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Lou Ferrigno

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Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno in 2007.
Born
Louis Jude Ferrigno
OccupationActor/Bodybuilder
Years active1971 – present

Louis "Lou" Jude Ferrigno (born November 9, 1951)[1] is an American bodybuilder and actor. Ferrigno has appeared in such TV shows and movies as Bill Bixby's bulky alter ego, The Hulk, in The Incredible Hulk, Pumping Iron, Sinbad of the Seven Seas, Hercules, and most recently in the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man. He is best known for playing and voicing the Incredible Hulk. He has more recently played a recurring role, as himself, in the sitcom The King of Queens.

Early life and career

Ferrigno was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Italian-American family, the son of Matthew, a New York City Police Department Lieutenant who, according to Lou, was also a weightlifter and was often very critical and negative towards him and mother Victoria.[2] At the age of three, Lou suffered an ear infection and permanently lost 80% of his hearing. Ferrigno started weight training at age 13, citing body builder and Hercules star Steve Reeves as one of his role models.[3]

After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1969, Ferrigno won his first major titles, IFBB Mr. America and Mr. Universe, four years later. In 1974, he came in second on his first attempt at the Mr. Olympia competition. He then came third the following year, and his attempt to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger was the subject of the 1975 documentary Pumping Iron. Following this, Ferrigno left the competition circuit for many years.

Ferrigno competed in the first World's Strongest Man contest in 1977, where he finished fourth in a field of eight competitors.[4] While competing, Ferrigno commonly went to see a physician who checked up on whether he was doing damage to his body.

Ferrigno signed up with Universal Studios in 1977, and beat out both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Kiel for the co-starring role opposite Bill Bixby as The Hulk, in The Incredible Hulk, after the producers measured his height. Although he did not share a line with Bixby on the set, the two enjoyed being best friends. The young Ferrigno enjoyed being another one of Bixby's students; Bill taught him several tricks. Ferrigno continued playing that role until 1982. Later, he was reunited with Bixby to co-star in 3 The Incredible Hulk TV movies. There were major talks of another movie, The Rebirth of The Incredible Hulk, but due to Bixby's death, no material came to fruition. Ferrigno had been good friends and continued to keep in touch with Bixby until his death on November 21, 1993. Ferrigno attended Bixby's funeral in Hawaii.

During competition, the 6 ft 5 in[5] (196 cm) Ferrigno's contest weight was 285lb (130 kg) in 1975, and 316lb (143 kg) in 1992;[5] he was one of the tallest professional bodybuilders at that time. While he never bested Schwarzenegger in bodybuilding, Ferrigno did have one triumph over his Austrian rival: the role of the Hulk on the 1970s television series. Only because Arnold was not tall enough, the producers stated.

File:Ferrigno as Hulk.jpg
Lou Ferrigno in the episode "Married" of TV's The Incredible Hulk (1978)

In the early 1990s, Ferrigno returned to bodybuilding, competing for the 1992 and 1993 Mr. Olympia titles. Finishing 12th and 10th, respectively, he then turned to the Masters Olympia, coming second in 1994 to Robby Robinson. After this, he retired from competition.

He made a cameo in the 2003 film Hulk as a security guard, was in one deleted scene, and voiced the Hulk. He has also done guest appearances and advertisements. He again appeared as a security guard in 2008's The Incredible Hulk as well as voicing the Hulk again. Furthermore, Ferrigno has been the favorite choice to play the voice of the Hulk in several animated adaptations as well as in the most recent film after being publicly offered at the 2008 New York Comic Con by The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier.[6]

Personal life

Ferrigno sees his loss of hearing as influential towards bodybuilding and his life: "...if I hadn't lost some of my hearing, I wouldn't be where I am now. It forced me to maximize my own potential. I had to be better than the average person to succeed."[5]

Ferrigno's personal heroes as a child were Spider-Man and the Hulk.[7] Appropriately, he would later play the role of the Hulk himself in the Incredible Hulk television series and related TV movies. He was also a fan of the Hercules films that starred Steve Reeves. Ferrigno frequently points to Reeves as one of his primary role models and would later play Hercules just as Reeves had.

He married Susan Groff in 1978, divorcing a year later. On May 3, 1980, he married psychotherapist Carla Green, who then also began serving as his manager and later became a personal trainer. They have three children, Shanna, born 1981; Louis, Jr., born 1984; and Brent, born 1990. Shanna has a recurring role as Nurse Janice in Days of our Lives, and appears in the NBC series Windfall, as well as the telemovie Within, and in 2005 she appeared in the E! reality TV series, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive. Louis, Jr. was a linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans football team.[8]

Lou Ferrigno at Comic-Con International.

Ferrigno played himself during intermittent guest appearances on the CBS television show, The King of Queens, beginning in 2000 and continuing until the program's conclusion in 2007. He and his wife Carla were depicted as the main characters' next-door neighbors. Because of his role as the title character on The Incredible Hulk, he is often the target of "Hulk jokes" by Doug and his friends.

Ferrigno once used his celebrity status to make calls for Hollywood is Calling, a company which allows people to have a celebrity call them on a special occasion, such as a birthday.[9]

In February 2006 he was sworn in as a Los Angeles County reserve sheriff's deputy.[10] In June 2006, Ferrigno attended the first Bionicon in Tampa, Florida, one of his many convention appearances.

He still trains daily and also sells his own line of fitness equipment through his company, Ferrigno Fitness. In a January 2009 taping, Ferrigno Fitness provided equipment to The Price Is Right for use as a One Bid prize, and he demonstrated the equipment himself, including a mention as part of the prize.

Ferrigno currently lives in Arroyo Grande, California.

Contests

  • 1971 Pro Mr. America — WBBG, Teen 1st[11]
  • 1971 Teen Mr. America — AAU, 4th, Most Muscular 5th
  • 1972 Pro Mr. America — WBBG, 2nd
  • 1972 NABBA Mr. Universe, Tall 2nd
  • 1973 IFBB Mr. America, Overall Winner[11]
  • 1973 IFBB Mr. Universe, Tall 1st, Overall Winner[11][12]
  • 1974 IFBB Mr. International[11]
  • 1974 IFBB Mr. Universe, Tall 1st, Overall Winner[11][12]
  • 1974 Mr. Olympia, Heavyweight 2nd
  • 1975 Mr. Olympia, Tall class, 3rd place[11]
  • 1992 Mr. Olympia, 12th[11]
  • 1993 Mr. Olympia, 10th[11]
  • 1994 Olympia Masters, 2nd[11]

Magazine covers

File:Lou.JPG
His handprints at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.

Total: 37

  • 10 Muscle & Fitness ('82, '83, '86, '87, '88, '89, '93, '94)
  • 8 Flex ('83, '85, '89, '92, '93, '94)
  • 7 Muscle Builder ('74, '77, '79, '80)
  • 4 Iron Man ('73, '88, '92, '94)
  • 2 Muscle Mag International ('83, '94)
  • 2 Bodybuilding Lifestyle ('91, '92)
  • 1 Strength & Health ('83)
  • 1 Muscular Development ('81, '09)
  • 1 Natural Bodybuilding ('83)
  • 1 Muscle Training Illustrated ('72)

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Although Ferrigno's official site does not list a year of birth, it says he was 21 when he won the first of two successive Mr. Universe titles, which occurred in 1973 ("History of the Men's World Amateur Championships", IFBB.com, Accessed 2007-01-01). The results were reported in the July, 1973 issue of Muscle magazine ("Lou Ferigno, Mr Universe, 1973". IFBB.com) Some sources report a birthdate in 1952, but in that case Ferrigno would not have turned 21 until November 1973. See also "History of Mr. Olympia: Lou Ferrigno".
  2. ^ Jim Schmaltz (February 2004). Matt Ferrigno: 1925-2003. Flex. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  3. ^ David Robson. The Incredible Hulk Returns: Lou Ferrigno Speaks About His Role & Acting Life!. Bodybuilding.com. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  4. ^ Bonnie Siegler. Fame & Fortune: Lou Ferrigno. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  5. ^ a b c Biography. LouFerrigno.com. Version of February 20, 2006 available at archive.org. Accessed 2007-06-23.
  6. ^ Jeff Otto (May 27, 2008). Special Report: "Hulk" Edit Bay Visit. Dark Horizons. Accessed 2008-05-27.
  7. ^ The Incredible Lou.
  8. ^ Player Bio: Lou Ferrigno Jr. USCTrojans.cstv.com. Accessed 2007-01-01.
  9. ^ FilmStew.com • A Humble Calling
  10. ^ Lou Ferrigno becomes reserve LA County sheriff's deputy (February 13, 2006) AP. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i History of Mr. Olympia: Lou Ferrigno. Schwarzenegger.it Accessed 2007-01-01.
  12. ^ a b "History of the Men's World Amateur Championships". IFBB.com. Accessed 2007-01-01.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lou Ferrigno.

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