10 Incredible Facts About André The Giant That Prove He Was Larger Than Life. Your Ad Choices Some actors are born to play the roles they inhabit. He based his character in the Disney hit “Moana” partly on his famous granddad. André the Giant, a.k.a. Roussimoff is also one of the first professional wrestlers to become a crossover success, moving beyond the ring. Throughout the ’70s and well into the ’80s, the so-called “Eighth Wonder of the World” was the company’s leading attraction, towering over the competition at seven feet, four inches and tipping the scales at a gargantuan 500-plus pounds. 0:30 Hogan explains why his fight with Andre The Giant was the most intense and memorable of his career. It's not his only homage to Maivia, by the way, as HuffPost reported, his Moana character was modeled after him. He talked about watching both men wrestle every night and, in his words, live life to the fullest. Bill Eadie: "Andre’s standard drinking … He'd drink with Johnson's father and grandfather and play cards. Listed at 7’5″ and somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 pounds in his prime pro wrestling years, Andre truly was a giant in every sense of the word. He's also the first Black Tag Team champion. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson proudly showed off his pro wrestling heritage by sharing a photo of his grandfather with Andre the Giant. 2393 votes and 8241 views on Imgur: The magic of the Internet. Johnson probably got a lot of advice about Hollywood, too, since the WWE mentioned that Roussimoff was the last person to achieve crossover success before him. Now aged 52, Matthew Willig is set to feature as Andre the Giant in NBC’s Young Rock series. The former WWE champion posted a “crazy throwback” pic on Friday — showing his grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, alongside the “8th Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant. They were the best of friends, wrestled nightly, tough as hell and as you can see by their smiles and open energy – they lived like to the absolute fullest. For the first time, his size was an advantage. He was diagnosed with a form of gigantism called acromegaly, which caused an excess of growth hormones. Johnson said his uncle Andre taught him several lessons on respect and, to reach the young boy, would often pick him up so they could be eye to eye, a scene often repeated on Young Rock. By most accounts, André was a jovial giant, content to play … Young Rock features several moments of Andre the Giant instilling life lessons to a young Dwayne Johnson. In one scene, wrote Vulture, Johnson begs his parents to take him to see E.T. your own Pins on Pinterest HE HAD FUN FARTING ON OPPONENTS. You see, in his show Young Rock, he looks back on his life before becoming a Disney star. February 2021. – Source 2. He was 46. 25,635, This story has been shared 24,518 times. Wrestling is in his genes, and the Johnsons built a sort of wrestling dynasty. He reportedly weighed 13 pounds at birth. For two decades, from the late 1960s through the mid 1980s, Andre the Giant was the highest paid professional wrestler in the business and a household name across the globe. Matt Willig (right) portrays Andre the Giant in the NBC sitcom “Young Rock,” based on the early life of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In fact, Andre the Giant was very close friends with The Rock’s maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia. He drank a case of wine in three hours. At 12 years old, Roussimoff stood at 6 feet 3 inches and weighed 300 pounds. Andre the Giant Had a Difficult Time Getting Around in Japan. 1:05 How important the first WrestleMania was to the legacy of WWE and a unique story of Mr. T disappearing. Andre Rene Roussinoff, better known by his ring name of Andre the Giant, was born in Grenoble France on May 19, 1946. Many athletes are larger than life, but one 80s wrestler put new meaning to the term. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He cultivated a rivalry with another superstar, Hulk Hogan, and saw a streak of winning matches from the 1970s until the early 1980s. Johnson's father, Rocky, was a pro wrestler himself and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame posthumously in 2013. 44. Andre the Giant, whose real name is Andre Roussimoff, grew up in France, per the WWE. His dad, Rocky Johnson, was a WWF superstar, after all, while his mom, Ata, was part of wrestling royalty as well. Before the series premiered, Dwayne Johnson spoke … His drive, talent and ambition, however, proved to be as big as Andre himself, and the wrestler became legendary for his achievements in and out of the ring. Matthew Willig Is Playing an Enormous, World-Famous Wrestler on 'Young Rock' This Is the True Story Behind André the Giant and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson #SportsNation #WWE #HulkHogan #WrestleMania #SN #ESPN The Rock Dwayne Johnson Dwayne The Rock Rock Johnson Chris Evans Andre The Giant Kid Poses Look At You Famous Faces Celebrity Photos. And that’s certainly the case with Matthew Willig, who brings depth and tenderness to his turn as Andre the Giant on NBC’s Young Rock… While they may have considered themselves family, they weren’t biologically related. Andre The Giant always wanted to see a show on Broadway, but never attended one because he was concerned about blocking the view of others. His grandfather introduced Johnson to Andre the Giant, who had a big impact on his life and is portrayed in Young Rock. “What a … Samuel Beckett, Nobel Prize winner for Literature most known for Waiting for Godot, lived near the Roussimoffs. His parents named him Andre Rene Rousimoff, but we knew him as The Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant. But he remains humble. Andre's most bitter feud began in 1983, against Big John Studd (who claimed he, not Andre, was the true "giant" of wrestling). May 22, 2012 - This Pin was discovered by Gabe Nevills. Being steeped in such a long and storied wrestling history, it only made sense that Johnson would meet other personalities. Andre The Giant died in his sleep while in … Wrestling had just begun making rounds across France when an 18-year-old Roussimoff decided to give it a shot. In … This caused his family issues as the young boy was deemed too tall and big to ride the school bus. Andre the Giant was born as André René Roussimoff on May 19, 1946, in Coulommiers, France. Flair isn’t the only pro wrestler with stories about the Giant. At 7'4" and 500 pounds, Andre the Giant could have been famous for his size alone. Johnson has said that he’s often used his family and wrestling past as inspiration in his movies. Thanks for contacting us. This looks like it could be a huge selling point. In one scene, wrote Vulture, Johnson begs his parents to take him to see E.T. Roussimoff, of course, became a massive wrestling star. Young Rock begins on NBC on February 16th, 2021. “What a crazy throwback from the 70’s,” Johnson wrote on IG. One backstage rivalry that Andre The Giant had with another superstar in the Golden Age of the WWE which is extensively… Sadly, Andre the Giant passed away much too young. In NBC's Young Rock, Dwayne Johnson's childhood and teenage years and how much his parents influenced his career as a wrestler and entertainer are on full display. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may be a major Hollywood movie star now, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots. The 7-foot-4-inch, 500-pound Andre is shown sitting in the lap of Johnson’s maternal grandpa, WWE Hall of Famer High Chief Peter Maivia, in the throwback image. These days, he's a bona fide movie star. And now that he's a big movie star and has a TV show about his life, The Rock probably would like his uncle Andre to watch it with him, too. Oh, and the show's premise is that Johnson's giving an interview to WandaVision's Randall Park during his presidential run. See, very humble. Andre the Giant with The Rock as a child. He said Roussimoff was very close to the whole Johnson family. Andre was born Andre Rene Roussimoff in … Johnson's maternal grandfather is also a wrestling legend. 24,518, This story has been shared 21,084 times. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has come a long way from asking if you can smell what he's cooking. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Andre the Giant often hung out with Maivia in Hawaii, where he ran a wrestling training center.Young Rock features several moments of Andre the Giant instilling life lessons to a young Dwayne Johnson. Finding someone to play Andre the Giant in Young Rock certainly had to be quite the task simply given the WWE legend’s massive size. Here are 22 Interesting Andre The Giant facts. Privacy Notice The Rock teases White House run after surprise poll, Velour bikinis are the new velour tracksuits, Here are the best meat delivery services and subscriptions, Lululemon's training leggings and gear will revive your spring workout, The 12 best shorts for men for all his 2021 needs, Learn how to create your own NFTs with this $20 master class. The premiere of Young Rock shows a close relationship between The Rock’s family and wrestler Andre the Giant (played by Matthew Willig.) Your California Privacy Rights Andre was 6′ 7″ by the time he was 17 years old, but due to his condition he just kept growing. André the Giant has been the subject of everything from street art to tee shirts and documentaries. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Shares Wrestling Heroes From His Childhood Who Will Be Portrayed In ‘Young Rock’ – Macho Man Randy Savage And Andre The Giant Top The List! Would’ve also loved to have wrestled them too — those would’ve been fun ass kickin’s for me to take.”. Roussimoff brings him to the movie theater, and everyone else in the audience has to crane their necks trying to see past the 7-foot-tall wrestler. Roussimoff's father helped build Beckett's cottage, and the writer offered to drive the young boy to school in payment. The black-and-white photo shows the wrestling icons laughing and holding one another — with the 7-foot-4, 500-pound Andre propped up on Maivia’s lap. His parents and four siblings were all of normal size, but André suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone. 21,084, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved André René Roussimoff was a World Heavyweight Champion with the WWF (now WWE). Recorded an WWE Intercontinental Championship on WWE 2K16 video game, for Xbox 360. As a result, Young Rock actor Matthew Willig had to do some serious prep. Article by imgur. It's no surprise that his protégé Johnson followed in his footsteps. “Here’s the ‘8th Wonder of the World’ André the Giant, using my 315lb grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia as a booster seat and making my granddad look like a little boy.”. From Hulk Hogan to Andre the Giant to Roddy Piper, professional wrestlers have been acting in movies for decades, but we’ve been seeing a lot more of them in blockbuster films lately. The Truth About The Rock's Relationship With Andre The Giant. 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Andre the Giant is a larger-than-life character with literally massive shoes to fill. the Extra-Terrestrial, but both are too busy. Andre the Giant often hung out with Maivia in Hawaii, where he ran a wrestling training center. André René Roussimoff was born in a small farming community in Grenoble, France to Boris and Marian Rouismoff. A Giant Is Born. In fact, said Distractify, Andre the Giant and Johnson's grandfather were the best of friends. His grandfather, who died in 1982, was one of the patriarchs of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling family, which is made up of numerous stars and former champions — including current WWE faces Roman Reigns and The Usos. The feud included a series of bodyslam matches (including one at WrestleMania I (1985), where Studd had to pay $10,000 (later, $15,000) to anyone who could bodyslam him. Would’ve loved to have raised a tequila with these men. Andre the Giant wasn’t much for holding conversations and I respected him for that and certainly did not want to rattle his cage whatsoever because I valued my life and one can only imagine the degree of damage that Andre the Giant could inflict upon the anatomy of a human being if pushed to the point of no return. The Truth About The Rock's Relationship With Andre The Giant Most non-wrestling fans know Andre the Giant from the movie The Princess Bride, where he played the lovable giant Fezzik. What a crazy throwback from the 70’s. His mass inspired fear, awe, and curiosity everywhere he … Johnson's childhood does make for good TV. Revealing the idea in a 2017 tweet, Johnson said: “a lil’ @Disney gem of a secret, my character Maui was partly inspired by my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa.”, 'Friends' furniture collection is coming to Pottery Barn, This story has been shared 25,635 times. And according to Richard English, it took Andre almost two bottles of vodka in order to get a buzz. Terms of Use Johnson often posts photos of the two on his social media accounts. WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the series premiere of Young Rock, "Working the Gimmick.". “My grandfather died when I boy so I never got to know him as a man. In WWE, there have been many Superstars who are larger than others, but Andre the Giant has proven to be larger than WWE itself. Would’ve also loved to have wrestled them too – those would’ve been fun ass kickin’s for me to take #thegiant #andthehighchief , A post shared by therock (@therock) on Jul 11, 2019 at 4:52pm PDT. The biggest pull of Young Rock is the show’s homage to legendary wrestlers such as Andre the Giant. André the Giant, Actor: The Princess Bride. It's not a surprise that Andre the Giant had many lessons to give children like Johnson, possibly because of Beckett's influence. We've received your submission. Though billed … Andre and the Samoan legend were said to be “the best of friends” and “wrestled nightly,” according to Johnson. Would’ve loved to have raised a tequila with these men. Here’s the “8th Wonder of the World” André the Giant, using my 315lb grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia as a booster seat and making my granddad look like a little boy. "High Chief" Peter Maivia is another WWE Hall of Famer. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights Post was not sent - check your email addresses! In Young Rock, André the Giant is played by Matt Willig, who doesn't actually have gigantism (which is what caused André the Giant's immense size — he was seven feet tall, 520 pounds, and had the personality to match) but is a big guy.Matt is a former NFL player who's 6'7 and 290 pounds (we're sure there are plenty of special effects inYoung Rock to make him appear even larger than he is). Clearly, Andre the Giant meant a lot to Johnson. This is the Andre the Giant death story. According to The Mary Sue, help came from an unlikely source. 1-5 Andre The Giant Facts 1. … Sitemap His childhood was surrounded by a who's who of wrestling superstars, including Andre the Giant, who he's said was a big influence, so it's no surprise he became one himself. 2:03 What it was like facing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In this … Now, it’s not as if Matthew Willig isn’t a big guy. The black-and-white photo shows the wrestling icons laughing and holding one another — with the 7-foot-4, 500-pound Andre propped up on Maivia’s lap. According to Sportscasting, Johnson even made his debut in the WWE under the name Rocky Maivia in tribute to his father and grandfather. “Tough as hell and as you can see by their smiles and open energy — they lived [life] to the absolute fullest,” Johnson added. Discover (and save!) Johnson has said Roussimoff was often at their house for meals or just to hang out. 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