André Roussimoff
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.
WWE Tribute to the Troops 2014
(Andre (archive footage))
The Princess Bride
(Fezzik)
WrestleMania
(André the Giant)
Trading Mom
(Circus Giant)
WWE WrestleMania III
(André the Giant)
WWE WrestleMania V
(André the Giant)
WrestleMania II
(André the Giant)
Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story
(Self)
WWF Hulkamania 2
(Giant Machine)
Villains of the Squared Circle
(Andre the Giant)
WWE World Tour 1991
(André The Giant (Manager))
WWE World Tour 1992
(Andre the Giant (Manager))
I Like To Hurt People
(Self - Andre the Giant)
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
(Andre the Giant)
WWE SummerSlam 1989
(Himself)
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
(Himself)
WCW Clash of The Champions XX: 20th Anniversary
(André the Giant (Appearance))
WWE WrestleMania VI
(André The Giant)
WWE SummerSlam 1991
(André The Giant (Ringside))
WWE Survivor Series 1988
(André The Giant)
WWE: The Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History
WWE Survivor Series 1987
(Andre The Giant)
WWE U.K. Rampage 1991
(André the Giant (Ringside))
The Ultimate Warrior
The History Of WrestleMania
The Real Rocky
(Self (archive footage))
WWE Showdown at Shea '80
(André the Giant)
Micki & Maude
(Self)
More Saturday Night's Main Event
Fan Favorites
(Andre The Giant)
Andre the Giant: Larger than Life
(Himself)
WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden
(Himself)
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
(André the Giant)
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
(Andre the Giant)
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
(Andre the Giant)
Hulkamania 3
(André the Giant)
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
(Andre the Giant)
Best of the WWF Volume 3
(André the Giant)
Hulkamania 4
(André the Giant)
The Best of the WWF: volume 4
(André the Giant)
Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection
(Himself)
The Best of the WWF: volume 5
(André the Giant)
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
(Giant Machine)
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
(André the Giant)
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
(Giant Machine)
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
(André the Giant)
The Best of the WWF: volume 16 Around the World
(André the Giant)
The Best of the WWF: volume 17
(André the Giant)
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
(André the Giant)
Most Unusual Matches
(Andre the Giant)
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
(André the Giant)
Giants, Midgets, Heroes and Villains II
(André the Giant)
Best of the WWF Volume 1
(André the Giant)
Best of the WWF Volume 2
(André the Giant)
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
(Andre the Giant)
Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
(Andre the Giant)
The Life And Times of Paul Boesch
(Andre the Giant (archive footage))
The Wrestling Queen
("The Giant" Jean Ferre)
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
(André the Giant (Appearance))
WWE U.K. Rampage 1988
(André the Giant)
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
(André the Giant)
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
(André the Giant)
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: January '89
(André the Giant)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '84
(André the Giant)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: October '84
(André the Giant)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
(André the Giant)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: March '86
(André the Giant)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: July '84
(André the Giant)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
(André the Giant)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
(André the Giant)
WWE Royal Rumble 1988
(André the Giant (Contract Signing))
Conan the Destroyer
(Dagoth (uncredited))
The Claw
(Himself)
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
(Andre the Giant)
Andre the Giant
(Self (archive footage))
WWE: The History Of The WWE Championship
WWE: True Giants
WWE: Andre The Giant
(Himself)
WWE: Hulk Hogan's Unreleased Collector's Series
(André the Giant)
WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
Andre the Giant
(André the Giant (archive footage))
WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
WWF: Best of Wrestlemania I-XIV
Casse-tête chinois pour le judoka
(Fighter)
WWE: Legends of Wrestling - Andre the Giant and Iron Sheik
WWE: Wrestlemania Recall
(Andre the Giant)
WWF: Best of Hulkamania
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
(Andre the Giant)
WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1
(Himself)
The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment
(Self)
You Cannot Kill David Arquette
(Self (archive footage))
WWE WrestleMania IV
(André the Giant)
WWE WrestleFest
(André the Giant)
WWE SummerSlam 1988
(André The Giant)
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
(André the Giant)
WWE Survivor Series 1989
(André the Giant)
WCCW Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show
(André the Giant)
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
(André The Giant)
NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
(André The Giant)
AJPW October Giant Series 1992 - Day 17
(Andre The Giant)
WWE The Big Event
(Giant Machine)
WWE The Main Event
(André the Giant)
WWE WrestleMania VII
(André the Giant (Ringside))
WWF Summer Flashback!
(André The Giant)
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
(André the Giant)
WrestleMania
(Andre The Giant)
WrestleMania 2
(Andre the Giant)
WrestleMania III
(André the Giant)
WrestleMania IV
(Andre the Giant)
The WWF's Amazing Managers
(Andre the Giant)
Hulk Hogan: Real American
(Andre the Giant)
Macho Madness
(Andre the Giant)
Best of The British Bulldog
(Andre the Giant (Archive footage))
Inside the Steel Cage
(Andre the Giant)
Wrestling's Greatest Champions
(Andre the Giant)
WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
(Andre the Giant (Archive footage))
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
(Andre the Giant)
Warrior's Greatest Matches
(Andre The Giant (Archive Footage))
The Greatest Stars of the 80's
(Andre the Giant (Archive Footage))
The Hulkster Hulk Hogan
(Andre the Giant)
Giants: Friends or Foe
(Self- Archive Footage)
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
Biography: WWE Legends
(André the Giant (archive footage))
WWE's Most Wanted Treasures
(André the Giant (archive footage))
The Six Million Dollar Man
(Bigfoot)
WWF Wrestling Challenge
(Giant Machine)
WWF Wrestling Challenge
(André the Giant)
The Best of WWE
(Andre the Giant)
WWE The Main Event
Mr. McMahon
(Andre The Giant (Archive Footage))
Saturday Night's Main Event
(Andre The Giant)
WWF All-Star Wrestling
(Andre the Giant)
World Class Championship Wrestling
(André the Giant)
WWE Old School
(Andre the Giant)
Mid-South Wrestling
(Andre the Giant)
Mid-South Wrestling
(Andre the Giant (Archive footage))
Saturday Night's Main Event
(Andre the Giant)
Tuesday Night Titans
(Andre the Giant)
WWF Wrestling Challenge
(Andre the Giant)
WWF Championship Wrestling
(Andre the Giant)
WWF Championship Wrestling
(Andre the Giant (Self))
WWF Championship Wrestling
("The Eighth Wonder of the World" Andre the Giant)
WWE Rivals
(Andre the Giant)
