HARRY Potter and Cracker star Robbie Coltrane has spoken about his personal demons, how he views global fame and the legacy he will leave behind.
The actor, who plays gentle giant Hagrid in the Potter movies, gives a rare insight into his personal life during an interview with Melvyn Bragg on tonight’s South Bank Show.
Robbie, 56, has also portrayed 18th century literary legend Dr Samuel Johnson several times and said he can identify with his hero’s terrible depressions.
He is asked by Bragg: “Did you find some kind of succour, some kind of identity with the depressions?”
“Yes. Definitely yes,” replied Robbie. “He was visited by the old dark dog quite a lot. He did have weeks on end where he could not get out of bed.”

SHAMELESS star Maggie O’Neill has filmed her final scene and left the hit Channel 4 show.
Actress Maggie, who plays “bonkers” Sheila in the Manchester comedy drama, says her farewells in episode three of the new series.
But there’s good news for fans with the arrival of Eccles-raised Ciaran Griffiths, who played Gary Best in The Bill.
Desperate housewife Sheila became Mrs Frank Gallagher in the last episode of the third series screened earlier this year.
Then Frank, played by David Threlfall, let slip that the wedding might not exactly have been legal.

AN invite to the corridors of power in Westminster to meet the Prime Minister.
No, not the one headed this weekend for Labour’s conference in Manchester. His successor. Former supermarket manager Ros Pritchard.
Tony Blair even rang to congratulate Ros on her general election landslide victory. Or, at least, someone who sounded very much like him.

ROBBIE Coltrane was in playful mood at the launch of the new Cracker film yesterday.
Rightly proud of the feature length story, set and filmed in Manchester, he was asked if he liked his character – criminal psychologist Fitz.
“Do I like him?” he replied, putting on a posh Scots voice. “I think he’s desperately handsome. I’ve always thought of him as one of the most attractive men in the world.

AN interview with Paul O’Grady is always memorable.
Whether in a posh restaurant or church hall rehearsal room, he always gives full value and, as you might imagine, doesn’t hold back his views.
So it’s great to know that The New Paul O’Grady Show is returning to Channel 4 on weekdays at 5pm from a week on Monday.
Paul has been inundated with good wishes since his heart attack in the summer. He says: “I found it really overwhelming. There must have been about 7,000 letters.
“Some of them just said, ‘Paul O’Grady, Kent.’ Our postman deserves a bloody medal. It was just incredible.

DAME Helen Mirren has revealed why she is quitting her role as one of TV’s most popular detectives.
It will be the end of an era next month when the actress is seen on screen investigating her last ever Prime Suspect case.
Retirement looms for Det Supt Jane Tennison in the seventh and final ITV Granada film, amid speculation that the character may be killed off.
I watched the first half of the four-hour film in London yesterday before attending a press conference given by the leading lady.
The final Prime Suspect is one of the TV events of the year and doesn’t disappoint. Helen must get fed up with people saying it, but she proves yet again what an astonishingly good actress she is.

IT’S always refreshing when you get an honest answer to an honest question.
Former Bad Girls and Monarch of the Glen actress Simone Lahbib is back on screen next week in Wire In The Blood.
She plays Det Insp Alex Fielding, taking the place of Hermione Norris in the dark and disturbing ITV1 thriller based on the books by Stockport author Val McDermid.
Talking at the press launch for four new Wire films, leading man Robson Green had already warned that Stirling-born Simone was not a lady to mess with.

FORMER Coronation Street star Suranne Jones was on good form when we met last week at a hotel near Oxford Street in London.
She was there to talk about her role as Beth in a second series of Manchester-filmed drama Vincent, back on ITV1 next month.
There’ll be more about that both here and in the MEN soon. But we also spoke about the part she is currently filming. Suranne has already warned her dad to avert his gaze when it is screened.
A story appeared in yesterday’s Diary. If you missed it, or don’t have access to a hard copy of the paper, here’s some of what we discussed:

ABI Finley has no regrets: “I’m the luckiest nearly-Jewish nun in the world.”
I spoke to Abi after writing yesterday’s blog on her dramatic exit from How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
She was astonished that Andrew Lloyd Webber had suddenly mentioned Funny Girl on the live BBC1 show. Abi’s idol Barbara Streisand starred in both the original Broadway stage version and the subsequent film.
Celebrating her 24th birthday yesterday, Abi also revealed what the Lord of the theatre said to her after Saturday night’s programme and how she and best friend Aoife Mullholland will be back in this week’s grand final. All 10 Maria finalists will return to sing a special number.

TEARS flowed as Abi Finley’s dream of playing Maria in The Sound of Music was shattered in dramatic fashion last night.
But the Prestwich student – who celebrates her 24th birthday today – has been tipped for stardom by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Amid claims of stage management and jammed phone lines, it was so long, farewell for Abi when she lost in a sing off with her best friend Aoife Mullholland.
The semi final of BBC1’s How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? did throw up a surprise, with Helena Blackman making it through to next Saturday’s final, alongside favourites Siobhan Dillon and Connie Fisher.