Daniel Radcliffe and ‘Harry Potter’ Castmates Pay Tribute to Robbie Coltrane: “He Was an Incredible Actor and a Lovely Man”

Following the news of Robbie Coltrane’s unexpected passing, many cast members from the Harry Potter franchise paid tribute to the actor, who famously starred as Hagrid in all eight movies.

In a statement obtained by People, Daniel Radcliffe, who held the titular role in the franchise, said Coltrane was “one of the funniest people I’ve met” and remembered how he “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,” Radcliffe recalled before adding, “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.”

James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, took to Twitter to write, “I will miss the random chats about all subjects under the sun. And I’ll never forget in September 2000, Robbie Coltrane came over to a very nervous 14yr old me on my 1st ever day on a movie set and said ‘Enjoy it, you’ll be great.’ Thank you for that x.”

Matthew Lewis, who portrayed Neville Longbottom, remembered how Coltrane would call him “Space Boy.” He wrote, “We shared a love of the final frontier. He didn’t give a fuck and it always made you smile. A giant, in more ways than one. We had some times,” while a “heartbroken” Bonnie Wright, aka Ginny Weasley, also took to Instagram to remember the late actor.

“Hagrid was my favourite character! Robbie portrayed Hagrid’s warmth, sense of home and unconditional love for his students and magical creatures so brilliantly,” she wrote. “Robbie always treated me and my fellow cast mates when we were wee kids like equal professionals on a film set. A type of attitude that instilled confidence and a sense of togetherness. Thanks for all the laughter.”

Even J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, wrote her own tribute. She said she will “never know anyone remotely like Robbie again.”

She continued, “He was an incredible talent, a complete one off, and I was beyond fortunate to know him, work with him and laugh my head off with him. I send my love and deepest condolences to his family, above all his children.”