What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter?

Goyle is nearly as well-known as Draco Malfoy, So What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter The Prisoner of Azkaban?

Henchman Gregory Goyle’s presence in the Harry Potter film adaptations is nearly as memorable as that of Draco Malfoy, hence the question arises as to why the character is gone for a significant portion of The Prisoner of Azkaban’s action.

The mystery behind Goyle’s absence, however, has a solution, which is a fortunate turn of events. Gregory Goyle, a student in Slytherin, is another one of the books’ secondary villains who is immediately identifiable. Crabbe is the other.

Goyle is Draco Malfoy’s muscle and serves as both an intimidating presence and a source of comedic relief at various times in the novel. Goyle is a gormless thug who follows the slimy Draco Malfoy wherever they go.

While there were recastings in the Harry Potter series when they were deemed essential, such as Ralph Fiennes in the role of Voldemort and Michael Gambon in the role of Albus Dumbledore, the filmmakers made every effort to avoid recasting performers.

This also extended to players who had outgrown their parts because they had grown older or who no longer matched the same character descriptions from the books, and they kept the actor who played Dudley despite the fact that he had lost weight.

Why, though, isn’t Goyle’s actor present during one of Malfoy’s most memorable sequences, in which the sarcastic minor villain receives a well-deserved slap across the lips from Hermoine?

What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter
What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter?

The following is a straightforward response: Actor Josh Herdman sustained an injury to his arm during shooting action scenes for the Goyle movie, which prompted him to withdraw from the production.

For the remainder of the movie, the role of Goyle was taken over by a student of Slytherin house called “Pike,” who was portrayed by Bronson Webb, a supporting actor in Game of Thrones.

That is an absence that can be excused, and Herdman reprised his character in the subsequent Potter films, in contrast to his co-star Jamie Waylett, who bowed out of the series later on after being arrested for marijuana possession and subsequently leaving the role. As a direct consequence of this, Crabbe, much like the flying automobile in the second movie, was never seen again in the Harry Potter series.

Following the conclusion of the Harry Potter series, Herdman has gone on to become an MMA fighter, putting himself in danger in ways that go beyond the damaged limb that prevented him from continuing shooting. Despite the fact that he switched careers, the actor has continued to participate in films and television shows, including the box office bomb Robin Hood (2018) and the television espionage thriller series Alex Rider.

Regrettably, the broken arm was not his last brush with danger; in 2015, he was also involved in an accident that caused him to be flung from a motorcycle; nonetheless, the event did not leave him with any major injuries.

The characters Crabe and Goyle Have a Much More Important Role in the Novels: What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter?

What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter
What Happened to Goyle in Harry Potter?

While Crabbe and Goyle are very much Malfoy’s lackeys in both the film adaptation and the novels, the roles that they play in the books are far more important. When it comes to adaptations of books into movies, something like this is not unheard of.

As there is a certain amount of time available for a movie or a television series, some parts that the audience may have enjoyed in the book have to be omitted when it is adapted for the screen. If it is determined that a certain character is not important to the progression of the main character’s arc, then the storylines of that character and any related characters will be shortened. That is precisely what occurred in the case of Crabbe and Goyle.

The characters Crabbe and Goyle provide a glimpse into the character of Malfoy in the Harry Potter book series. Due to the fact that his family is rich and influential, as well as the fact that the Malfoys have a history with the Crabbe and Goyle families, he is the Hogwarts version of the school bully.

The lads have a tendency to stick together, but since Malfoy comes from a more influential family, he is the one who holds all of the ways in their “friendship.”

In the novels, Harry and Ron come into contact with Crabbe and Goyle a great deal more often than they do in the film adaptation, and each of these encounters enables them to gain further insight into the pair as well as Malfoy.

It’s possible that this would have been the case in the films as well if the actors who played Crabbe and Goyle had been more accessible; nonetheless, it’s probable that some of their sequences would have been shortened even so.

Herdman did, at the very least, obtain one significant scene as things stand right now. It was merely a coincidence that the death scene from the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows belonged to Crabbe. Jamie Waylett, who played Crabbe, was not featured in any of the films in the Deathly Hallows franchise.

In the book, the battle that takes place in the Room of Requirement between Draco and his supporters and Harry takes place after the Malfoys had lost their standing among the other members of the Death Eater organization.

Crabe now gets the impression that they are on an equal footing, and he uses deadly force against Harry in order to stand up to the child who has been giving him instructions during the whole school year. His fieldfare curse causes the fire in the Room of Requirement to spread uncontrollably, destroying a significant portion of the items contained there, including the Horcrux that Harry is searching for.

Crabbe also perished in the blaze along with the others. In the movie, that exact action is recreated, except Herdman’s Goyle takes the place of Waylett’s Crabbe. That is one of the most significant events in the Harry Potter saga for either Crabbe or Goyle.

Leave your vote

1.5k Points
Upvote Downvote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings

6 Comments

  1. Goyle is definitely one of the characters that left a huge mark and following in the Harry Potter series. So, when he suddenly disappeared, it’s no surprise that fans wonder what happened to him. It’s unfortunate that the actor who played the role, Josh Herdman, got injured during filming.

    Accidents do happen while shooting action scenes and that’s why the production cast and crew should take all the necessary precautions to make sure everybody goes home safe after the shoot. 

    I’m also left wondering why they did not recast Goyle’s character ☺. I guess his character is not as important as we think he is, huh? Anyway, I am looking forward to more of your reviews and analysis of the Harry Potter series.

  2. Thank you for the fun article Wizarding Worldz, covering what happened to Goyle in the Harry Potter saga of films, I got a kick out of reading it and I’m certain so will all the Harry Potter fans out there who are still clamoring for more of the story.

    Readers enjoyed the characters of Malfoy, Greg and Crabb, I’m sure movie fans would have like to see more continuity in the final product with the books but recasting can be a frustration often in franchises like this that take place over such a long period of time.

    Do you believe the movie going fans of these characters suffered for the technical adjustments?

  3. I enjoyed your article in Wizarding Worldz, covering what happened to Goyle in the Harry Potter saga. I loved reading it. I definitely enjoy reading the books more than the movies. There is so much more happening in the books. I have a friend who I think would love to read your blog. I will share with him. 
    Carol

Log In

Or with username:

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.