Miriam Margolyes has paid a heartfelt tribute to Robbie Coltrane as a 'fine actor' who 'towered over Scotland' after the Scot's death at the age of 72.
The BAFTA award-winning actress, who starred alongside the icon Coltrane in her role as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series, took to BBC Radio 4 to pay her respects. Coltrane passed away at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Falkirk on Friday, October 14.
In the candid interview this morning, the 81-year-old touched upon Coltrane's dedication to the arts, his ability to take on a variation of roles from Danny McGlone in Tutti Frutti to 'Fitz' in Cracker, and his natural charisma.
Margolyes said: "He was a very fine actor and a delightful man. Huge in stature, in personality, in heart. He was exceptional and I'm really sad. I didn't know he was ill. He acted with passion, he was really wonderful.
"I think that's what makes somebody great, that they have light and dark in them, and he really did, and he could summon it when he needed to. But he had a heart of gold. He was kind, he was sweet, he was affectionate.
"So all the good things about him were light and the bad things he harnessed for his work."
She added: "I didn't know he was ill. He just put on too much weight, stupid boy! He was aware of that, I used to wag my finger at him. "It's such a waste, to think of all that talent. He was just wonderful."
Margolyes also featured in the same BBC 2 comedy sketch show as Coltrane, A Kick Up the Eighties. She is just one of the many famous faces, including Daniel Radcliffe and Stephen Fry, who have shared their fond memories of the Rutherglen native, who is understood to have spent his last days wheelchair-bound and in pain due to a battle with osteoporosis.
Miriam continued: "He's absolutely a unique figure and powerful and towering over Scotland. I really loved him and I'm so sad about it [his death].
"He took it immensely seriously, for all his humour, and he was very funny... but acting for him was a means of expression, and he cared about it, he wanted to be good, he wanted to be thought of as being good.
"And I think he achieved greatness in his roles. I just feel furious that he's died. Such a waste."
She added: "I hope that somewhere he's able to hear everybody mourning him and praising him and loving him because he got a great deal out of human contact.
"The fullness of him as a person and as a talent, that's what I treasure and remember."
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