10 Best Performances In Harry Potter

It’s impossible to envision anyone else playing Hagrid other than Robbie Coltrane. In fact, Coltrane was actually Rowling’s first choice to play the role, and it’s easy to see why.

Hagrid was a key character from the moment he was introduced in The Philosopher’s Stone. As well as being the first person from the magical world Harry interacted with, Hagrid was also Harry’s first father figure. In this sense, it was integral that whoever played Hagrid was able to capture the warmth of such a character.

Thankfully, Coltrane excelled in this regard. Throughout the series he was a constant source of friendliness and comfort despite his intimidating appearance. Even when Hagrid was angry, Coltrane somehow managed to inject a degree of warmth into his performance.

Humour was also something Coltrane executed well. This was particularly evident in The Philosopher’s Stone when Hagrid doted on Norbert, as well as in The Chamber of Secrets when he expressed his incredulity at Lockhart’s failed attempt to fix Harry’s arm.

Like many characters, however, Hagrid was pushed to the margins as the filmmakers were forced to cut out more and more of the source material. Still, what we did get of Coltrane’s performance as the Hogwarts gamekeeper was a delight for fans of the books.