My first exposure to the Harry Potter series was through the movies, eventually leading to me reading the books. Since then, I've been eagerly waiting for my letter from Hogwarts.

Even with all the magical adventures, classes, quidditch matches, broomsticks, and wands, one character that really stood out for me was the half-giant, half-wizard Hagrid.

The night Harry discovers he's a wizard is almost portrayed like a horror film in the first Harry Potter movie. To avoid the letters warning him of his magic, his uncle takes Harry, along with the rest of the obnoxious Dursleys to a cabin on a distant island.

Nevertheless, Hagrid shows up in person to deliver Harry's letter to Hogwarts, busting down the door after the Dursleys refuse to let him in. Even though his initial silhouette frightens everyone including Harry, as soon as he speaks, Harry realises that Hagrid is a friendly visitor and not a terrifying monster.

The Scottish actor, Robbie Coltrane, the man behind the loveable giant passed away on Friday at the age of 72. For a generation of Potterheads, Coltrane was best known for his eight-film-run as Hagrid. The character, as he appeared in the book, was a bumbling, whimsical, and devoted ally to Harry and his friends.

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Coltrane, who was already six-feet-tall, had to wear a padded jacket and use extremely small props and sets to get into the character of the giant and really tower over his co-stars. However, being Hagrid was more than just a physical challenge for the actor. Over the course of a decade, Coltrane gave the character a depth and humanity that helped him become not just instantly recognisable, but also real. And he did all of this while gently resisting the script's tendency to make the character into one used for comic relief.

In an interview, Coltrane revealed that he had read the books to his children, which is how he came to know and adore them. "If you're an actor, you have to do the voices. The children expect it. No monotones allowed," he had joked.

In the books, Hagrid was a peculiar adult, who fit in more with Harry and his friends—who would frequently visit him for tea and conversations—which is somewhat ironic given that he is a giant. Hagrid was the groundskeeper of Hogwarts, after being expelled from the magical school as a young man, resulting in him being somewhat childish. He's the kind of eccentric personality who names a submissive bloodhound "Fang", while naming a fearsome three-headed dog "Fluffy".

However, his love for animals and magical creatures is truly what makes him the 'gentle giant', as he can be seen caring for man-eating spiders and dangerous dragons with the utmost care.

The movies stayed mostly true to Hagrid's narrative, but they frequently made fun of and gawked at his character. In the first film, Hagrid gives Harry a birthday cake, with the icing misspelled as 'Happee Birthdae', a needless insult to his intelligence given that it was never done in the books.

 In the fourth movie, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", Hagrid accidentally stabs a co-worker in the hand with a fork due to his attraction to a romantic interest, this pretty severe example of his ungainliness wasn't in the text either. Characters frequently gave Hagrid the silent treatment when he spoke, rolling their eyes or making faces at him as if he were stupid, all of which feels rather unfair.

Coltrane, however, avoided adopting a caricature-like approach when portraying Hagrid. Instead, he used the character's backstory—like that fact that he was tormented by his Hogwarts peers, abandoned by his giantess mother, and desperately trying to hide his genetic heritage—to help audiences connect with Hagrid.

Even at his most ridiculous moments, Hagrid had a hopefulness and a tenderness that portrayed the character's difficult past. The actor seemed to comprehend Hagrid's struggles that gave him a fortitude that didn't turn into bitterness, but rather into a genuine capacity to accept characters like Harry, Ron, and Hermione—those who also struggled to fit in with the rest of the school.

Consider the scene where Hagrid introduces the trio to his half-brother, the enormous Grawp. The dialogue calls for Hagrid to be emphatic about their assistance, as he needs the trio to keep Grawp company while he's away. He explains, "He's completely harmless, just like I said," he explains, "though high-spirited is all… You will look after him, won't you?"

Coltrane spoke these words softly rather than firmly—almost fighting back tears—helping the audience understand that Hagrid is feeling guilty and desperate about the request.

Aside from the second movie, Hagrid was rarely the centre of attention, but his sympathy for the heroes kept the story's heart alive, and Coltrane saw the potential in his character right away. In an interview for the franchise's 20th-anniversary special, the actor compared Hagrid to Superman.

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"Everybody in the world would like a really big, huge, strong, good man on their side, simple as that. That's the attraction of Superman and these things," he said. "You wish there were a power for good in the world that was irresistible to the bad guys. And Hagrid was always obviously the good guy, wasn't he?"

An emotional Coltrane also said in that special, "The legacy of the movies is that my children's generation will show them to their children. So, you could be watching it in 50 years' time, easy. I'll not be here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes."

Even though Coltrane is no more, his iconic role of Hagrid will live on in the films. Even those who read the book, and have also seen the films, will usually visualise the Scottish actor when thinking about the gentle giant.