. It’s just so much fun to watch over and over again the way he counts the huge stack of cash for the harried bettor.
Stream Let it Ride on Starz. (opens in new tab)
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Outdoors (1983 – 1984)
As well as Saturday night live launched the careers of comedy legends like Bill Murray, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy and Gilda Radner, the British sketch comedy show, Outdoors, did the same for celebrities such as Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Robbie Coltrane during its two-year run in the early 1980s.
If you want to see why Coltrane went on to earn so many big TV and film roles, look no further Outdoorsas the comedy series served as a launch pad for the late actor, allowing him to take his classical theater training and turn it into brilliant comedy with some of the hilarious skits and songs.
Stream Alfresco to BritBox. (opens in new tab)
National Treasure (2016)
The 2016 British drama series National Treasure follows a former comedy legend named Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltrane) who stumbles onto the news show 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 sensitive issues that are far more intense than the subject matter of his earlier comedic work and Harry Potter Role. Coltrane also won several awards for his performance, including the Royal Television Society Award for Best Male Actor.
Stream National Treasure on Hulu. (opens in new tab)
Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
In the aftermath of the nine-figure robbery that ended up being pulled Ocean’s Eleven, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the rest of his crew are targeted by their old name, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who now demands that they pay him back plus interest. To do this, the group of thieves must set up another job with its own dangers.
Ocean’s Twelve takes the characters from the first film and introduces a host of other new additions, including Vincent Cassel’s Baron François Toulour, Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Isabel Lahiri and Robbie Coltrane’s Matsui. Coltrane does a masterful job playing a character who gives you so many trust issues and you never really know where his true loyalties lie.
Stream Ocean’s Twelve on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
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Get it on Blu-ray from Amazon. (opens in new tab)
Brave (2012)
And then there is Bravethe 2012 Pixar film about an adventurous and headstrong princess named Merida (Kelly Macdonald) who wants to make her own way instead of following the old ways of her family and kingdom.
Although he doesn’t play a big role Brave, Robbie Coltrane still offers 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. Coltrane’s performance is an entertaining supporting character with some humorous scenes and helps take the film up a few notches.
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As great as these films and TV shows are, this only scratches the surface of Robbie Coltrane’s accomplishments throughout his long and eventful career. Coltrane and his towering personality and boundless talent will surely be missed.