| Lou Ferrigno | |
|---|---|
Ferrigno at the New York Comic Convention in Manhattan, October 10, 2010. |
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| Born | Louis Jude Ferrigno November 9, 1951 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Bodybuilder, actor, personal trainer |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse | Susan Groff (1978-1979) Carla Green (1980-present) |
Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno (born November 9, 1951[1]) is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron. As an actor, he is best known for portraying the title role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk. He has also appeared in European-produced fantasy-adventures such as Sinbad of the Seven Seas and Hercules, and as himself in the sitcom The King of Queens and the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.
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Lou Ferrigno was born in Brooklyn, New York to Victoria and Matt Ferrigno, an Italian American police lieutenant.[2]
As an infant, Lou suffered an ear infection and lost some of his hearing.[3] Ferrigno started weight training at age 13, citing body builder and Hercules star Steve Reeves as one of his role models.[4] He was also a fan of the Hercules films that starred Reeves—and would later play Hercules as well. Ferrigno's other personal heroes as a child were Spider-Man and the Hulk.[5] Ferrigno attended St. Athanasius Grammar School[6] and Brooklyn Technical High School, where he learned metal working.[6][7]
| Lou Ferrigno | |
|---|---|
| Personal Info | |
| Born | November 9, 1951 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[3] |
| Weight | 316 lb (143 kg)[3] |
| Professional Career | |
| Pro-debut | NABBA Mr. Universe, 1972 |
| Best win | IFBB Mr. Universe, 1973-1974, two years consecutively |
| Active | Retired 1995 |
After graduating from high school 1969, Ferrigno won his first major titles, IFBB Mr. America and IFBB Mr. Universe, four years later. Early in his career he lived in Columbus and trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger. 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.
These victories, however, did not provide enough for him to earn a living. His first paying job was as a $10-an-hour sheet metal worker in a Brooklyn factory, where he worked for three years. He did not enjoy the dangerous work, and left after a friend and co-worker accidentally cut off his hand one day.[7]
Following this, Ferrigno left the competition circuit for many years, a period that included a brief stint as a defensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. He had never played football, and was cut after two games.[8]
During competition, Lou Ferrigno weighed 285 lb (130 kg) in 1975,[3] and 316 lb (143 kg) in 1992; at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[3]
Ferrigno competed in the first World's Strongest Man competition in 1977, where he finished fourth in a field of eight competitors.[9]
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 1994 Masters Olympia, where his attempt to beat Robbie Robinson and Boyer Coe was the subject of the 1996 documentary Stand Tall. After this, he retired from competition.
In 1977, Ferrigno was cast in the title role opposite Bill Bixby as the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk. Although Ferrigno and Bixby did not share lines on camera (except for one episode, "King of the Beach"), the two were friends, with Ferrigno describing Bixby as a "mentor" and "father figure" who took Ferrigno under his wing. Ferrigno also singles out the instances in which Bixby directed Ferrigno in some episodes as particularly memorable.[10] Ferrigno continued playing the Hulk role until 1981—although the last two episodes were not broadcast until May 1982. Later, he and Bixby co-starred in three The Incredible Hulk TV movies.
In 1983, Ferrigno appeared as John Six on the short lived medical drama Trauma Center.[11]
Ferrigno played himself during intermittent guest appearances on the CBS sitcom, 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.
He made cameo appearances as a security guard in both the 2003 film Hulk and the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, in which he also voiced the Hulk.[12]
Ferrigno appeared as himself in the 2009 feature film comedy I Love You, Man.
Ferrigno had trained Michael Jackson on and off since the early 1990s, and in 2009, he had been helping Jackson get into shape for a planned series of concerts in London.[13]
Ferrigno took part in a Smosh video, titled "I love Lou Ferrigno", in which he is tracked down by one of Smosh's members, Anthony, in Hollywood. The skit ends with Ferrigno knocking Anthony unconscious, in response to Ian's claim that Anthony stole Ferrigno's Butterfinger.
In February 2006, Ferrigno was sworn in as a Los Angeles County, California reserve sheriff's deputy.[14]
Ferrigno 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, hosted by Drew Carey for use as a One Bid prize, and demonstrated the equipment himself.
In 2010, Ferrigno appeared in "My Two Chads", an episode of Sonny with a Chance, appearing as himself in an episode of the fictional series MacKenzie Falls.
In November 2010, Ferrigno was sworn in as a member of a Maricopa County, Arizona volunteer sheriff posse, which also includes actors Steven Seagal and Peter Lupus, in order to help control illegal immigration in the Phoenix Valley area.[15]
While the Hulk will be physically played by Mark Ruffalo in the 2012 The Avengers movie, Ferrigno will perform the voice of the character.[16][17]
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."[3]
Ferrigno 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 appeared in the NBC series Windfall, as well as the television movie Within, and in 2005 she appeared in the E! reality television series, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive. Louis, Jr. was a linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans football team.[18]
| Lou Ferrigno | |
|---|---|
| Personal Info | |
| Born | November 9, 1951 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[3] |
| Weight | 316 lb (143 kg)[3] |
| Professional Career | |
| Pro-debut | NABBA Mr. Universe, 1972 |
| Best win | IFBB Mr. Universe, 1973-1974, two years consecutively |
| Active | Retired 1995 |
Total: 37
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Pumping Iron | Himself | Docudrama |
| The Incredible Hulk | The Hulk | TV pilot movie for the series The Incredible Hulk | |
| 1978–1982 | The Incredible Hulk | ||
| 1980 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | Himself | |
| 1983 | Hercules | Hercules | |
| Trauma Center | John Six | ||
| The Fall Guy | Six | Episode "Trauma" | |
| 1985 | The Adventures of Hercules | Hercules | Sequel to Hercules |
| The Seven Magnificent Gladiators | Han | ||
| 1987 | Desert Warrior | Zerak | |
| 1988 | Family Double Dare | Himself | Celebrity contestant |
| The Incredible Hulk Returns | The Hulk | TV movie | |
| 1989 | Sinbad of the Seven Seas | Sinbad | |
| The Trial of the Incredible Hulk | The Hulk | TV movie | |
| Cage | Billy Thomas | ||
| Liberty & Bash | Bash | ||
| 1990 | The Death of the Incredible Hulk | The Hulk | TV movie |
| 1994 | Cage II | Billy Thomas | |
| 1996 | The Incredible Hulk | The Hulk | Voice |
| Stand Tall | Himself | Docudrama | |
| 1997 | Home Improvement | ||
| 1998 | "The Godson" | Bugsy | |
| 2000-2007 | The King of Queens | Himself | |
| 2002 | Raw Iron: The Making of 'Pumping Iron | ||
| 2003 | Hulk | Security guard | Cameo with Stan Lee |
| 2004 | My Wife and Kids | Gay convict | Episode "Illegal Smile" |
| Reno 911! | Deputy Cletus Senior | Episode "Department Investigation: Part 2" | |
| 2008 | The Incredible Hulk | The Hulk / Security guard | Voice / Cameo |
| 2009 | I Love You, Man | Himself | |
| 2010 | Chuck | Sofia Stepanova's bodyguard | Episode "Chuck Versus the Suitcase" |
| Sonny with a Chance | Himself | Episode "My Two Chads" | |
| Adventure Time | Billy | Episode "His Hero" | |
| 2012 | The Avengers | The Hulk | Voice[16][17] |
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