HOLLYWOOD—On Saturday, February 25, British actor Neil Fingleton died at the age of 36. According to reports, the cause of death was heart failure. He was known for his role as Mag the Mighty on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” At 7 feet and 7 inches tall, he was titled the U.K.’s tallest man in 2007.
“It’s very difficult to come to terms with,” said his mother, Christine Soulsby, to The Boston Globe. “He was such a big influence on so many people’s lives.”
The Tall Persons Facebook page released the following statement regarding Fingleton’s death on Sunday, February 26:
“Sadly it has come to our attention that Neil Fingleton Britain’s Tallest man passed away on Saturday. Neil became Britain’s Tallest man in 2007 passing the height of Chris Greener. Neil started off in basketball in the USA before becoming a actor and starring in the X-men first class and also recently in the Game of Thrones.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.”
Fingleton was born in Durham, England, on December 18, 1980. After attending high school in the United States, he went on to play basketball at the University of North Carolina and the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. His basketball career spanned several years, during which he played for various U.S. and European teams. In 2007, he decided to pursue acting.
In 2013, Fingleton landed a role in the film “47 Ronin” alongside Keanu Reeves. The following year marked his debut on “Game of Thrones,” as the giant Mag the Mighty. He also appeared in films such as “Jupiter Ascending,” “X-Men: First Class” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
On the Guinness World Records website, Fingleton said, “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.”
