Over two weeks in the summer of 1987, Kevin Peter Hall played two of the most physically intimidating characters in cinema history. That the same 7 ft. 2 actor could land two iconic roles in the same year, and that those films would come out a week apart from one another, is more than just mere coincidence.

It’s also a testament to Hall himself, a versatile gentle giant and someone who could convincingly pursue a mud-soaked Arnold Schwarzenegger through the jungle in Predator, and a week later portray a loveable sasquatch taken in by John Lithgow in Harry and the Hendersons.

Hall was often encased in elaborate body suits throughout his career, his face glimpsed only occasionally. But beneath the terrifying monsters he was regularly made up in was reportedly a genuinely kind and amiable man, who loved his work despite its physical drawbacks, and whose career ambitions were tragically cut short when he died at the age of 35.

Born to parents both of whom were over 6 ft in height, Hall was the tallest of his seven, equally tall, siblings. But Hall’s height proved a liability growing up, and he was an introverted teenager as a result. He didn’t enjoy playing basketball either, a fact he only learned while playing professionally in Venuezela for a year. Returning to the US, he was one half of a comedy double act in Los Angeles, before being spotted by a casting agent.