‘Harry Potter’ Star Dies: Fenrir Greyback Actor Dave Legeno Found Dead At Age 50 After Death Valley Hike

The “Harry Potter” family has lost one of its own in actor Dave Legeno.

According to a report from TMZ on Friday, the British film star, famous for his portrayal of werewolf Fenrir Greyback in the boy-wizard franchise, was found dead at the age of 50 this past Sunday.

The tabloid site is reporting that the actor tragically died during a hiking excursion in California’s Death Valley. Legeno’s body was reportedly recovered approximately three to four days after his passing by a pair of other hikers on the remote trail. His body was later removed from the area by a CHP helicopter.

While the official cause of death is unknown, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that the actor appears to have died from heat-related issues.

According to the National Park Service, temperatures in Death Valley National Park are known to reach “record heat" in the summer months. As of Friday, the National Weather Service labeled the area’s weather conditions as “hazardous.”

Legeno starred in three of the eight blockbuster “Potter” films: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” in 2009, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1,” in 2010, and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” in 2011. (View one of his most memorable “Harry Potter” scenes here.)

“It is good meeting the fans and seeing how excited they are about the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise and they just seem like nice, normal friendly people,” Legeno told Flicks and the City during one of his rare interviews at Collectormania in June 2013, before going on to praise J.K Rowling, the author of the best-selling book series. “It’s timeless and ageless,” he said of the stories. “And deliberately concocted like that by J.K. Rowling.”

Legeno is also known for his work in the 2000 Guy Ritchie comedy feature, “Snatch.”

He is survived by one daughter reportedly in her 20s.