Dave Legeno
David Legeno (12 October 1963 – 6 July 2014) was a British actor, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler.
Dave Legeno | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | David Steven Murray 12 October 1963 Marylebone, London, England |
| Died | 6 July 2014 (aged 50) Death Valley, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, mixed martial artist |
| Years active | 1994–2014 |
| Spouse |
Angel Legeno
(m. 1984; div. 2007) |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
Legeno was born David Steven Murray in Marylebone, London, England.[1]
David S. MURRAY was a pupil at Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Amersham; where he excelled in Maths, English, sport, &c.
Career
Legeno's first major film role was in Guy Ritchie's Snatch. He had roles in Batman Begins, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Centurion, and Last Knights. Most notably, Legeno played the werewolf Fenrir Greyback in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, and Part 2.
Legeno voiced and motion-captured for the video game The Getaway: Black Monday as a protagonist, Eddie O'Connor. He was trained in various combat styles, including boxing, wrestling, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai.[2]
Also was a professional wrestler as Lone Wolf for British Wrestling Federation from 1991 to 1992.
Death
Legeno's body was found by a pair of hikers on 6 July 2014 in Death Valley, California, United States. Due to the remote area, a helicopter was called in to retrieve his remains. Legeno died of heat-related health problems and may have been dead for three to four days before his body was discovered. No foul play was suspected.[3][4][5]
A memorial evening took place in London on 12 October 2014, which would have been Legeno's 51st birthday. It was held at Camden Underworld, the venue where Legeno had held his album launch in 2004. The memorial was attended by fellow cast members of Harry Potter and Snatch, as well as by friends from the mixed martial arts community and music industry. Actors Tom Felton and Nick Moran and Cage Rage founder, Dave O'Donnell, spoke about Legeno, and his favourite songs were performed live.
The film Last Knights was dedicated to his honour.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–2003 | The Bill | Biker / Pete Wilson / Man at Boxing Match | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Snatch | John | |
| Hope and Glory | Royston Warrior | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | Ed Stone Is Dead | Muscle Guy | Episode: "Hi Honey, I'm Dead" |
| 2004 | The Getaway: Black Monday | Eddie O'Connor | Video game |
| 2004–2005 | EastEnders | Tudor | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Batman Begins | League of Shadows Warrior #4 | |
| The Last Detective | Justin | Episode: "Three Steps to Hendon" | |
| 2006 | The Dealer | Bolt | |
| Rollin' with the Nines | Carl | ||
| Stormbreaker | Bear | ||
| 2007 | Outlaw | Ian Furlong | |
| Roman's Empire | Gangster | 1 episode | |
| Rise of the Footsoldier | Big John | ||
| Elizabeth: The Golden Age | Executioner | ||
| Emmerdale | Seamus Flint | 1 episode | |
| 2008 | The Cottage | The Farmer | |
| 2009 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Fenrir Greyback | |
| Command Performance | Oleg Kazov | ||
| The Fixer | Marty | 1 episode | |
| 44 Inch Chest | Brighton Billy | Uncredited | |
| 2010 | Centurion | Vortix | |
| Lennon Naked | Les | TV movie | |
| Dead Cert | Yuvesky | ||
| Bonded by Blood | Jack Whomes | ||
| Spooks | Gilles Rigaut | 1 episode | |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Fenrir Greyback | ||
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | ||
| The Incident | J.B. | ||
| Big Fat Gypsy Gangster | Gypsy Dave | ||
| Great Expectations | Borrit | 1 episode | |
| 2011–2014 | Borgia | Guidebaldo de Montefeltro | 4 episodes |
| 2012 | The Raven | Percy | |
| Titanic | Seaman Davis | 1 episode | |
| Snow White and the Huntsman | Broch | ||
| 2013 | Ripper Street | George | Episode "The King Came Calling" |
| 2015 | Sword of Vengeance | Osgar | Posthumous release |
| Last Knights | Olaf | Posthumous release, final acting role |
Mixed martial arts record
| 7 matches | 4 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 1 |
| By submission | 2 | 2 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 4–3 | Herb Dean | TKO (eye injury) | Cage Rage 22 | 14 July 2007 | 1 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 3–3 | Dan Severn | Decision (unanimous) | Cage Rage 20 | 10 February 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 2–3 | Alan Murdock | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Cage Rage 19 | 9 December 2006 | 1 | 4:10 | London, England | |
| Win | 1–3 | Kimo Leopoldo | Submission (guillotine choke) | Cage Rage 18 | 30 September 2006 | 1 | 3:21 | London, England | |
| Loss | 0–3 | Mark Epstein | KO (punches) | Cage Rage 17 | 1 July 2006 | 1 | 0:45 | London, England | |
| Loss | 0–2 | Ikuhisa Minowa | Submission (achilles lock) | Cage Rage 15 | 4 February 2006 | 1 | 2:21 | London, England | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Alan Murdock | Submission (armbar) | Cage Rage 14 | 3 December 2005 | 1 | 4:07 | London, England |
References
- Simon, Yara (11 July 2014). "'Harry Potter' Fenrir Greyback Actor Dave Legeno Dies Hiking in Death Valley". Latin Post. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- "60 SECONDS: Dave Legeno". Metro. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- Emery, Debbie (11 July 2014). "'Harry Potter' Actor Dave Legeno Dies at 50". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- "Harry Potter actor Dave Legeno dead in Death Valley". BBC News. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- "'Harry Potter' actor Dave Legeno dies of heatstroke in Death Valley". Chicago Sun-Times. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
External links
- Dave Legeno at IMDb
- Professional MMA record for Dave Legeno from Sherdog
- Boyle, Katherine (6 June 2006). "BBC - Beds Herts and Bucks - Sport - Dave is ready to rumble!". BBC News.