Pulp Features

At 7’3”, Gary Tiplady is big.

Born a stone’s throw from Wallsend in the North East of England, he developed the rare and life threatening conditioning of acromegaly – a hormonal disorder leading to excessive growth - in his late teens. After 3 life threatening brain operations, the disorder is now controlled by drugs.

But not one to let this get him down, he went on to become a successful chef, a master of the ancient art of lard sculpting, a boxer, an actor and a Jaws lookalike.

And with a biography, “Giant Footsteps”, soon to be published, which traces his life from his birth as a 16lb baby to the present day, he found some time to answer a few questions.

Paul: When did you first realise you look like Jaws?
Gary: When I was nineteen working as a chef in a hotel with me in my chefs uniform. Costumers used to comment on me and say are you the guy out of the Bond films.

I also have a growing condition called acromegaly which the real jaws has too, that’s how we look the same due to the circumstance from acromegaly.

Paul: Where did you get your teeth?
Gary: The James bond fan club made them for me they are worth two thousand pounds and made of platinum. In the Le Boulet film I have got gold teeth in my mouth which I keep for myself

Paul: You had a major role in “Le Boulet”. What can you tell us about it?
Gary: It’s an action/comedy in which I play the second lead role in the film as Le Meg the giant body guard opposite José Garcia.

Paul: You also appeared in “Baby Juice Express”. What is that about?
Gary: This film is a comedy all British cast spoof take off from “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. I play the part of Burke. The movie is out on rental at Blockbuster now.

Paul: “Le Boulet” is a French film and “Baby Juice Express” is a British one. Did you find any differences between French and British film makers?
Gary: Yes the French language. In “Le Boulet” I had to learn all my lines in French and to be aware what was happening around me in the scenes plus with a mouth full of metal teeth to contend with all the French actors and crew thought I was the real Jaws from the Bond films ha ha.

Paul: I understand you’ve also done a fair bit of television work. What are the highlights?
Gary: One was working on the “Ready Steady Cook” show as Jaws. It was a James bond theme with Odd Job (Harold Sakata) and Sean Connery doing the cooking. Being a qualified chef, I was not allowed to cook so I had to sit in the audience until half way through the show when I get out of my seat and start helping myself to the lovely food.

Then all hell breaks out with all the chefs. One jumps on my back after I smash a fake bottle over Bond’s head and the kitchen ended up in chaos ha ha

Paul: What do you have lined up for the future?
Gary: I get booking to appear as jaws at corporate parties all around the world James bond parties are so popular and enjoyable.

Paul: And I have to ask you about your Lard Art. How do you discover a talent for making sculptures in lard?
Gary: In Victorian times, lard sculptures were used to decorate tables at banquets. The Victorians liked these decorations on their tables i.e. boars heads, aspic jelly moulds etc

I was working at the world famous Gleneagles hotel in Scotland where a chef was working on a sculpture so when I got back home I started to practice myself and off I went.

Paul: Any closing comments?
Gary: When I got my growing problem of acromegaly I hated being so tall compared to my brothers and parents so I turned all the name calling and piss taking around and made a career of it with no help from anybody.

My saying is: Don’t let the bastards get ya down

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