'Harry Potter' actor found dead in Death Valley

Published July 12, 2014
David Legeno. — Photo courtesy: wjbr.com
David Legeno. — Photo courtesy: wjbr.com

LOS ANGELES: British actor David Legeno, who played a werewolf in the “Harry Potter” movies, has been found dead in Death Valley, United States police said.

He apparently died of “heat-related issues,” the local sheriff said, after the 50-year-old's body was found near Zabriskie Point, a famed movie-related panorama spot.

Legeno played the werewolf Fenrir Greyback in several of the "Harry Potter" movies, including "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009) and the two-part finale "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

He also appeared in episodes of British soap operas “Eastenders,” “The Bill” and “Emmerdale,” as well as in films including 2005's "Batman Begins."

Two hikers found Legeno's body on Sunday in a remote area in the center of Death Valley, where summer temperatures regularly top 49 degrees Celsius (120 F).

“The remains have been identified as David Legeno, a 50-year-old United Kingdom man,” said the Inyo County Sheriff's Office in a statement.

"It appears that Legeno died of heat-related issues, but the Inyo County Coroner will determine the final cause of death. There are no signs of foul play."

Legeno worked on demolition sites after leaving school, before studying performing arts. He became a professional wrestler before getting a role in Guy Ritchie's 2000 London gangster movie "Snatch."

When film work was slow he earned his living as a professional cage fighter, according to his profile on the IMDb movie industry website, adding that he put his fight career on hold after being in “Harry Potter."

Zabriskie Point is the name of a 1970 movie by Italian great Michelangelo Antonioni, and the spot — famous for spectacular multi-colored panoramas of Death Valley — was used for the cover of rockers U2's 1987 album "The Joshua Tree."

Opinion

Editorial

Enrolment drive
Updated 10 May, 2024

Enrolment drive

The authorities should implement targeted interventions to bring out-of-school children, especially girls, into the educational system.
Gwadar outrage
10 May, 2024

Gwadar outrage

JUST two days after the president, while on a visit to Balochistan, discussed the need for a political dialogue to...
Save the witness
10 May, 2024

Save the witness

THE old affliction of failed enforcement has rendered another law lifeless. Enacted over a decade ago, the Sindh...
May 9 fallout
Updated 09 May, 2024

May 9 fallout

It is important that this chapter be closed satisfactorily so that the nation can move forward.
A fresh approach?
09 May, 2024

A fresh approach?

SUCCESSIVE governments have tried to address the problems of Balochistan — particularly the province’s ...
Visa fraud
09 May, 2024

Visa fraud

THE FIA has a new task at hand: cracking down on fraudulent work visas. This was prompted by the discovery of a...