Neil Fingleton facts for kids

Neil Fingleton (18 December 1980 – 25 February 2017) was a very tall English actor and basketball player. He was known for being the tallest British-born man of his time. Neil stood at 7 feet 7.56 inches (232.6 cm) tall.

This amazing height made him one of the 25 tallest men in the world. The Guinness World Records confirmed his title in 2007. He became the tallest person in the European Union at that time.

Neil Fingleton's Early Life and Career

Neil Fingleton was born in Durham, England, in 1980. His parents were Christine and Michael. He had an older brother, Michael, and an older sister, Keely.

When Neil was 16, he went to a basketball camp in Connecticut, USA. This trip made him decide to go to high school in the United States. In 1997, Neil moved from Durham to Worcester, Massachusetts.

High School Basketball Star

Neil attended Holy Name Central Catholic High School in Worcester. He graduated from there in 2000. His basketball coach was J. P. Ricciardi. Ricciardi later became a general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.

Neil helped his high school basketball team win big. In 1999, they won the Central Massachusetts Division I title. They also made it to the Massachusetts final game. In 2000, the team had an impressive record of 22 wins and only 4 losses.

College Basketball Journey

Neil earned a basketball scholarship to play in the United States. He first played at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Later, he transferred to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In August 2000, Neil had back surgery. Because of this, he took a medical break from playing at North Carolina. He played only one game there before moving to Holy Cross in 2002. Neil finished college in 2004 with a degree in history.

Professional Basketball Career

Neil started his professional basketball career in the 2004–2005 season. He played for the Boston Frenzy in the ABA league. However, the Frenzy team let him go in December 2004.

In 2005, the Austin Toros picked Neil in the 2005 NBA Development League Draft. On December 6, 2005, he began playing for the English Basketball League team, Tees Valley Mohawks. In November 2006, Neil signed with a Spanish team called CB Illescas. He later played for another Spanish team, Ciudad Real.

An injury forced Neil to stop playing basketball in 2007. After his basketball career, he moved back to his hometown of Durham. There, he started a new career in acting.

Neil Fingleton's Acting Career

Neil Fingleton appeared in two British TV shows in 2007. These shows were called Britain's Tallest Men and Superhuman: Giants. They showed the challenges and attention he faced daily because of his height.

Big Roles in Movies and TV

Neil acted in the movie 47 Ronin (2013). This film starred Keanu Reeves. From 2014 to 2017, Neil played a giant named Mag the Mighty in the TV series Game of Thrones.

He also appeared in the 2015 movie Jupiter Ascending. In this film, he acted alongside Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. Neil played a bodyguard in the movie X-Men: First Class. He also helped create the character Ultron for the Marvel Studios film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Neil did the motion capture for Ultron, meaning his movements were used to make the computer-generated character.

In 2015, Neil was in two episodes of Doctor Who. He played a villain called "The Fisher King," who was an alien warlord. He filmed these episodes in January 2015 in Cardiff. The series aired in the autumn of 2015.

Death

Neil Fingleton passed away on February 25, 2017. He was 36 years old. He died at his home in Gilesgate. British news reported that the cause of his death was heart failure. He was survived by his mother and his two siblings. His funeral was held at Durham Cathedral on March 17.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Neil Fingleton para niños

• List of tallest people