'Game of Thrones' Actor, Former Tar Heel, Dies at 36

Neil Fingleton, a 7-foot-7 British actor with ties to North Carolina, has died.

Fingleton was a highly recruited high school basketball player and signed with UNC under then-coach Bill Guthridge.

To this day, he's the tallest player in the storied program's history. But his height wasn't enough to make him an ACC-calibre player. After returning from a medical redshirt year for back surgery, Fingleton saw little action for the Tar Heels. In 2002, he transferred to Holy Cross with hopes of more playing time.

He never developed into a star player, and after brief stints in the pros in the United States and Europe, he turned his attention to acting. He appeared in one of the X-men movies and on TV in Dr. Who. On Game of Thrones, he played Mag the Mighty, a giant on the northern side of the great ice wall.

A native of England, Fingleton was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the U.K.'s tallest man.

British media report heart failure as the cause of death. Fingleton was 36.