Ian Whyte - The Go-to Actor for All Of Hollywood’s Giants and Aliens

Born in Bangor, North Wales and raised in Brighton, Ian Whyte was 7'1" tall by the time he he was 17 years old. Ian always stood out from the crowd. Tall, slim and athletic, little did he know of his future career in the limelight however, Ian endured sometimes savage bullying throughout his school years. After discovering basketball in his teens, he quickly caught the attention of national team scouts who saw his physical attributes and determination as invaluable assets and he quickly progressed to the junior national team ranks. However, Ian lived in fear of being emotionally and creatively expressive for fear of more ridicule, so he was keen to escape school at the earliest possible opportunity. He spent a year at Henry Hudson High School in New Jersey, where he again attracted the attention of basketball scouts, earning sports scholarships to Iona College in New York and Clarion University in Pennsylvania. Ian returned to England in 1994 to play for the London Towers, a new franchise owned by the music promoter Barry Marshall. Still eager to find himself Ian only stayed a season with the Towers, transferring to their rival team across town, The London Leopards. As Europe freely opened its doors to sportsmen and women from across the continent, Ian played for teams across France, Belgium, Greece and Portugal, winning the domestic treble; League, cup and playoff championships with F.C. Porto in 1997. Ian returned to England soon after to play for the Newcastle Eagles, a place that would become his home until his retirement from the game in 2003. Throughout his career Ian tirelessly distinguished himself, representing his country 80 times. In 2003 Ian received a phone call that would change the whole course of his life. By his own admission he was keen to retire on his terms rather than through injury or old age, he responded to a casting call for the new film Alien vs Predator. His success in gaining the role is a matter of history, but personally it was a tremendous victory for him to finally find an outlet for his emotional creativity. Ian was fortunate to work alongside such luminaries as the Oscar winning special effects duo Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr as well as Oscar winning VFX supervisor John Bruno. He also met soon to be double Oscar winning makeup effects artist Mark Coulier who advised him to get in touch with Nick Dudman, the creature effects supervisor for the Harry Potter franchise. Upon completion of filming on AVP Ian travelled back to England and straight into the world of Harry Potter. Not credited as an actor this time, Ian was hired to help bring to life the character of Madame Maxime played by the sublime Francis De La Tour. Ian worked full time for an entire year on the film, faithfully doubling The character who was the full size 8'6" tall. During this time Ian found himself in great demand, but had to turn down roles on The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy and a worldwide tour with Cirque du Soleil.