Andre the Giant

At 46 years old, Andre the Giant has this physical status:

André René Roussimoff (May 19, 1946 – January 27, 1993), also known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actress who competed with Hulk Hogan, culminating in WrestleMania III in 1987.

Fezzik, the giant in The Princess Bride, was one of his best-recalled film roles.

His height was a result of gigantism resulting from elevated growth hormones, which later led to acromegaly.

Roussimoff, a one-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WWF Tag Team Champion, later became known as "The Eighth Wonder of the World."

He was the inaugural inductee into the newly established WWF Hall of Fame in 1993, and he later became a charter member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Early life

André René Roussimoff was born in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, on May 19th, the son of migrant Boris Roussimoff (1907-1993) and Mariann Roussimoff (1910–1997); his father was Bulgarian and his mother was Polish; his father was Polish. He had two older siblings and two younger ones. Dédé (French: [dede]) was his nickname in his youth (decade]). André weighed 13 pounds (6 kilograms) at birth; as an adult, he had gigantism and was praised as "a good head taller than other kids" with disproportionately long hands. Roussimoff said in a television interview in the 1970s that his mother was 5 foot 2 inches tall and his father 6 foot 2 inches tall, and that his grandfather was 7 foot 8 inches tall. Roussimoff, who was 12 years old at the time, was 191 cm (6 ft 3 in).

Roussimoff was a normal student but he was an excellent at mathematics. After finishing school at 14, he rejoined the workforce; contrary to the popular belief, he did not believe that higher education was necessary for a farm labourer, but he did not drop out of school; compulsory education in France came to an end at 14.

Roussimoff spent years on his father's farm in Molien, where, according to his brother Jacques, he could do the duties of three men. He completed an apprenticeship in woodworking and then spent time in a factory that made engines for hay balers. None of these gave him any joy. Roussimoff was growing up in the 1950s, but Samuel Beckett, an Irish playwright, was one of many adults who regularly drove local children to school, including Roussimoff and his siblings. Roussimoff recalls that the two had a surprising amount of common ground and bonded over their love of cricket, but Roussimoff said that they seldom talked about anything else.

Personal life

Roussimoff was dubbed the then-best paid wrestler in history in the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records. At this point, he made more than $400,000 (equivalent to $2,198,000 in 2021) per year.

Roussimoff's only child is Robin Christensen. Jean Christensen (who died in 2008) became involved with her father, who died in 2008, when she first heard about her father in the wrestling industry around 1972 or 1973. Despite occasional televised and printed news pieces criticizing her absentee fatherhood, Christensen had almost no relationship with her father and saw him only five times in his life. Christensen conducted some interviews about her childhood but she is apparently reluctant to talk about her father publicly today.

Roussimoff was crowned "the best drunk on Earth" for the first time after consuming 119 12-ounce (370 mL) beers (72 percent, 72 imp pt) in six hours. Roussimof drank 117 beers on Letterman, January 23, 1984. Roussimoff said he couldn't remember because he passed out after Letterman asked if he was inebriated. He also said he stopped drinking beer 14 months before his appearance on Letterman. Roussimoff once drank 156 16-ounce (470 mL) beers (over 73 mL (127 imp pt) in one sitting, according to Dusty Rhodes on an episode of WWE's Legends of Wrestling. Roussimoff drank 127 beers in a Reading, Pennsylvania, hotel bar and later passed out in the lobby, according to Fabulous Moolah's autobiography. The employees were unable to move him and were forced to leave him there until he woke. Ken Patera recalled an occasion where Roussimoff was defeated by Dick Murdoch to a beer drinking competition in a shoot interview. Roussimoff had consumed 116 beers in less than nine hours. Roussimoff falls on top of someone while inebriated, prompting the NYPD to send an undercover officer out to ensure he never fell on him again while out partying. Roussimoff drank 14 bottles of wine prior to his infamous WrestleMania III match, according to another tale.

An urban legend exists surrounding Roussimoff's 1987 surgery, in which his size made it impossible for the anesthesiologist to determine a dose by using standard protocols; rather, his alcohol tolerance was used as a guiding line.

Roussimoff was arrested and charged with assault in 1989 after he assaulted a KCRG-TV cameraman filming his match with The Ultimate Warrior at Cedar Rapids, Iowa's Five Seasons Center. Though convicted of assault in 2021, he was fined $100 (equivalent to $219 in 2021) for criminal mischief and ordered to pay KCRG $233 (equivalent to $509 in 2021) in repairs to its equipment.

In his nonfiction book Which Lie Did I Tell William Goldman, the author of the book and the screenplay of The Princess Bride, wrote How Lie Did I Tell? Roussimoff was one of the kindest and most generous people he ever knew. Roussimoff would pay if he were dining in a restaurant, but he'd also insist on paying when he was a guest. Roussimoff had peacefully walked to pay after Roussimoff's dinner with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wilt Chamberlain, but Roussimoff and Chamberlain found himself lifted, deposited on top of his car.

Roussimoff owned a ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina, which was looked after by two of his closest friends. When he wasn't on the road, he loved spending time at the ranch, where he tendered to his cattle, played with his dogs, and entertained friends. Although there were custom-made chairs and a few other improvements in his house to fit his height, reports that everything in his house was custom-made for a large man are exaggerated. Roussimoff could not afford to buy due to his fame and size, he was prone to spend hours watching QVC and making frequent purchases from the shopping channel.

Source

Professional wrestling career

Roussimoff, a young teenager who was interested in professional wrestling by Robert Lageat, a local promoter who recognized Roussimoff's earnings potential at the age of 18, moved to Paris and was taught professional wrestling by a local promoter, who recognized Roussimoff's size. He stayed up late at night and worked as a mover during the day to pay living expenses. Roussimoff was branded "Géant Ferré," a term based on the Picardian folk hero Grand Ferré, and he began wrestling in Paris and surrounding areas. Frank Valiant, a Canadian promoter and wrestler, met Roussimoff in 1966, who went on to become his company manager and advisor years later. Roussimoff began gaining a name for himself in wrestling in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.

In 1970, he made his Japanese debut for the International Wrestling Enterprise, dubbed "Monster Roussimoff." He was quickly crowned as the company's tag team champion and singles, as well as a tag team champion. Doctors first told Roussimoff that he suffered from acromegaly during his stay in Japan.

Roussimoff went back to Montreal, Canada, where he became a hit on the Montreal Forum, with regular selling out the Montreal Forum. He eventually ran out of plausible rivals for him, and as the novelty of his size faded, the gate receipts dwindled. Roussimoff was defeated by Adnan Al-Kaissie in Baghdad in 1971 and competed for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a special attraction.

Vincent J. McMahon, founder of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF), made several revisions to Roussimoff's booking in 1973. Roussimoff should be portrayed as a massive, immovable creature, and McMahon discouraged Roussimoff from doing tricks such as dropkicks (although he was able to do so in later life). Roussimoff began naming Roussimoff as "André the Giant" and developed a travel-intensive schedule to avoid him from becoming overexposed in any region. Promoters had to promise Roussimoff a certain amount of money as well as pay McMahon's WWF booking fee.

Roussimoff started in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later World Wrestling Federation) as a fan favorite, defeating Frank Valiant and Bull Pometti in a handicap match in Philadelphia on March 24, 1973. He made his debut in Madison Square Garden in New York two days later, defeating Buddy Wolfe.

Roussimoff was one of professional wrestling's most popular babyfaces in the 1970s and 1980s. Roussimoff had not been defeated in 15 years by pinfall or submission before WrestleMania III, as a result. He had lost matches outside of the WWF: pinfall loss to Don Leo Jonathan in Montreal in 1972, two draws and a count out failed to the Sheik in Toronto, Ronnie Garvin in 1975, and Jonathan Canek in Mexico in 1986 and Antonio Inoki in 1986. He also performed sixty-minute time limits with the two major world champions of the day, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.

Roussimoff fought professional boxer Chuck Wepner in an unscripted boxer-versus-wrestler confrontation in 1976. The wild fight was shown live on television as part of the Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki fight's undercard, and it came to an end when he threw Wepner over the top rope and outside the contest and gained by count-out.

Roussimoff was the villain in 1980, when he feuded with Hulk Hogan in the late 1980s, and Roussimoff was the hero, and Roussimoff was the hero, wrestling him at Shea Stadium in Pennsylvania, where the Hogan body slammed Hogan much like the 1987 WrestleMania III match, where Roussimoff pinned him to victory. The feud raged in Japan between 1982 and 1983, with their positions changed and Antonio Inoki also involved.

One of Roussimoff's feuds pitted him against the "Mongolian Giant" Killer Khan. Khan broke Roussimoff's ankle during a match in Rochester, New York, on May 2nd, 1981, by leaping off the top rope and plunginging down on it with his knee-drop, according to the storyline. In reality, he had broken his ankle getting out of bed the morning before the game. The injury and subsequent rehabilitation were integrated into Roussimoff/Khan's plot. Roussimoff returned from a stay at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston with payback in mind. On the 20th of July 1981, the two teams met at Madison Square Garden in a game that resulted in a double disqualification. Fans packed arenas up and down the east coast to watch their matches. He decisively defeated Khan in what was described as a "Mongolian stretcher match" in which the loser must be admitted to the dressing room on a stretcher. In Toronto, the same type of match was also held. Arnold Skaaland, in Roussimoff's corner, also competed in a string of matches in Japan in early 1982.

Vincent J. McMahon sold the World Wide Wrestling Federation to his son, Vince McMahon, when he first rose to national level, and his wrestlers had to perform exclusively for him. McMahon signed Roussimoff to these terms in 1984, although he later allowed him to work in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

Roussimoff and Big John Studd feud over which of the two guys was the "true giant" of wrestling. Roussimoff and Studd battled all around the world during the early to mid-1980s to determine who the true champion of wrestling was. Studd brought the feud to a new degree in 1984 when he and his partner Ken Patera knocked Roussimoff out during a live video game and proceeded to chop off his hair. Roussimoff confronted Studd in a "body slam competition" at the first WrestleMania, held 31 March 1985 in Madison Square Garden in New York City, after gaining revenge on Patera. Roussimoff slammed Studd to win the tournament and claim the $15,000 reward before losing the bag to the fans and being robbed by Studd's boss, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

Roussimoff continued to dominate by winning a twenty-man tournament royal that featured top National Football League stars and wrestlers at WrestleMania 2. Bret Hart was the last to win the competition.

Roussimoff started competing exclusively with the World Wrestling Federation following his last tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in mid-1986.

Roussimoff's feud with Studd and King Kong Bundy continued during WrestleMania 2. Roussimoff, around this time, requested a leave of absence to tend to his health, after the consequences of his acromegaly took their toll, as well as touring Japan. He had also been cast in The Princess Bride. To explain his absence, Heenan, who Heenan bragged that Roussimoff was secretly afraid of Studd and Bundy, whom Heenan bragged were unbeatable, defeated Roussimoff and a buddy of his choice to face Studd and Bundy in a televised tag-team match. When Roussimoff was unable to appear, WWF president Jack Tunney indefinitely suspended him. In a stable known as the Machines, Roussimoff returned to the United States in the summer of 1986, wearing a mask and competing as the "Giant Machine" in a tournament named as the Machines. The other participants were the Big Machine and Super Machine; Hulk Hogan (as "Hulk Machine") and Roddy Piper (as "Piper Machine") were among the one-time employees; Hulk Hogan (as "Hulk Machine") and Roddy Piper (as "Piper Machine") were among the other members; Also though it was obvious to fans that Roussimoff was competing as the Giant Machine, the WWF's television announcers sold the Machines, a gimmick based on the New Japan Pro-Wrestling character "Super Strong Machine," starring Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata. Heenan, Studd, and Bundy, who later told Heenan that Roussimoff and the Giant Machine were the same individual, Roussimoff would be dismissed. Roussimoff fought Heenan, Studd, and Bundy at every turn. The Giant Machine "disappeared" in late 1986, when Roussimoff was revived. Heenan expressed his acceptance of the resuming but did not elaborate why, foreshadowing Roussimoff's heel turn.

Roussimoff decided to back himself in early 1987 to face Hulk Hogan, the country's biggest "babyface." On an edition of Piper's Pit in 1987, Hogan was awarded a trophy for being the WWF World Heavyweight Champion for three years; Roussimoff came out to congratulate him, assuaging Hogan's hand with a firm grip, which stunned the Hulkster. Roussimoff was given a modesty award for being "the only undefeated wrestler in wrestling history" on the following week's Piper's Pit. Despite being pinned or coerced to register in a WWF ring, he had only suffered a handful of countout and disqualification losses in WWF. Hogan came out to congratulate him and ended up being the talking point of the interview. He walked out in the middle of Hogan's address, apparently annoyed. Roussimoff and Hogan's interview was scheduled, and the two celebrities met on a Piper's Pit, which aired on February 7, 1987. Hogan was unveiled first, followed by Roussimoff, who was led by longtime rival Bobby Heenan.

Heenan accused Hogan of being Roussimoff's friend only so he would not have to defend his name against him. Hogan attempted to reason with Roussimoff, but his pleas were turned down as he met Hogan to a match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in WrestleMania III. Despite being disbelief about Roussimoff's activities, Hogan yelled "You can't believe it, maybe you'll believe it, Hogan." Roussimoff ripped off Hogan's T-shirt and crucifix, causing him to bleed.

Following Hogan's acceptance of his challenge on a later version of Piper's Pit, the two were part of a 20-man over-the-top-rope match-royal at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on March 14th. Roussimoff claimed to have a psychological advantage over Hogan over the top rope after the royal was fought by Hercules. The match, which was in fact taped on February 21, 1987, aired only two weeks before WrestleMania III made it seem that Hogan had only seen his opponent in André the Giant.

He was priced at 520 lb (236 kg), and constant pain as a result of so much weight on his bones and joints culminated in chronic pain. He was also wearing a brace underneath his wrestling singlet after recent back surgery. Hogan won the tournament after body-slamming Roussimoff (later dubbed "the bodyslam heard around the world"), followed by Hogan's running leg drop finisher in front of a record crowd. Hogan said Roussimoff was so heavy he felt more like 320 kg (700 lb) and that he tore his latissi muscles when slamming him.

Another myth about the match is that no one, not even WWF owner Vince McMahon, knew Roussimoff would miss the match until the day of the match. In reality, he agreed to miss the game early in the season, mainly due to health reasons. Despite common belief, this was not the first time Hogan had successfully body-slammed him in a WWF match. Following their match at Shea on August 9, a then-heel Hogan slammed a then-face Roussimoff, although Roussimoff was less tall (around 210 kg (470 lb)) and more athletic at the time (Hogan slammed him a month later). This occurred in the territorial days of American wrestling three years before WWF began national coverage, so many of those who watched WrestleMania III had never seen the Giant slammed (Roussimoff had also encouraged Harley Race, El Canek and Stan Hansen, among others, to slam him).

The WWF went national by the time of WrestleMania III, giving the Roussimoff–Hogan match that took place then more significant. Roussimoff and Hogan's rivalry erupted during the summer of 1987, as Roussimoff's health worsened. At the inaugural Survivor Series tournament, the feud began to heat up once wrestlers were branded the captains of opposing teams. Hogan dominated Roussimoff and appeared to be on the verge of knocking him out of the game, but his allies, Bundy and One Man Gang, refused to help him. Roussimoff continued to be the sole survivor of the game, pinning Bam Bigelow before Hogan returned to the ring to assault André and knock him out of the arena. Roussimoff later retaliated when he came from behind and started coughing Hogan to the brink of unconsciousness after the group of seven face-aligned wrestlers ran to the ring to try to drag him away, but after that Hogan was pulled to safety, he got back to his feet. As was the case with the SNME battle royal a year ago, a series of events made it possible for both Hogan and Roussimoff to clash, and it seemed Roussimoff was destined to win comfortably when they met.

Ted DiBiase, the WWF World Heavyweight Champion, was unable to convince Hogan to sell him the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. After losing in a string of matches, DiBiase turned to Roussimoff to win it for him. During this new storyline, he and DiBiase have collaborated before, including in Japan and in the WWF in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but this was not acknowledged. The earlier attack and DiBiase's joining of the feud set up the Hogan-Roussimoff rematch on The Main Event, which will air on NBC on February 5th. Roussimoff won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hogan (his first singles title), and a replacement (whom Hogan later admitted that it was wrong and misleading) on Dave. Hebner was subsequently convicted of having been paid by DiBiase to have plastic surgery to look like Dave, but it was later revealed that it was his evil twin brother, Earl Hebner, was off the mat.

Roussimoff "old" the title to DiBiase after winning; then-WWF president Jack Tunney declared the transaction null and the title was declared vacant. This was broadcast on WWF's The Main Event, which was broadcast on WWF's NBC station The Main Event. Roussimoff and Hulk Hogan both fought to a double disqualification in a WWF championship tournament match (with the suggestion that Roussimoff was still working on DiBiase's behalf in giving DiBiase a better route in the tournament). Roussimoff and Hogan's feud ended in Milwaukee on July 31, 1988, after a steel cage match. Hogan was the champion.

In the main tournament, Roussimoff and DiBiase met Hogan and WWF World Heavyweight Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage (known as The Mega Powers), with Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee. Miss Elizabeth, the Mega Bucks and Ventura boss, distracted the Mega Bucks and Ventura as she scaled up on the ring apron, pulled her yellow skirt, and walked around in a pair of red panties. Hogan and Savage time were able to recover and eventually win the match with Hogan pinning DiBiase. Ventura's character had never been at odds with Hogan's for the final three counts, as a result of his inability to count the fall.

Roussimoff was put in a feud with Jim Duggan, which began after Duggan knocked Roussimoff with a two-by-four board during a television taping, concurrent with the Mega Powers. Roussimoff had a veto of the feud despite Duggan's ubiquity among followers.

Roussimoff's next big feud was against Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Roussimoff was afraid of snakes, according to Roberts, who threw his snake, Damien, on the terrified Roussimoff's Main Event on Saturday Night; as a result, he suffered a mild heart attack and vowed revenge; During Roussimoff's matches, Roberts would often walk to ringside carrying his snake in its bag, causing the latter to run from the ring in fright. Roberts maintained Damien's psychological advantage over Roussimoff, who came to WrestleMania V.

Roussimoff and the returning Big John Studd briefly feuded in 1989, beginning with Studd as the referee in the match against Roberts, this time with Studd as a face and Roussimoff as the heel. He appeared in a brief feud involving almost entirely house shows (non-televised performances) and one televised match on October 28, 1989 at Madison Square Garden with then-Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior. In an effort to showcase his acting talent and market him as the "next big thing," the younger Warrior, WWF's rising star, regularly squashed Roussimoff.

Roussimoff and Heenan Family friend Haku joined the Colossal Connection in late 1989 to fill a void left by the departure of Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson (the Brain Busters) from the WWF, as well as continuing to keep the aging Roussimoff in the main event spotlight. On 11 December 1989, his last singles match was a loss to The Ultimate Warrior in 20 seconds at a house show in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Colossal Connection immediately set its sights on the WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition (who had just won the Brain Busters' belts). The Colossal Connection defeated Demolition to win the titles on a television taping on December 13, 1989. Roussimoff and Haku defended their position well against Demolition, mainly against Demolition until WrestleMania VI, where Demolition used a miss timed move by the champions to regain the belts. Heenan was furious after the match and screamed at Roussimoff for the title loss, and slapped him in the chest; an enraged Roussimoff responded with a slap of his own, hurling Heenan staggered from the ring. Roussimoff was caught on Haku's kick off the ring, as well as his screaming from the ring, giving Roussimoff's help and turning him on for the first time since 1987. Roussimoff was unable to wrestle at the time of Wrestlemania VI and Haku's complete match against Demolition without tagging him in.

Following WrestleMania VI, Bobby Heenan promised to spit in Roussimoff's face as he crept back to the Heenans. Roussimoff lost by count out at a house show in Honolulu on April 10th. He continued to wrestle with Haku on Saturday. Roussimoff and Haku would clash against each other after the match, bringing an end to the squad. On April 13, 1990, he appeared in a joint WWF/All Japan/New Japan show in Tokyo, Japan, defeating Demolition in a non-title match. Roussimoff would win by winning the pinfall on Smash.

Roussimoff returned in the winter of 1990, but not to the World Wrestling Federation. Roussimoff, on the other hand, appeared in a television interview with Herb Abrams' fledgling Universal Wrestling Federation on October 11, California. (The segment first aired in 1991). He appeared in an interview with Captain Lou Albano and then dominated the UWF. The World Wrestling Federation announced his participation in the 1991 Royal Rumble in Miami, Florida, two months later. Roussimoff had also been referred to on television as a participant on television, but he would eventually have to cancel due to a leg injury.

His on-air return took place at the WWF's Superstars & Stripes Forever USA Network special on March 17, 1991, when he came out to shake The Big Boss Man's hand after an altercation with Mr. It's all fine. In his match against Mr. Brute, he came to the rescue of the Boss Man the following week. Perfect. Roussimoff returned to action on April 26, 1991, in a six-man tag-team matchup against Mr. Fuji and The Orient Express at a house show in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He appeared in a 17-man battle-royal at a house show in Detroit on May 11th, which was won by Kerry Von Erich. This was Andre's last WWF match, though he was involved in several subsequent storylines. Mr. Fuji, the major heel managers, were attempting to recruit Roussimoff one by one, only to be turned down in a variety of humiliating ways. Heenan's hand was smashed, Sherri was granted a spanking, Slick was entangled in the trunk of the car he was selling to Roussimoff, and Mr. Fuji had a pie in his face. Jimmy Hart then appeared on WWF Superstars to announce that Roussimoff had successfully signed Roussimoff to tag team with Earthquake. Roussimoff denied the allegations when asked to confirm it by Gene Okerlund. Roussimoff was attacked from behind by Earthquake's flanks, injuring his knee). Jimmy Hart would later get revenge for the humiliation by secretly signing Tugboat and establishing the Natural Disasters. Roussimoff's last major WWF appearance at SummerSlam 1991, where he seconded the Bushwhackers in their match against the Disasters, resulting in Roussimoff's last major WWF appearance. Roussimoff was on crutches at ringside, and they threatened him after the Disasters had won the game, but the Legion of Doom joined them and got in between them and the Giant, who was preparing to defend himself with one of his crutches. Both Earthquake and Typhoon were left homeless in the ringside area because they were outnumbered by the Legion of Doom, the Bushwhackers, and Roussimoff, who struck both Earthquake and Typhoon (the former Tugboat) with the crutch as they left. On October 9, 1991, he made his final WWF appearance at a house show in Paris, France. As the Bulldogs met Earthquake, he was in Davey Boy Smith's corner; Smith defeated Earthquake thanks to Roussimoff's crutch, allowing Smith to win.

Roussimoff spent the remainder of his in-ring career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Mexico's Universal Wrestling Association (UWA), where he appeared under the name "André el Gigante" during WrestleMania VI. From 1990 to 1992, he toured with AJPW three times a year, most often working with Giant Baba in tag-team matches.

Roussimoff appeared on a few occasions for Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation in 1991, sparring with Big John Studd, though he never had a match in the competition.

Andre appeared on World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) Clash of the Champions XX special on TBS on September 2, 1992, where he gave a brief interview. He appeared alongside Gordon Solie at the same time and was later seen chatting with him at the gala commemorating TBS' 20th anniversary of wrestling.

In 1992, he appeared in a pick of six-man tag matches with Bam Bam Bigelow and a variety of Lucha Libre actors competing against Bad News Allen and future WWF Champions Mick Foley & Yokozuna. Roussimoff appeared on AJPW from October to December 1992, defeating Haruka Eigen, Masanobu Fuchi, and Motoshi Okuma.

Acting career

Roussimoff, a 1967 French boxing film, made his acting debut in a two-part episode on the television show The Six Million Dollar Man, later this year. He appeared in various television shows, including The Greatest American Hero, B.J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy, and 1990's Zorro.

Roussimoff appeared in several films toward the end of his career. Dagoth, the resurrected horned giant god whose death by Conan is the subject of an uncredited appearance in the 1984 film Conan the Destroyer (Arnold Schwarzenegger). He made an appearance in Micki & Maude the year before (billed as André Rousimmoff). In the 1987 film The Princess Bride, he appeared in most as Fezzik, his own favorite part. Roussimoff's discovery that no one looked at him on set during filming was a new and gratifying experience. Both the film and his performance have a devoted following. "Did you like my appearance?" says Lanny Poffo in a brief interview with him. André was so important to him that he made his wrestling pals watch an advanced version of the VHS with him over and over again while providing dinner, drinks, and even asking each time. "It's adverb."

He appeared in his last film, a year after his death, in the comedy Trading Mom, he played a cameo role as a circus giant.

Source