Updated: Raise your wands in memory – Actor Dave Legeno passes away at 50

by · July 11, 2014

Updated: More reactions from former Harry Potter cast members are coming in as news of actor Dave Legeno’s death makes the rounds, along with more details about when the actor was found and confirmation from the medical examiner that Legeno died of heat stroke. See the reactions from his cast mates and updates below:

The emotional tweet from Tom Felton seen below has been retweeted by numerous fans as well as co-star James Phelps:

We are sad to report that the actor who portrayed Fenrir Greyback has passed away. Dave Legeno was found in Death Valley in California after a hiking trip where he passed after suffering from heatstroke, according to the Inyo County Sherriff’s department via multiple media outlets who have been covering the story since it was announced.

Temperatures in Death Valley are known to reach 120 degrees or more, and the actor was found by two other hikers in a remote area of Death Valley near Manly Beacon. His death was confirmed by his manager, Rick Bassman, on Friday. According to the County Coroner, Jason Molinar, there were no signs of foul play.

The British actor was bitten by the acting bug back in grammar school and began honing his craft while attending a college in the US where he studied the performing arts. Besides his roles in three of the Harry Potter films as villain Fenrir Greyback, Dave also had roles in films like Batman Begins, Centurion, and Snow White and the Huntsman. An interesting fact about Dave – he was also a boxer at one time, with the nickname of Lone Wolf. He became a professional MMA fighter at the age of 42. Legeno currently has two films in post-production according to IMDb, The Last Knights and Sword of Vengeance.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

We understand that you may also want to express your condolences – feel free to do so in the comments below or tweet them with #DaveLegeno.