Andre The Giant Biography

Born Andre Rene Roussimoff, to parents of average size, Andre suffered from acromegaly, also known as giantism, a disease that results in an over-abundance of growth hormones.

At seven foot and five hundred pounds, he had just started to make a name for himself in the wrestling ring as 'Monster Eiffel Tower' or 'Monster Roussimoff', when French-Canadian wrestler Edouard Carpentier met him and decided to take him to North America. In a short time Andre became the headlining act, acquiring the the nickname 'The 8th Wonder of the World', inspired by the film 'King Kong'.

In 1972, Vince McMahon signed Andre to wrestle for the WWF and changed his name to capitalize on his enormity. "Andre the Giant" became one of the most recognizable names in wrestling. Before long, Andre's venues were sold out and wrestlers lined up to perform in his shadow.

In 1987, Andre drew the biggest crowd in WWF history. A record ninety thousand fans packed the Pontiac Silver Dome in Detroit, Michigan to watch Andre wrestle fellow legend Hulk Hogan in the main event of Wrestle Mania III.

In all, Andre participated at six Wrestle Manias and faced some of the toughest opponents in the business. For many years he was known as the 'Uncrowned Champion', until he found his place in infamy and held the WWF title for the shortest reign in history. He also won titles in the (NWA), (IWA) and the WWF Tag Team Championship.

Andre's fame also opened the door to Hollywood. He made his acting debut in 1975 as 'Big Foot' in 'The Six Million Dollar Man'. Andre enjoyed the experience, and went on to appear in many television shows and more films.

Sadly, over the years the effects of acromegaly had continued to wear down his body. Eventually his immense size was just too much for his heart, and Andre the Giant died in his hotel room in Paris, France in January 1993.