Born in 1946 in France, André Roussimoff built a remarkable legacy as both a professional wrestler and an actor. Most people, however, knew him simply as "André the Giant" — the iconic ring name he carried throughout his wrestling career. That moniker was no exaggeration: standing over 7 feet tall and tipping the scales at 500 pounds, André was a truly massive figure. His extraordinary size stemmed from untreated acromegaly, a pituitary gland disorder that triggers excessive production of growth hormones. This same condition inspired yet another famous nickname — "The 8th Wonder of the World."
Wrestling became André's calling starting in the 1960s, but it was his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the 1980s that catapulted him to mainstream stardom. Tragically, on January 27th, 1993, André died at just 46 years old. The cause was congestive heart failure, a direct consequence of his lifelong, untreated acromegaly.
Fun Facts:
- From a young age, André lived with acromegaly, a form of gigantism that ultimately drove his growth to over 7 feet in height and pushed his weight past 500 pounds.
- Beyond his physical dominance in the ring, André was legendary for his remarkable strength and his capacity to consume staggering amounts of alcohol. Rumor had it he could put away more than 100 beers in a single sitting.
- The WWF (now WWE) honored André with induction into its Hall of Fame in 1993 — the very same year he passed away.
- André's talents extended well beyond wrestling. He appeared in a number of movies and television productions, with credits including "The Princess Bride," "The Six Million Dollar Man," and "The Return of the Incredible Hulk."
- For all his imposing stature, André was widely regarded as gentle and warm-hearted. His generosity was well known, and he frequently gave money to needy people.