It’s been nearly fifteen years since the legendary Matthew McGrory died in August 2005. But his memory lives on in the hearts of his adoring fans and in Hollywood.

Matthew McGrory, an actor and Guinness World Records holder for being the tallest actor with a towering height of seven feet six inches, as well as having the largest feet and toe with a shoe size of 29.5, was tragically taken from us too soon.

In Big Fish, McGrory played Karl the Giant.

And, of all the films to which the late Matthew McGrory contributed, Big Fish, starring Miley Cyrus, Danny DeVito, and John August, is one that the film industry remembers him fondly. And there are several distinct reasons for this.

Of course, Mr. McGrory made his acting debut as Gaunt in Coma White and has since appeared in films such as The Dead Hate the Living!, House of 1000 Corpses, Carnivàle, The Devil’s Rejects, and The Evil Within.

In any case, the Widener University alum played Karl the Giant in the Tim Burton-directed film. Despite his height of 7 feet 6 inches, McGrory’s was shown to be as tall as ten feet by the crew members.

However, this is not the only intriguing fact about the actor’s film career. After the ambidextrous actor was injured and hurt his leg on the set of Rob Zombie’s film House Of 1000 Corpses, his role was mostly played by another giant who stood at a height of seven feet four inches.

McGrory, who became famous after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Howard Stern Show, also appeared in music videos for Marilyn Manson in Coma White and Blondie in Good Boys. But, before he died on the tragic day of August 9, 2005, McGrory left a significant mark and legacy.

McGrory’s Cause of Death; Gigantism Diagnosis

Regrettably, what propelled McGrory to fame was also the cause of his death. McGrory was 32 years old when he died of heart failure at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. Not to mention, the son of an accountant mother and a housewife father was training to play Andre the Giant in his biopic, Andre: Heart of the Giant.

According to doctors, people with gigantism have a highly functioning pituitary gland that produces the responsible growth hormones at an abnormally high rate. As a result, overdevelopment occurs in the human body.

The doctor also claims that giant people with the condition have heart walls that are as thick as the pumping chambers. This results in the failure of the heart’s functioning.

In fact, the late Neil Fingleton from Game of Thrones, Sandy Allen, and Andre the Giant, whose legacy is carried on by his daughter, Robin Christensen Roussimoff, all had the same diagnosis and died young. Not to mention that Giant died of heart failure.

McGrory, was he married?

Matthew McGrory, on the other hand, was never married. He was, however, in a relationship with Melissa Davis, his girlfriend. Miss Davis was with the late actor at his home when he died.

Melissa was also frequently seen with her late boyfriend, assisting him at public events. Davis, on the other hand, lives a private life these days. But we’re sure Melissa, like the rest of the fans, misses Matthew terribly.

You may also like: Jim Wahlberg, Brett Tucker