Joshua Colin M. Herdman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 9 September 1987) is an English actor and
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburb of Greater London on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, and the historic county of Middlesex. Hampton is bounded by Bushy Park to the east (and to the north of St Al ...
. He is the son of actor and former professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
player Martin Herdman and Jessica Herdman and the youngest of four brothers. He was educated at Orleans Park School.
Josh and his father Martin Herdman were involved in a motorcycle accident on 15 September 2015 in
Hounslow
Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...
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 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, a sidekick of villain
Draco Malfoy
Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. He is a student in Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by ...
, in ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and was Rowling's debut novel. It follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who disco ...
'' (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 noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award ...
and
Jamie Dornan
James Peter Maxwell Dornan (; born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model, and musician from Northern Ireland. The recipient of two Irish Film and Television Awards, he has been nominated for a BAFTA Television Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 202 ...
.
After five years of practising jiujitsu, Herdman began his
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
career on 23 April 2016 in
Romford
Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...
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 see where it goes from there, who knows?"