- publicWebsite:
Visit - group Other Names:
André the Giant, André Roussimoff, Géant Ferré, Jean Ferré, Monster Roussimoff, "The Giant" Jean Ferre, André René Roussimoff
description About
André René Roussimoff, known worldwide as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor who gained international fame due to his extraordinary size, the result of a medical condition known as acromegaly (gigantism). Born on May 19, 1946, in Coulommiers, France, he was nicknamed “The Eighth Wonder of the World” and became one of the most iconic figures in professional wrestling during the 1970s and 1980s. Roussimoff began his wrestling career in 1966 in France under the name Jean Ferré, and his size quickly drew the attention of international promoters. In 1971, he moved to North America, where he was promoted by Vincent J. McMahon, founder of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), as a global attraction. Renamed André the Giant, he remained one of the most popular wrestlers in the world for over a decade, known for his imposing presence and gentle demeanor. Throughout his career, André wrestled in various territories and promotions worldwide, including Japan, Canada, Europe, Australia, and the United States. He was a central figure in the wrestling boom of the 1980s, starring in one of the most iconic rivalries in sports entertainment history: his feud with Hulk Hogan, which culminated at the historic WrestleMania III (1987) before more than 93,000 fans. In that match, Hogan famously body-slammed André in what became known as the body slam heard around the world, a defining moment in WWF history. In 1988, André briefly won the WWF World Championship, only to immediately “sell” the title to Ted DiBiase in a storyline that led to the championship being declared vacant. In the following years, his health declined due to complications from acromegaly, though he remained active in the ring, particularly in Japan and Mexico with promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling and UWA. Parallel to wrestling, André pursued an acting career. His most beloved role was Fezzik in the film The Princess Bride (1987), a character he cherished and which cemented his status as a beloved figure outside the ring. He also appeared in other productions, such as Conan the Destroyer, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Fall Guy, among others. In his personal life, André was known for his generosity, reserved personality, and legendary drinking feats—stories of which became part of wrestling folklore. He had a daughter, Robin Christensen, and spent his final years on a ranch in North Carolina. He passed away on January 28, 1993, in a Paris hotel due to heart failure, shortly after attending his father's funeral. His legacy endures as one of the most recognized and beloved figures in wrestling history. He was the first-ever inductee into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1993 and has been honored through documentaries, books, films, video games, and the creation of the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, an annual WWE event. He also inspired the visual artist Shepard Fairey, creator of the iconic “Obey” street art campaign. André the Giant was not just a wrestling legend but also a symbol of resilience, spectacle, and humanity in an industry defined by drama and exaggeration. His story is that of a man whose physical greatness was matched by a remarkable human spirit.
Info
- wc Gender: Male
- calendar_month Birth Date: 1946-05-19
- event Death Date 1993-01-27
- school Known for: Acting
- star Popularity: 0.3
- info Birth Place Coulommiers, France
- visibility Views: 8 views
-
star User Ratings:
image Images
smart_display Movies and TV shows by André Roussimoff
10
WWE Tribute to the Troops 2014
2014-12-17
7.7
The Princess Bride
1987-09-25
6.7
WrestleMania
1985-03-31
6
Trading Mom
1994-03-04
7.5
WWE WrestleMania III
1987-03-29
7.3
WWE WrestleMania V
1989-04-02
6.4
WrestleMania II
1986-04-07
7.5
Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story
2006-11-14
0
WWF Hulkamania 2
1987-05-01
0
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle
1986-06-06
0
WWE World Tour 1991
1991-08-22
0
WWE World Tour 1992
1992-08-27
5.5
I Like To Hurt People
1985-06-01
6
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
1990-01-21
6.6
WWE SummerSlam 1989
1989-08-28
7.1
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
2002-08-20
0
WCW Clash of The Champions XX: 20th Anniversary
1992-09-02
8.4
WWE WrestleMania VI
1990-04-01
7.7
WWE SummerSlam 1991
1991-08-26
8.2
WWE Survivor Series 1988
1988-11-24
7.2
WWE: The Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History
2013-05-28
8.5
WWE Survivor Series 1987
1987-11-26
6
WWE U.K. Rampage 1991
1991-04-21
0
The Ultimate Warrior
1990-11-05
0
The History Of WrestleMania
1994-02-02
5.9
The Real Rocky
2011-10-25
0
WWE Showdown at Shea '80
1980-08-09
5.6
Micki & Maude
1984-12-21
0
More Saturday Night's Main Event
1989-07-06
0
Fan Favorites
1989-08-09
7.3
Andre the Giant: Larger than Life
1999-01-13
9.2
WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden
2013-08-13
7.9
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006-10-17
10
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams!
1985-01-01
8.3
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010-12-07
0
WWE's Inside the Steel Cage
1986-12-11
0
Hulkamania 3
1988-08-27
9.3
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
2013-09-10
0
Best of the WWF Volume 3
1985-01-01
0
Hulkamania 4
1989-11-01
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 4
1985-09-01
10
Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection
2013-03-19
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 5
1986-01-01
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
1987-03-01
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
1986-10-15
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
1987-08-15
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
1987-12-15
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 16 Around the World
1988-07-27
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 17
1988-11-10
0
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
1989-07-19
0
The WWF's Most Unusual Matches
1985-01-01
0
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
2007-07-31
0
Giants, Midgets, Heroes and Villains II
2008-01-22
0
Best of the WWF Volume 1
1985-01-01
0
Best of the WWF Volume 2
1985-01-01
0
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest
1985-01-01
0
Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
1985-09-15
10
The Life And Times of Paul Boesch
1994-04-01
6
The Wrestling Queen
1973-11-01
10
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
2009-06-09
0
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
1991-03-17
0
WWE U.K. Rampage 1988
1988-10-07
0
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
1988-08-13
0
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
1988-07-15
0
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: January '89
1989-01-29
0
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '84
1984-09-23
0
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: October '84
1984-10-21
0
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
1985-11-10
0
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: March '86
1986-03-23
0
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: July '84
1984-07-15
0
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
1984-10-14
0
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
1988-04-24
6.5
WWE Royal Rumble
1988-01-24
6.2
Conan the Destroyer
1984-06-29
10
The Claw
2021-05-13
10
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
1986-03-08
7.3
Andre the Giant
2018-04-10
10
WWE: The History Of The WWE Championship
2006-09-05
7
WWE: True Giants
2014-12-09
5
WWE: Andre The Giant
2005-01-25
6.4
WWE: Hulk Hogan's Unreleased Collector's Series
2009-11-17
10
WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
2017-09-05
6.2
Andre the Giant
1985-12-02
0
WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit
1990-04-13
10
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
2018-05-29
0
WWF: Best of Wrestlemania I-XIV
1998-11-24
4.5
Casse-tête chinois pour le judoka
1967-12-22
0
WWE: Legends of Wrestling - Andre the Giant and Iron Sheik
2010-08-24
0
WWE: Wrestlemania Recall
2005-02-01
0
WWF: Best of Hulkamania
1992-06-01
10
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009-02-10
10
WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1
2014-03-11
8.8
The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment
2013-11-18
6.8
You Cannot Kill David Arquette
2020-08-21
7.4
WWE WrestleMania IV
1988-03-27
5
WWE WrestleFest
1988-07-31
7.2
WWE SummerSlam 1988
1988-08-29
5.1
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
1989-01-15
7.7
WWE Survivor Series 1989
1989-11-23
0
WCCW Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show
1982-06-04
0
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
1990-03-25
0
NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
1980-08-03
0
AJPW October Giant Series 1992 - Day 17
1992-10-21
8
WWE The Big Event
1986-08-28
0
WWE The Main Event
1988-02-05
7.4
WWE WrestleMania VII
1991-03-24
0
Biography: Chyna
2023-03-05
7
Biography: Ultimate Warrior
2021-05-23
10
WWF Summer Flashback!
1997-07-14
0
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
1983-10-17
0
WrestleMania
1985-03-31
8.7
WrestleMania 2
1986-04-07
8.5
WrestleMania III
1987-03-29
0
WrestleMania IV
1988-03-27
8.8
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
1985-01-01
7.2
Biography: WWE Legends
2021-04-18
8.6
WWE's Most Wanted Treasures
2021-04-18
7.3
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974-01-18
6.8
WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986-09-07
6.8
WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986-09-07
9.7
The Best of WWE
2020-03-24
9.5
WWE The Main Event
1988-02-05
7.9
Mr. McMahon
2024-09-25
8.3
Saturday Night's Main Event
1985-05-11
0
WWF All-Star Wrestling
1975-09-13
0
World Class Championship Wrestling
1982-01-02
0
WWE Old School
1973-06-30
0
Mid-South Wrestling
1981-12-12
0
Mid-South Wrestling
1981-12-12
