Joshua Colin M. Herdman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 26 March 1987) is an English actor and
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
, best known for playing
Gregory Goyle
The following are supporting characters in the '' Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles ...
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, and historically in the County of Middlesex. which includes Hampton Court Palace. Hampton is served by two railway stations, ...
. The son of actor and former professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
player
Martin Herdman
Martin Herdman (born 24 July 1956) is an English actor, boxer and former professional rugby league footballer.
Sporting career
Herdman was a boxer for several years, and won the South West London ABA Heavyweight Championship in 1978. He also r ...
and Jessica Herdman, the youngest of the four brothers. He was educated at
Orleans Park School
Orleans Park School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, located in Twickenham area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It is situated 10 miles south-west of central London.
Performance
As with other s ...
.
Josh and his father Martin Herdman were involved in an motorcycle accident at 2:30 pm on the afternoon of 15 September 2015 on Staines Road, 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. 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 Herdman suffered a torn ligament on his ankle and additional cuts and bruises.
Career
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
The following are supporting characters in the '' Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles ...
, a sidekick of villain
Draco Malfoy
Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goy ...
, in ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers hi ...
'' (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.
Herdman appeared as Righteous in the 2018 film ''
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
'', alongside
Taron Egerton
Taron Egerton ( ; born 10 November 1989) is a Welsh actor. He is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, and has received nominations for a Grammy Award and two British Academy Film Awards.
Born in Birkenhead, England, Egerton began acting at a ...
,
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film '' Ray'', for which he won the ...
and
Jamie Dornan
James Peter Maxwell Dornan (; born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model and musician from Northern Ireland. Formerly a character actor, he often portrays solemn, steady characters. The recipient of two Irish Film and Television Awards, he has been n ...
.
After five years of practising
jiujitsu
Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...
, Herdman began his
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...
career on 23 April 2016 in
Romford
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, 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 where it goes from there, who knows?"