- A former actor who starred in Harry Potter has taken on an unlikely new career
- He appeared in all eight movies throughout the series as Gregory Goyle
- Goyle is one of antagonist Draco Malfoy’s sidekicks in the franchise
A former actor who starred in the Harry Potter film franchise has taken on an unlikely new career after appearing as Gregory Goyle.
Josh Herdman, 37, appeared in all eight movies throughout the series, which became one of the most popular sequence of films throughout the 2000s.
After initially being considered as Harry’s spoiled cousin Dudley Dursley at the age of 13, he would instead go on to play Goyle, a sidekick of the series’ antagonist Draco Malfoy.
In 2018, he also appeared as Righteous in the 2018 film Robin Hood, which featured the likes of Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx and Jamie Dornan.
But he would go on to explore a unexpectedly different path after practising the sport of jiujitsu – opting to try his hand in mixed martial arts.
Speaking in 2016, he told Addicted MMA On the Road, via BBC News: ‘I chose MMA because I love the sport. It’s raw, exciting and unpredictable,’
A former actor who starred in the Harry Potter film franchise has taken on an unlikely new career after appearing as Gregory Goyle
Josh Herdman, 37, appeared as Goyle in all eight movies throughout the series, which became one of the most popular sequence of films throughout the 2000s.
‘I find it more interesting than boxing although I appreciate the beauty and art in boxing.
‘It also made sense to move onto MMA because of my jujitsu training.
‘I would like a few amateur fights first to get me started and where it goes from there, who knows?’
Herdman has two sons, with whom he has posted pictures of him working out alongside as he keeps in shape.
His venture came as a fellow Harry Potter star looked unrecognisable following a two-year spell in prison.
Jamie Waylett, who played Goyle and Malfoy’s accomplice Vincent Crabbe, has had a turbulent time of things, including a brush with the law.
He was part of Slytherin house and was present for six out of the eight films that spanned across 10 years.
But Waylett was absent from the final two movies after being arrested in 2009 for growing marijuana in his family home and later pleading guilty to the possession of cannabis and possession of a knife.
Waylett was 20 years old at the time and was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work.
In 2012 he was arrested for his participation in the London riots the previous year over charges of ‘violent disorder, having an article with intent to destroy or damage property, and receiving stolen goods’ and sentenced to two years in prison.
