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Matthew McGrory

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Matthew McGrory
McGrory at the world premiere of Big Fish in 2003
Born(1973-05-17)May 17, 1973
DiedAugust 8, 2005 (aged 32)
Cause of deathHeart failure
OccupationActor
Years active1999–2005
Height7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Websitehttp://matthewmcgrory.com/

Matthew McGrory (May 17, 1973 – August 8, 2005) was an American actor, known for his great height.

Early life

McGrory was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the son of Maureen, a homemaker, and George McGrory, an accountant.[1][2] He studied pre-law at Widener University. He also studied Criminal Justice at West Chester University. McGrory grew to the height of 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) and had size 29½ shoes.[3] He was over five feet (1.5 m) tall when he graduated from kindergarten.[4]

Career

McGrory's large size led to appearances on The Howard Stern Show[5] beginning in December 1996[6][7] as a member of Stern's Wack Pack. He also appeared on Oprah Winfrey's daytime talk show and in music videos including Iron Maiden's "The Wicker Man" and the 1999 Marilyn Manson "Coma White"[8] (and God is in the TV VHS cover). He can also be seen in Blondie's video for their 2003 hit "Good Boys."

Due to his height and deep voice, he was in demand to play roles in movies[8] cast as a giant – he did so in films such as Bubble Boy (2001), Big Fish (2003), House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005). Television appearances included Malcolm in the Middle, Charmed, and Carnivàle. The Guinness Book of World Records awarded him the titles of the tallest actor. At the time of his death, he was filming a biography film about André the Giant in which he portrayed the famous wrestler.[3]

Death

He lived in Sherman Oaks, California, with his girlfriend Melissa. On August 8, 2005, McGrory died at age 32 of heart failure.[3]

Rob Zombie's film The Devil's Rejects was dedicated to him.[9]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2000 The Dead Hate the Living! Gaunt
2001 Bubble Boy Human Sasquatch
2002 Men in Black II Tall Alien (uncredited)
2003 House of 1000 Corpses Tiny Firefly
Big Fish Karl the Giant
2004 Big Time Richard Blunderbore
Planet of the Pitts Toto
Carnivàle
2005 Constantine Demon (uncredited)
ShadowBox Hort Willows
The Devil's Rejects Tiny Firefly

References

  1. ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/11/local/me-mcgrory11
  2. ^ http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20149123,00.html
  3. ^ a b c "'Big Fish' Actor Matthew McGrory Dies". Fox News. August 15, 2005.
  4. ^ http://matthewmcgrory.com/media/news.wmv
  5. ^ "Matthew McGrory, 32, a Film Actor Typecast as a Giant". New York Times (Associated Press). August 15, 2005.
  6. ^ Dempster, Michael. "The Rundown - Wack Pack profiles". The Howard Stern Radio Show. Archived from the original on 2008-05-30.
  7. ^ "Obituaries: Matthew McGrory". The Daily Telegraph (UK). August 13, 2005.
  8. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (August 11, 2005) "Matthew McGrory, Big Man In 'Big Fish' And 'Devil's Rejects,' Dead At 32". MTV News.
  9. ^ The Devil's Rejects (2005). Dir. Rob Zombie. Cinelamda, Lionsgate. Dedication.