Joshua Colin M. Herdman[1] (born 9 September 1987)[1] is an English actor and mixed martial artist, best known for playing Gregory Goyle in the Harry Potter film series.[2]

Josh Herdman
Born
Joshua Colin Marian Herdman

(1987-09-09) 9 September 1987 (age 37)
Occupation(s)Actor, mixed martial artist
Years active2001–present
Children2

Early life

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Herdman was born in Hampton, London.[1] He is the son of actor and former professional rugby league player Martin Herdman and Jessica Herdman and the youngest of four brothers.[2] He was educated at Orleans Park School.[3]

Josh and his father Martin Herdman were involved in a motorcycle accident on 15 September 2015 in Hounslow while navigating a small roundabout. Their motorcycle skidded on oil and the two were thrown off, knocked unconscious and sustained injuries. Both were left waiting with police, who arrived shortly after the accident, for an ambulance for approximately 90 minutes after the accident. The police were reportedly unable to take them to a hospital in their cars due to the two men's injuries and a supposed lack of insurance coverage if something were to happen while en route.[4] At some point, another ambulance had stopped and passed by but was unable to attend to them possibly because it had been full or was attending to another emergency. Eventually an ambulance arrived at 3:59 pm, almost an hour and a half after the accident, as other ambulances had been diverted to higher priority calls. They were taken to West Middlesex University Hospital. Martin suffered a torn ligament on his ankle and additional cuts and bruises.[5]

Career

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Herdman started acting when he was about seven years old; his father found him an agent. At age 13, he was cast as Gregory Goyle, a sidekick of villain Draco Malfoy, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). Over the next decade, he returned as Goyle in all seven sequels. He was originally considered for the role of Dudley Dursley, Harry's spoiled cousin, but it went to Harry Melling.[2]

Herdman appeared as Righteous in the 2018 film Robin Hood, alongside Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx and Jamie Dornan.[2]

After five years of practising jiujitsu, Herdman began his MMA career on 23 April 2016 in Romford with a decision win over Janusz Walachowski. He said, "I chose MMA because I love the sport. It's raw, exciting and unpredictable. 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 see where it goes from there, who knows?"[6]

Personal life

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Herdman has two sons.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Gregory Goyle
2002 Thunderpants Damon
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Gregory Goyle
2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2009 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Estate Film Skunk
2012 Piggy Anthony
2013 Common People Simon
2016 Sink Jason
2017 Giantland
2018 Robin Hood Righteous

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2003–2005 UGetMe Ben Recurring role, 47 episodes
2004 The Bill David Wilson 1 episode
2012 Wizards vs. Aliens Steve 1 episode
2013 Coming Up Eater 1 episode
2018 Marcella Eric Davidson Recurring role, 8 episodes
2020 White House Farm PC Collins Miniseries, 1 episode
2020 Alex Rider Stan 1 episode
2022 The Man Who Fell to Earth Terry 2 episodes
2022 Andor Delivery Guard #1 2 episodes

References

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  1. ^ a b c Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.; at ancestry.com
  2. ^ a b c d Early, Chas (27 February 2018). "Who is Marcella star Josh Herdman? Everything you need to know about the Eric actor". BT.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Muggle lands a wizard part". News Shopper. 14 December 2001. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Harry Potter Actor Josh Herdman & Father Survive Motorcycle Accident". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Star of Harry Potter comes a cropper after falling off his chopper". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Harry Potter star Josh Herdman (Gregory Goyle) launches cage fighting career - BBC Newsbeat". BBC News. 26 April 2016. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  7. ^ Kim, Chiara (17 November 2024). "Wee Wizards! 12 'Harry Potter' Stars Who Are Now Parents". People. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
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