When you hear those three words, you probably think of the enormous, menacing hulk of a man that threw 250 pound wrestlers around the ring as if they were children. He was a literal giant, towering over everyone and blessed with unbelievable physical strength, but he was also a tender and kind human being who is fondly remembered by those who knew him. By all accounts, Andre’ the man probably had more in common with the character Fezzik from The Princess Bride than the wrestling gimmick of “Andre’ the Giant”.
Andre’ Rene’ Roussimof was a hell of a man, and quite an interesting one at that. He was born in a small village in France to parents of Bulgarian and Polish heritage. Early on, it became apparent there was something special about Andre’, as by age 12 he was abnormally large and strong. Try to remember when you were 12 years old, and now imagine sitting next to a classmate who stood 6’3″ and weighed over 240 lbs. Hell, imagine a 12 year-old boy that size sitting next to you right now.
Andre’ excelled at sports; as a soccer goalie it was damn near impossible to get anything by him due to his sheer size alone. But he wasn’t just big, he was also very athletic. In his youth he didn’t move like you would expect most “big men” would. He was fast. Andre’ felt that he was destined to work the rest of his days on a farm, so he left school after the 8th grade. He soon grew restless however, and, like all great men, desired to make an impact on the world. Dissatisfied with the apprenticeships and labor jobs available to him, at 18 Andre’ moved to Paris to pursue a career as a Professional Wrestler. It was 1964, decades before wrestling would go mainstream as televised entertainment. In those days it was just above a circus side-show spectacle, but Andre’ knew that he was a walking spectacle. People stared at him, so why not capitalize on their interest and entertain them?
After a few years kicking around the wrestling circuits in Europe, Japan and Canada, it became a problem for promoters to find opponents who were believably dangerous to Andre’. By this time he was around seven feet tall and was rumored to be pushing 500 pounds. Audiences would take one look at him and instantly surmise that there was no one who could credibly threaten him, and the illusion suffered. Andre’ came to the U.S. and wrestled under a regional promotion until Vince McMahon Sr. noticed him and devised a scheme to tour him all over the world continuously so that he would always be “fresh” to audiences. Remember, this is before wrestling was on television; you had to actually go to matches to see them.
Obviously Andre’s career exploded as soon as he was on television. His time in the WWWF, precursor to the WWF/WWE established him as a monster heel character who was nearly invulnerable to opponent’s attacks. But that was only one side of Andre’. He was also quite possibly the most amazing drinker in the world. Andre’s boozing is beyond legendary. In one sitting, it has been claimed that Andre’ drank 156 beers. I will repeat that…one hundred fifty six beers. That’s about six and a half cases of the stuff. A beer can in his massive hand looked like a thimble. Andre’ might down 12 quarts of beer to get ready for a match. Drinking with Andre could prove to be problematic though. In the event that he drank enough to pass out, which didn’t happen often, there was simply no way to move him. If he was in a hotel lobby, there he slept until morning. Friends might put a sheet over him when this happened.
During another incident which has been verified by witnesses, four bar patrons showed an incredible lapse in judgement when they decided to try to pick a fight with Andre’. At some point the big man decided he had enough, and the men ended up fleeing the bar on foot and locked themselves in their car in preparation to make a getaway. Andre’, enraged, flipped the car over with the four men in it. Andre’ then left the four inebriated fellows there to explain to the incredulous responding Police Officers how they were “chased out of the bar by an angry giant who turned their car over.”
Travelling presented a number of unique problems for Andre’. Before long flights, he wouldn’t drink any liquids for a day or so, as it was simply impossible for him to use an airplane toilet. Airline seats, even in First Class, were wholly inadequate and he often had to suffer the indignity of sitting on the floor of the plane in the center aisle. In hotel rooms, it was not uncommon for Andre’ to take the bathroom door right off the hinges so he could sit on the toilet with his legs extending into the room. His clothes had to be custom made. For Andre’, the world was simply made too small. It was as if he were a full-grown man navigating a playhouse world, constantly stooping though doorways, sitting in chairs that didn’t fit and using buttons made for a child’s fingers. According to Gorilla Monsoon, it was possible to pass a Silver Dollar right through the center of one of his rings, and even the biggest men in wrestling describe how their hands would simply disappear into his when he shook them.
Late in life, like all true giants, Andre’s numerous health problems required serious medical attention. Andre’ was in constant pain due to the never-ending release of Growth Hormone that was the source of his condition slowly burdening and wearing down his joints and muscles. When it came time for Andre’ to undergo back surgery, two operating tables had to be affixed together and special tools were made to complete the procedure on a man of his enormous size. The anesthesiologist had no idea how much sedative to give him. Too much and he would die. Too little and he would wake up during the procedure, and the last thing a surgeon wants is an angry, seven foot tall behemoth with his back opened up waking up during surgery enraged and in pain. The solution was unique. The doctors asked him how much alcohol it took to subdue him and his answer was “I feel a little buzzed after two, two and a half liters of vodka.” Go get a two-liter soda bottle and try to imagine drinking your way to the bottom. This is what got Andre’ buzzed.
Aside from his hard-drinking, carousing lifestyle, Andre’ was known for his generosity and gentle manner with friends. When you ate or drank with Andre’, or “Boss” as his friends knew him, his standing rule was “I pay.” He was known for always picking up the tab, and this was not an argument you could win, nor one it was advisable to enter. A young actor dining with Andre’ once tried to make a point to pick up the bill, even to the point of arguing with him, but Andre’ picked him up off the floor like a stuffed doll and firmly repeated his policy to the young man, “I pay,” and indeed he did. The young actor’s name was Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He often lamented his condition, caused by a pituitary disorder, and claimed privately that he would have rather been born normal. He was hurt by the years of unrelenting stares from others, and said that he liked spending time on his ranch in the U.S., riding an ATV among his livestock, because “The animals never stare at me.” He wanted very much to attend a Broadway play, but knew that he wouldn’t fit in the seats, would block the view of anyone behind him, and his mere presence would detract from the audience’s attention on the stage itself. His giantism also caused constant joint and muscle pain, and a lifetime spent in the wrestling ring only exacerbated this.
Andre’ was told by a doctor early in life that he wouldn’t live past 40. His friends seem to all agree that because he knew that, Andre’ lived life to the fullest. He drank the best wine, and when that ran out, he drank the next best wine. He sang when he felt like it, ate the best food in the largest quantities imaginable, and in general sucked the marrow out of life and enjoyed every moment of his time with us. In 1993, Andre’ died in his sleep in Paris. He was only 46 years old. Andre’s life should serve as an example to us all. We have a limited time here, and then it’s over. Make your mark, and live without regret.
