Neil Fingleton

{{infobox basketball biography

| name = Neil Fingleton

| image = NEIL-FINGLETON-resize.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1980|12|18}}

| birth_place = Durham, County Durham, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2017|2|25|1980|12|18}}

| death_place = Durham, County Durham, England

| height_ft = 7

| height_in = 7

| weight = 168 kg

| high_school = Holy Name Central Catholic
(Worcester, Massachusetts)

| college = *North Carolina (2001–2002)

Holy Cross (2002–2004)

| draft_year = 2005

| career_start = 2004

| career_end = 2007

| career_number = 15

| career_position = Center

| years1 = 2004

| team1 = Boston Frenzy

| years2 = 2005–2006

| team2 = Tees Valley Mohawks

| years3 = 2006

| team3 = CB Illescas

| years4 = 2006–2007

| team4 = CB Ciudad Real

| highlights = * Third-team Parade All-American (2000)

}}

Neil Fingleton (18 December 1980 – 25 February 2017){{cite news |title=Obituary - Neil Fingleton, actor and star of Game of Thrones |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/15135251.obituary-neil-fingleton-actor-and-star-of-game-of-thrones/ |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=HeraldScotland |language=en}} was an English actor and basketball player. Neil became the tallest living British-born man and the tallest man in the European Union at 7 ft 7.56 in (232.6 cm) and among the 25 tallest men in the world.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100530121912/http://www.neilfingletonlive.com/About_the_Artist.html Official website] on archive.org.{{cite news|last=Toland|first=Jennifer|url=http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070216/NEWS/702160734/0/FRONTPAGE|title=A high honor|work=Worcester News & Telegram|date=16 February 2007|access-date=10 July 2007|archive-date=30 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530051933/https://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070216%2FNEWS%2F702160734%2F0%2FFRONTPAGE|url-status=dead}}

This title has been confirmed by the Guinness World Records in the summer of 2007; Fingleton took over from Christopher Greener who stood at 7 ft 6 ¼ in (229.2 cm) in height.

Life and career

Fingleton was born in Durham, England, in 1980, to mother Christine and father Michael. He had an older brother, Michael, and an older sister, Keely.{{cite news|last=Hill|first=Laura|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/funeral-game-thrones-star-neil-12708054|title=Funeral of Game of Thrones star Neil Fingleton to be held at Durham Cathedral|work=Chronicle Live|date=8 March 2017|accessdate=16 June 2018}} Fingleton decided to attend high school in the United States after attending a basketball camp in Connecticut when he was 16. In 1997, Fingleton moved from Durham to Worcester, Massachusetts, and began attending Holy Name Central Catholic High School, graduating in 2000.{{cite web|title=Player Bio: Neil Fingleton|url=http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205674002&DB_OEM_ID=3350|website=GoHeels.com|publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|accessdate=2 April 2017|location=Chapel Hill, North Carolina}} Fingleton's coach was J. P. Ricciardi, who would later become general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. Fingleton helped the Holy Name basketball team to the Central Massachusetts Division I title and a berth in the Massachusetts final game in 1999, and a 22–4 record in 2000.

Fingleton was awarded a basketball scholarship to the United States first playing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. In August 2000, Fingleton had back surgery and then earned a medical redshirt from North Carolina. Fingleton played only one game with North Carolina then transferred to Holy Cross in 2002.{{cite web|title=Neil Fingleton|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/players/neil_fingleton.html|publisher=NBA Development League|accessdate=25 March 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627092449/http://www.nba.com/dleague/players/neil_fingleton.html|archivedate=27 June 2006|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}That game was a 58–54 loss to Davidson College on 20 November 2001. Fingleton missed both field goal attempts and committed two turnovers. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20021011234554/http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/scores/20011120/dadnav.html Boxscore]) Fingleton graduated from Holy Cross in 2004 with a degree in history.{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Andrew|title=Neil Fingleton '04: Exploring a New Career|url=http://magazine.holycross.edu/issue_45_2/45_2_alumni_spotlights/45_2_neil|work=Holy Cross Magazine|date=Spring 2011|volume=45|issue=2}}

Fingleton debuted professionally in the 2004–2005 season with the Boston Frenzy of the ABA. The Frenzy waived Fingleton in December 2004.{{cite web|last=McKay|first=Neil|title=Why Neil is ready for another giant leap.|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Why+Neil+is+ready+for+another+giant+leap.-a0129307187|work=The Journal (Newcastle, England)|accessdate=2 June 2012|date=26 February 2005}} In the 2005 NBA Development League Draft, the Austin Toros selected Fingleton as the eighth pick in the fifth round. On 6 December 2005, Fingleton started playing with the English Basketball League team Tees Valley Mohawks.{{cite news|last=Clarke|first=Peter|title=Sound and fury|work=Evening Standard|date=7 December 2005|page=41|url=http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/basketball/tm_objectid=16457354}}{{dead link|date=July 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sound+and+fury.-a0139517258 Alt URL] In November 2006, Fingleton signed with Spanish team CB Illescas and later with Ciudad Real.{{cite web|title=El gigante Fingleton cambia el Illescas por el Ciudad Real|url=http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=35491|publisher=Liga ACB|language=Spanish|date=23 November 2006|accessdate=2 June 2013|archive-date=18 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718091621/http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=35491|url-status=dead}} After an injury forced him to retire in 2007, he returned to his home city of Durham to pursue a career in showbusiness.

On the Guinness World Records website, Fingleton says:

I am one of three siblings – my sister who is 6'3" is the eldest at 30, my brother is 6'8" who is 29 and I am 7'7" at 26 ... my mother is 6 foot and my father was also. My great grandfather was 6'8". I have always been taller than everyone since I can remember. My height really took off when I reached 11 and was touching 7 foot. By the time I was 16 I was 7'5" and stopping growing at 18 when I was 7'7.57.

I have never been self conscious about my height. I am more conscious of going bald so that should tell you. I never let my height play a negative part in my life. I always do what I want, some tall people may be restricted as they are constantly stared at or people ask the same questions over and over. This is the only bad thing about being tall – the stupid remarks and questions. Other than that, being tall is great.{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/2008/neil_fingleton.aspx|title=Guinness World Records - Book 2008 - Neil Fingleton|date=25 March 2008|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325150028/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/2008/neil_fingleton.aspx|archivedate=25 March 2008|df=dmy-all}}

I have been doing acting work since my basketball career finished. I spent eight years in the USA attending High School and College. I graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2004 with a degree in History. I have played professionally in Greece, Italy, Spain. Now I am concentrating on acting and trying to move to LA soon to jump in with both feet so to speak.

Two 2007 British TV documentaries, Britain's Tallest Men and Superhuman: Giants featured Fingleton and covered the difficulties and constant attention, quite often considerable rudeness, that he faces day to day.{{cite web | url = http://tvline.com/2017/02/26/neil-fingleton-dies-game-of-thrones-mag-the-mighty-dead/ | title = Thrones' Neil Fingleton Dead at 36 | first = Michael | last = Ausiello | date = 26 February 2017 | accessdate = 27 February 2017 | work = TVLine | archive-date = 26 February 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170226202944/http://tvline.com/2017/02/26/neil-fingleton-dies-game-of-thrones-mag-the-mighty-dead/ | url-status = dead }}

He appeared in the film 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves.{{cite web|url=http://www.whoaisnotme.net/articles/2011_0912_47r.htm|title=47 Ronin|accessdate=26 April 2015}} From 2014 to 2017 Fingleton played the giant Mag the Mighty in the TV series Game of Thrones. He also appeared in the 2015 film Jupiter Ascending, starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. He played Russian General's Bodyguard 1 in the Fox Studios film X-Men: First Class, and he provided the motion capture for the CGI character Ultron (which was voiced by James Spader) in the Marvel Studios film Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Fingleton appeared in a two-part serial written by Toby Whithouse for the 9th series of Doctor Who, filming in January 2015 in Cardiff. He played the villain "The Fisher King", an alien warlord. The series was transmitted in autumn 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/e03e1e3f-c5c3-4d48-8212-6bf6d1ad9608 |title=Filming Begins on Doctor Who, Series 9 |author=The Doctor Who Team |date=14 January 2015 |website=Doctor Who |publisher=BBC One |accessdate=14 January 2015 }}

Death

Fingleton died on 25 February 2017, at the age of 36, at his home in Gilesgate. The cause of death has been reported by British media as heart failure;{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/feb/26/neil-fingleton-game-of-thrones-star-and-uks-tallest-man-dies-aged-36 |title=Neil Fingleton, Game of Thrones star and UK's tallest man, dies aged 36 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=26 February 2017 |accessdate=27 February 2017 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-neil-fingleton-20170227-story.html|title=Neil Fingleton, 'Game of Thrones' giant and a former basketball player, dies at 36|last=Saad|first=Nardine|website=Los Angeles Times|date=27 February 2017 |access-date=2017-02-28}} however his brother says he died of pneumonia in the documentary Big Smooth. He is survived by his mother and his two siblings. His funeral was held at Durham Cathedral on 17 March.{{cite news|last=Engelbrecht|first=Gavin|title=Hundreds mourn Game of Thrones star Neil Fingleton as funeral held at Durham Cathedral|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15165182.Hundreds_mourn_Game_of_Thrones_star_Neil_Fingleton_as_funeral_held_at_Durham_Cathedral/|work=The Northern Echo|date=17 March 2017|accessdate=16 June 2018}}

Filmography

Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
2011	X-Men: First Class	Russian General's Bodyguard #1
2013	47 Ronin	Lovecraftian Samurai
2014-2017	Game of Thrones	Giant Wight #2 / Mag the Mighty
2015	Jupiter Ascending	Sargorn Fight Sequence
2015	Avengers: Age of Ultron	Ultron	Motion capture only
2015	Doctor Who	The Fisher King	9th series