FRI 7PM Corrie legend floors fans as they realise he starred in Harry Potter

Before he was digging graves in Weatherfield, star Tony Maudsley made a memorable appearance in the universe - as a half-giant.

The actor debuted as in September 2020, arriving on the soap as the offspring of the deceased undertaker Archie Shuttleworth (Roy Hudd). But long before he was burying Corrie legends, he had a buried cameo of his own in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - which was released 17 years ago today, July 12, 2007.

In the wizarding world, Tony portrayed Grawp the gentle half-brother of beloved Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid, played by the late Robbie Coltrane. Grawp, who stood at around 16 feet tall in the books, was brought to life through a mix of CGI and motion capture, with Tony providing the on-set performance that helped animate the character.

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In the film, Grawp's kind-hearted nature played a pivotal role in the downfall of Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), the cruel Ministry official who took over as Hogwarts Headmistress. After she threatened Harry with the Cruciatus Curse, Hermione lured her into the Forbidden Forest, where Grawp handed her over to an angry herd of centaurs.

Dolores, held a deep-seated bias against "half-breeds" and seized control as Headmistress after displacing Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon)

She also put Hagrid on probation, prompting him to implore Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) to look after his little brother should anything happen to him.

As Umbridge was about to resort to the Cruciatus curse on Harry, Hermione agreed to reveal Dumbledore's "secret weapon."

Speaking about the role, Tony told Female First: “I was weighed down with these huge monster feet that were so heavy, that I could never get into the canteen and back in time.”

Tony’s career also includes a fan-favourite stint in Benidorm as hairdresser Kenneth, making him a familiar face across British telly. And don’t expect his Corrie character to disappear anytime soon either.

He also appeared on The Big Soap Quiz Coronation Street v Emmerdale last year, Tony joked that he’s got job security in the bag. When asked how George was getting on in Weatherfield, he said: “Well, business is booming as always in Weatherfield. The best thing about playing George is, they can’t kill me off because there’s no one to bury me! So yeah, I’m staying put, me!”

On the quiz show, other Corrie stars Channique Sterling-Brown and Jack P Shepherd appeared, with Stephen Mulhern hosting the battle of the soaps.

From magical forests to funeral homes, Tony Maudsley’s career has been anything but ordinary, and that’s exactly why fans love him.

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