WhenNeil Fingletonwas a son in Northern England , he admiredRichard Kiel , the American doer who played the steel - toothed scoundrel Jaws in two James Bond movies . On screenland and off , Kiel was course imposing and full of character . perchance Fingleton could be like that , too . Although if the two had ever met , the 7'2 " Kiel would have witness himself looking up for a change : his admiring fan stands just over 7'7 " .
Fingleton , who presently holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of " Tallest Man in Britain , " jumped into the acting pool at the right time . After pick up a scholarship toplay basketball at the University of North Carolinaand , after , Holy Cross , and embarking on a dead - lived pro career , he take a cue from Kiel and tried show business . After Fingleton signed with the talent agency Oh So Small , which specializes in actors of " utmost height " ( large or small ) , Fingleton quickly land parts in movies and TV show . WhenGame of Thronesneeded a behemoth to address through the gates of Castle Black , there was only one military man for the job .
" When they ’ve make somebody extremely grandiloquent bringing their role to lifespan , it ’s get the human touch on it , " Fingleton pronounce ofGame of Thrones ' jumbo strategy . " I venture you could always tell when hooey is just computer - engender . Do n’t get me wrong , it looks cool , but some directors and shows , they require it to have this human touch on it . "
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Like last nighttime ’s giant action –Game of Thrones ' version ofHulk vs. Loki– Fingleton ’s Mag the Mighty is a mix of springy activity , costumed acting and clever CGI . To showcase the " human touch,“Game of Thronescrew membersdesignedMag ’s costume to be nimble , allowing a tall actor ’s finicky gait to read on silver screen . Fingleton could function , jump , swat soldiers off in combat , lift the castle ’s gates , and ride a wooly mammoth ( which , in the pre - particular effect shoot , is a glorified mechanically skillful bull with shaggy hair ) . The costume is custom - built to the actor ’s exact proportion , in a operation that ’s basically plaster of Paris - of - paris mummification . OnceGame of Thronescostumers have a cast of their future giant , they fulfill the mold with fibreglass and create a mannequin replica , which can be outfitted with dressing from beyond the wall .
regrettably , nimbledoesn’t meanbreezy . to the full build , the costume weigh over 75 lb , and Fingleton is constantly develop – blister cardio regimens over four or five days a week – to avoid harm . Which is not leisurely for a 7.5ft - marvellous man . " When I was playing basketball game , I was getting suffer quite a bit , " he say . " Back injuries , dislocated shoulder , breaking ankle joint , toes , finger – thing like that . My body could n’t take it any longer , with all the running , the throb . I just found , being my acme , it was just incredibly backbreaking to bide levelheaded . "
A Free Folk raid is less vivid because an actor like Fingleton get in and get out . An action scene like the Battle of Castle Black call for two weeks of shot , six day a calendar week , 14 60 minutes a day . But hoops was months and months of straining activity . Fingleton choose the illusion life-time , even if it requires waking up at 3 am , give facial prosthetics for three hours , and then trudging off to lick . " It can be implausibly frustrating at meter . You go to get some food , and all of a sudden you ’re eating your beard instead of your sandwich . "
Fingleton and his giant cohort filmed most of their scenes in qualify versions of existing set . That could mean shooting in a green - blind bulk , where the giants would be essentially cut back and pasted into the staged battle and scaled suitably . Or it could whisk off Fingleton to a physical stage set . Mag the Mighty ’s top executive charge through the Castle Black tunnel required theGame of Thronesproduction to duplicate the set at small proportions , creating the oversize phantasy through force perspective .
Fingleton ’s performance does n’t change base on location . " When you ’re doing costume work , you just sample to come to terms with how the theatre director or the producers , they desire to see this role , " he say . " And they wanted [ the colossus ] to be one of those things where people say , ' Oh shit , this fictitious character can move . ' "
As anyone following ourdead - character bracketknows , Mag the Mighty did n’t pull through the Battle of Castle Black . And Fingleton certainly remembers his decease vista . It was n’t graceful – one minute Mag is call down , the next he ’s run out on the flooring – but it took workplace . " When you ’re laid out on the floor , set out up was n’t … easy , " the actor return . The costume ’s construction want two extra sets of workforce to lift off the ground . Not glamourous .
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Fingleton does n’t mind . This is still his dream come true . " When you see the finished product , you just think , ' Yeah , that ’s what it ’s all about , really . ' "
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Matt Patches is Thrillist ’s Entertainment editor . He previously write for Grantland , Esquire.com , Vulture , The Hollywood newsperson , andThe Guardian . He stand with the wildlings . come up him on Twitter:@misterpatches .
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