Harry Potter star Tom Felton shared an essay to E! News remembering late Robbie Coltrane on his supposed 73rd birthday. Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, has worked with Coltrane in the franchise for over a decade. The actor recalled the fun times they had while filming for Harry Potter films. Coltrane passed away last October 2022 due to multiple organ failure.

Felton started his heartfelt letter recalling their early days filming for the franchise. He wrote,

“In the early days of Harry Potter, the cast comprised two distinct groups: children and adults. Emma Watson was 9 when we started shooting; Dan Radcliffe was 11; I was 13. Maggie Smith and Richard Harris, by comparison, were in their sixties and seventies. Do the math: You were either one of the kids, or you were one of the grown-ups. Unless, that is, you were Robbie Coltrane.”

Felton was fascinated with the way Coltrane was able to bond with both groups on set. The actor was also impressed at how knowledgeable Coltrane is on various topics. He added,

“Somehow, Robbie managed to be an adult and a child at the same time, maintaining a foot in both camps. His knowledge of the world was astounding. He was well-versed in any topic you might care to mention, from engineering to geography, from history to travel—and that meant he had something to contribute to any grown-up conversation that might be happening on set. You could tell that the older actors valued and respected his experience.”

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Aside from being a great friend, Felton went on to detail how professional Coltrane was. The actor shared that he learned a lot from the late co-star. He added,

“Robbie knew how important it was to know your lines, to be on your mark, to play to camera. We learned our trade from watching him. He set a great example to us all on how to nail the basic skills of being on set, but never in a boring or patronizing way. Although he routinely had to deal with a crazy amount of hair and make-up and suits and stilts, he still somehow managed to create an environment that allowed us all to be playful.”

Felton ended the letter sharing how much Coltrane meant to the franchise and how much he misses his friend. He concluded,

“And Robbie was endlessly playful. He was constantly cheeky. Most of all he was always kind. He never took himself too seriously—and these characteristics lay at the heart of everything, I think, because if Robbie took himself too seriously, if he forgot what it meant to be kind, there would have been no Hagrid. Without Hagrid, there's no Hogwarts. And nobody could, would or ever will play that gentle giant half as well as my dearly missed friend Robbie Coltrane.”