When it was first announced that a Harry Potter TV series was happening on HBO, curious minds wanted to know who would take over the iconic roles we remember so well from the film franchise. For the part of the lovable Rubeus Hagrid, who was previously played by the late Robbie Coltrane in the films, Shaun of the Dead’s Nick Frost was tasked with filling the big shoes. Amazingly enough, Frost got real about the “spiritual thumbs up” he received to take over Hagrid from the OG actor.I can’t deny that Robbie Coltrane’s performance as Hagrid was unforgettable. So, I can only imagine the pressure Nick Frost might have felt as he took over the role for the HBO series on the 2026 TV schedule. It sounds like he felt confident while taking on the part, though, because Coltrane gave him a "spiritual thumbs up," as he explained on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum: I mean, Robbie’s incredible [in the role]. …. I kind of know — I don’t know them. My best mate, Danny, his friends were Robbie’s family and, apparently, Robbie was a fan of mine. And they all kind of gave me a spiritual thumbs up like, ‘He would have loved it. We’re so happy that you got it.’ I want to kind of pay tribute to what Robbie did. I want to honor what he did. That must have been such a beautiful moment for the Paul actor to hear that Robbie Coltrane was a fan of his work. Frost is known for tag-teaming with his pal Simon Pegg on the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End), which perfectly blended comedy with other genres like horror, action, and sci-fi. So, it's not surprising to me that Coltrane loved his work; a lot of people do. With the Harry Potter movies being one of Coltrane’s best works, it’s good to know that Frost will be playing Hagrid with the OG actor in mind. While the How to Train Your Dragon actor expressed that he felt some fans may not accept his Hagrid portrayal in the TV series, he said he plans to take what Coltrane did in the films and build on that.While Robbie Coltrane will always be known as the first actor to portray Hagrid, Frost explained one advantage he has playing a TV version of the Harry Potter character:I’m also quite aware that I get a chance where Robbie didn’t. Obviously, he had like a two-and-a-half hour movie and he had that, but I have eight hours to develop Hagrid a season. So, I'm really lucky that I get a chance to give people — here's some Robbie and here's bonus Hagrid. Here’s other Hagrids. I’m really lucky, I’m so happy I get to do that.Frost does make a great point. While the character of Hagrid had to be condensed in each film, he has a whole season to build him up. Good thing Frost is quite the Harry Potter superfan who’s admitted to having a Harry Potter movie marathon every Christmas and even writing “Hagrid” 7,000 times! In fact, that’s why he signed on to play Hagrid in the first place. When Michael Rosenbaum asked Frost if he felt any pressure taking on a character Coltrane portrayed for a decade, here was the British actor’s honest answer:I mean, I'm not responsible for people's expectations of what I should do or that's not my business. I can only give, and I'm fully aware some people like it, some people hate it. And that's fine, that's how that is. But that’s not my business or my problem. I can only do, obviously, my [goal] is what Robbie did, Hagrid in the book and then a sprinkle of magic, fried gold dust.It’s true that Robbie Coltrane had his own interpretation of the J.K. Rowling character, and Nick Frost will have his own, too. Sure, the comedy actor will face criticism while playing Hagrid. However, it appears that Frost takes pride in what he’s brought to the character, and he’ll stand by it despite the pressure and potential negativity. I’d like to believe Coltrane would be proud of him for that.Robbie Coltrane’s family giving a “spiritual thumbs up” to Nick Frost for taking over Hagrid shows that they trust that the talented actor will do a great job in the famed role. As Coltrane was a fan of Frost from the get-go, it seems fitting that the Truthseekers actor carry on Hagrid’s legacy. You can see how Frost honors both Hagrid and Coltrane in the Harry Potter TV series when it premieres for those with an HBO Max subscription on Christmas Day.