André Roussimoff

Acting · 0.9 popularity

Age

Movies

123

Born: May 19, 1946 – January 27, 1993
From: Coulommiers, France

Biography

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.

Works

123 films

The Princess Bride

19877.7

Conan the Destroyer

19846.1

You Cannot Kill David Arquette

20206.7

Andre the Giant

20187.3

The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment

20138.8

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

20108.3

Micki & Maude

19845.7

Trading Mom

19945.9

The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s

20057.8

Macho Madness

1988

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

20067.9

WWE: Wrestlemania Recall

2005

WWE WrestleMania IV

19887.2

WWE Tribute to the Troops 2014

201410.0

WWE Royal Rumble 1988

19886.6

WWE WrestleMania VII

19917.3

Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection

201310.0

WWE Royal Rumble 1989

19895.8

Warrior's Greatest Matches

2014

WWE Survivor Series 1988

19888.2

The Life And Times of Paul Boesch

199410.0

WWE: The History Of The WWE Championship

200610.0

Inside the Steel Cage

1986

WWE WrestleMania VI

19908.4

WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden

20139.2

WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall

19916.0

WrestleMania II

19866.4

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams

198510.0

WWE WrestleMania III

19877.3

WWF Summer Flashback!

199710.0

The Real Rocky

20116.1

WWE Survivor Series 1987

19878.4

WWE: Andre The Giant

20055.0

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling

20139.3

WWE SummerSlam 1991

19917.7

Andre the Giant: Larger than Life

19997.8

WWE Survivor Series 1989

19897.8

WWE Showdown at Shea '80

1980

WWE SummerSlam 1989

19896.7

More Saturday Night's Main Event

1989

Hulk Hogan: Real American

19894.5

Hulkamania 4

19899.0

WrestleMania

19856.6

WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event

20097.5

Andre the Giant

19857.0

Villains of the Squared Circle

1986

As You Wish: The Story of 'The Princess Bride'

20017.6

The Best of the WWF: volume 20

1989

WWE World Tour 1992

1992

WWE Royal Rumble 1990

19906.1

WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI

1990

Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits

19857.0

WWE WrestleFest

19885.0

WWF: Best of Wrestlemania I-XIV

199810.0

Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules

20027.7

Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments

198710.0

The Best of the WWF: volume 17

1988

The Hulkster Hulk Hogan

1985

Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection

200910.0

Giants, Midgets, Heroes and Villains II

2008

WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1

201410.0

WWE World Tour 1991

1991

The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano

198610.0

WWE March to WrestleMania VIII

1992

WWE The Big Event

19868.0

WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit

1990

WWE SummerSlam 1988

19887.3

Best of the WWF Volume 1

1985

Wrestling's Greatest Champions

1991

WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983

1983

Best of the WWF Volume 3

1985

WCW Clash of The Champions XX: 20th Anniversary

1992

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: March '86

1986

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88

1988

Best of the WWF Volume 2

1985

I Like To Hurt People

19856.4

Most Unusual Matches

19859.0

WWE WrestleMania V

19897.3

The Best of the WWF: volume 5

1986

The Best of the WWF: volume 12

1987

WWE: Hulk Hogan's Unreleased Collector's Series

20095.5

The Best of the WWF: volume 4

1985

WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: July '84

1984

Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story

20067.5

The History Of WrestleMania

1994

Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1

2007

WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995

201710.0

The WWF's Amazing Managers

1985

WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88

1988

Hulkamania 3

1988

WWF Hulkamania 2

1987

WWE U.K. Rampage 1988

1988

The Best of the WWF: volume 19

1989

The Best of the WWF: volume 14

1987

Best of The British Bulldog

1993

WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII

1991

WWE The Main Event

1988

WWF: Best of Hulkamania

1992

The Best of the WWF: volume 10

1987

Fan Favorites

1989

The Claw

202110.0

Casse-tête chinois pour le judoka

19675.3

Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man

201810.0

WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88

1988

WWE: True Giants

20147.0

WWE: The Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History

20137.2

WWE U.K. Rampage 1991

19916.0

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: October '84

1984

The Best of the WWF: volume 9

1986

Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!

19856.0

The Ultimate Warrior

1990

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '84

1984

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85

1985

WWE: Legends of Wrestling - Andre the Giant and Iron Sheik

2010

WCCW Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show

1982

The Wrestling Queen

19737.3

WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: January '89

1989

WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84

1984

The Best of the WWF: volume 16 Around the World

1988

Giants: Friends or Foe

2003

AJPW October Giant Series 1992 - Day 17

1992

WWF 20-Man Battle Royal 1987

1987

NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa

1980