Photo: John McKeon / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
André the Giant moves me in a way few wrestlers do. The same gigantism that made him the Eighth Wonder of the World was slowly destroying his body, yet he wrestled through that pain for decades, crossing the globe to sell a spectacle that cost him everything. From little Coulommiers to the WWE Hall of Fame is a journey nobody could script. What lingers for me is the gentleness people always describe behind the size — the generous companion, the soulful screen presence. He died in 1993 at just forty-six, but mythology this genuine does not fade. There will never be another.
Overview
André René Roussimoff (French: [ɑ̃dʁe ʁəne ʁusimɔf]; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), known professionally as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess human growth hormone. Beginning his career in 1966, Roussimoff relocated to North America in 1971.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- André the Giant
- Name (Japanese)
- アンドレ・ザ・ジャイアント
- Reading
- あんどれ・ざ・じゃいあんと
- Born
- May 19, 1946 – January 28, 1993
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Dog
- Origin
- Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, France
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 2 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- professional wrestler / film actor / amateur wrestler / television actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- WWE Hall of Fame
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Professional wrestler — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.