In his first and only acting role, “Michigan’s Tallest Man” Mike Lanier was forever immortalized as a terrifying horror movie nightmare in David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows, playing the brief-but-unforgettable role of “Giant Man,” one of the many forms that the mysterious “it” takes in the film. Sadly, we’ve just learned that Lanier passed away recently.

A post over on Reddit/Horror this week has brought it to our attention that Lanier died on April 25, 2018 due to complications from pancreatic cancer and acromegaly. He was 48.

Mike Lanier, who stood 7-feet, 7-inches tall, was actually one half of the “World’s Tallest Twins,” bestowed upon the brothers by the Guinness Book of World Records.

According to his obituary from the Henry M. Malburg Funeral Home in Romero, Michigan, “Michael was born November 27, 1969 in Royal Oak, Michigan, the son of the late Emil and Connie (Levulis) Lanier. After graduating from Brother Rice High School, Mike accepted a basketball scholarship at UCLA where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree. Upon graduation, Mike started work for GM at its Power Train Division as a Senior Designer. Mike had many and varied interests from acting in independent films in the Michigan area, swimming, doing claymation films, cooking, being very artistic, and even designed his current home. Along with his twin brother Jim, they were in the Guinness Book of records as the tallest identical twins in the world.“

The obituary continued, “Michael is survived by his wife Janet “Battani” Lanier of Troy and her children Christopher Campbell of Jackson & Kathryn Campbell of Troy, siblings: Jennifer (Michael) Toomajian of Troy, James (Michele) Lanier of Greenwood, Indiana, Gary (Traci) Lanier of Plymouth, MI., Also survived by nieces & nephews: Hunter, Jared, & Jessica Toomajian, Daniel & Sarah Lanier, and Kaden, Katherine, & Karl Lanier.”



To learn more about Mike Lanier and his role in It Follows, check out a GQ interview from 2015.