Poole pantomine giant lives it large (From Bournemouth Echo)

Poole pantomine giant lives it large

7:00pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009 in

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DID you know there’s a real live giant starring in this year’s Poole pantomime?

“Oh no there isn’t!” I hear you cry.

Oh yes there is, and his name is Neil Fingleton, who is officially, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the UK’s tallest living man at 7ft 7.5ins.

The actor is starring in Jack and the Beanstalk, which opens next week, alongside Antonio Fargas, best known as Huggy Bear in 1970s TV series Starksy and Hutch, and Jenny Platt and Rupert Hill, who played on-screen-lovers Jamie Baldwin and Violet Wilson in Coronation Street.

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Neil says: “It’s my first live performance, and I’m really excited about it. I can’t wait for the show to start.”

He walks across the room and lowers his massive frame into a chair.

He moves effortlessly. He isn’t stooped or awkward, and he’s certainly not self-conscious about his size.

“I’ve never been embarrassed about my height, I’m proud of it. I wouldn’t be playing the role of a giant if I had an issue with it.

“I never let my height play a negative part in my life, and I’m lucky because I don’t have any health problems.

“I’m tall because it runs in my family, it’s not because of any medical condition.

“My brother’s 6ft 10ins, my sister’s 6ft 3ins. My great-grandfather was 6ft 8ins.

“I’ve always been taller than everyone else, ever since I can remember.

“I stopped growing when I was 18. I don’t know anything different.”

Neil, who’s single and will be 29 later this month, now lives in his native Durham, but previously lived in the United States after winning a basketball scholarship at the age of 16.

“I lived in America for about 10 years, and played professionally in Spain, Greece and Italy, until I got hurt.

“I damaged my back after falling awkwardly in a game, and I was never the same after that.

“Although I thought my career was going to be in basketball, I was always into drama when I was younger, and I was involved in some commercials and a couple of documentaries.”

According to his website, Neil is currently the world’s tallest actor.

“I’m probably going to be typecast, but that’s just the way it is.

“Most people’s reactions are positive, but you do get some rude people who make stupid comments, although you get them everywhere in life.”

His pantomime costume has been specially designed to fit his massive frame, but Neil says buying clothes is probably the biggest drawback of being head and shoulders above everyone else.

“You see things you like, but you can’t buy them because they don’t fit, although it was easier when I was living in the States – so I’ve now set up a website for tall people (sevenfootseven.com) where tall people can buy jeans, shirts, shoes and so on.”

Neil is such a gentle giant it’s hard to imagine him stomping around the stage in his size 15 boots as a pantomime villain – especially when he reveals how he has to adopt the foetal position to get comfy in bed when staying away from home.

• Jack and the Beanstalk starts at the Lighthouse, Poole on Friday December 11.