Lou Ferrigno

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Birthday:

9 November 1951, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name:

Louis Jude Ferrigno

Height:

193 cm

An internationally famous and well respected bodybuilder / actor, Lou Ferrigno first appeared on TV screens in 1977 as the musclebound The Incredible Hulk (1978), the alter ego of meek scientist Bruce Banner. Ferrigno was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1951 and as a child suffered from an ear infection that resulted in permanent partial hearing loss. Undeterred by what some may have perceived as a disadvantage, Lou threw himself into athletics (predominantly weightlifting and body building) and at the age of 21 won his first Mr. Universe title. For good measure, he came back and won it again the following year!He also played professional football in the Canadian Football League, before coming to the attention of producer Kenneth Johnson, who was seeking just the right person to portray on screen the comic book superhero, The Incredible Hulk. With his 6' 5", 285 lb. frame, Lou was the biggest professional bodybuilder of the time, and had recently starred in the documentary Pumping Iron (1977), about the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest in South Africa. He successfully auditioned for the part of the green-skinned Goliath, and that is the role with which he is most closely identified."The Hulk" was a huge ratings success and spawned several telemovies after the initial TV series completed its run. Lou continued to remain busy in films and TV with appearances often centered around his remarkable physique. His films included Hercules (1983), Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989) and Frogtown II (1992). Lou has additionally guest-starred on several TV shows including The Fall Guy (1981) and Mike Hammer (1984) and had a recurring role on The King of Queens (1998). In 1997 he was featured in the dynamic documentary about his sensational return to professional bodybuilding at age 43, Stand Tall (1997). The film detailed how he returned to compete in the Masters category of the Mr. Olympia contest against several familiar bodybuilding foes. In more recent years, he has appeared in several films, including The Misery Brothers (1995), Ping! (2000), From Heaven to Hell (2002) and a cameo as a security guard in the big-budget remake of Hulk (2003).Big Lou is also a successful author with two books detailing his bodybuilding knowledge, and his life behind the scenes playing the Incredible Hulk on TV in the 1970s, plus he has a popular website frequented by his many fans worldwide. Show less «

Everyone has his own "little Hulk" inside him.

If I hadn't lost my hearing, I wouldn't be where I am now. It forced me to maximize my potential. I had to be better than the average person...Show more »

If I hadn't lost my hearing, I wouldn't be where I am now. It forced me to maximize my potential. I had to be better than the average person to succeed. That's why I chose bodybuilding. If I became a world champion, if I could win admiration from my peers, I could do anything. Show less «

[his response (in 1979) to an indication that he shared the spotlight with Star Wars (1977) villain Darth Vader, played by David Prowse, ano...Show more »

[his response (in 1979) to an indication that he shared the spotlight with Star Wars (1977) villain Darth Vader, played by David Prowse, another muscle-bound actor] Anybody could play Darth Vader. Vader is basically just a big guy behind a costume. The character shows no emotion, no nothing! If you really showed the emotional side of The Hulk he could be even hotter than "Star Wars". Battlestar Galactica (1978) didn't show any feelings and that's the big reason why I think it was canceled. Show less «

[regarding then competing series Wonder Woman (1975)] And as for "Wonder Woman" . . . there's nothing there . . . nothing to show at all but...Show more »

[regarding then competing series Wonder Woman (1975)] And as for "Wonder Woman" . . . there's nothing there . . . nothing to show at all but a "beautiful body", and that's it. You never get a chance to find out anything about the person at all. What a bore! I can't understand why that show ran as long as it did. Show less «

[Of Bill Bixby]: Bill was a great guy. He was a great mentor, great director, great producer and all the things that were great. Bill had a ...Show more »

[Of Bill Bixby]: Bill was a great guy. He was a great mentor, great director, great producer and all the things that were great. Bill had a lot on him, because he loved his son, Christopher. When he lost his son, 2 days later, he came on the set and continued filming, and I knew he did that! Show less «

[on his on- and off-screen chemistry with Bill Bixby, who played Dr. Bruce Banner]: You know, a couple of times on the set if I was late, I ...Show more »

[on his on- and off-screen chemistry with Bill Bixby, who played Dr. Bruce Banner]: You know, a couple of times on the set if I was late, I remember that look he gave me, oh boy! I thought, he would be 'The Hulk.' Show less «

[on Bill Bixby's battle against prostate cancer]: When I saw him --- on the set, he did for Entertainment Tonight, I was horrified when I se...Show more »

[on Bill Bixby's battle against prostate cancer]: When I saw him --- on the set, he did for Entertainment Tonight, I was horrified when I see how he looked. I mean, he's actually breaking down into tears in his face, it was like 2 weeks before he died. It was so sad that it took a lot of courage for him to do the interviews, and so sad as to how life had lost him. Show less «