*Photo Credit: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lou Ferrigno
"The Incredible Hulk" American Actor; One of America’s Most Renowned Weightlifting Expert
SPEAKER FEE RANGE: $15,000–$30,000 [FEE NOTE]
TRAVELS FROM: California
As one of America’s most renowned weightlifting experts, Lou Ferrigno is an icon in the world of fitness and bodybuilding. Lou Ferrigno began bodybuilding at the age of 13 and, shortly after graduating from high school, won both the IFBB Mr. America and IFBB Mr. Universe Titles. Early in his career, Ferrigno trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger; and the pair’s rivalry was explored in the 1975 documentary Pumping Iron. At the age of 21, Ferrigno won his first Mr. Universe Title. While he was pumping iron in the gym, Lou Ferrigno was also making a name for himself in the acting world. In 1977, he was cast as the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk, a role he continued to play until 1981. From 2000-2007, Ferrigno and his real-life wife Carla played themselves in guest appearances on the CBS hit sitcom, The King of Queens. Lou Ferrigno later returned to his Hulk roots by making cameo appearances in both the 2003 and 2008 Hulk films, and helped with voice work for the Hulk in 2012’s The Avengers as well as the movie’s hit 2015 sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron. In 2011, Lou Ferrigno was presented with the Arnold Schwarzenegger Lifetime Achievement Award for being both the youngest ever to win Mr. Universe, and the only person to win the title in two consecutive years. He also appeared on Season 5 of The Celebrity Apprentice.
The American bodybuilder, who won such high-profile titles as " Pro Mr. America" and "IFBB Mr. Universe," Lou Ferrigno had success on the big and small screens, becoming a star of various American TV shows and blockbusters about the adventures of the superhero Hulk.
Not just a versatile actor, but Lou Ferrigno is also a two-time Mr. Universe title winner. A fitness freak and health enthusiast, Lou ensured that he marked his presence felt at the bodybuilding stage. Standing remarkably tall at 6’5″, the American youth icon, dominated the 70s and 80s. With his stellar performance in the Marvel cult-classic, “The Incredible Hulk,” he became a household name
However, the road to success was never easy. He did not just have to brave his professional hurdles but also his hearing problem. Nearly his whole life, Ferrigno had struggled with hearing disability. Not only he struggled with himself, but he was also bullied by other kids. Talking about the same, in the 2021 interview, he said, “I lost 85 percent of my hearing because of nerve damage.” Elaborating further, he said, “My mother and father didn’t take me to a doctor since I was like four years old because they realized when they clap their hands, I didn’t respond.” He was made to wear an old-fashioned hearing aid with buttons attached to the chest. Too young to understand Lou’s situation, the school kids, as he further mentioned, “Would make fun of” him.
Lou will say that hearing loss helped him to find his place in life, to focus on his capabilities. Resenting his peers, he found solace in reading. He reread all the super hero comics (especially Spider-Man and the Hulk), imagining himself on their place.
Soon the desire to defend himself led him to the gym. At the age of 13, the he started to train; he was inspired by the example of the main character of the film Hercules, which Steve Reeves played, who was the main icon of the bodybuilders at that time.
Bodybuilding for young Ferrigno was not a whim. He went to his goal persistently and spent all the time in hard training. In 1969, Lou won his first title, becoming "Pro Mr. America" among juniors.
In 1974, Lou took part in the competition "Mr. Olympia" but he gave in to Arnold Schwarzenegger and took the 2nd place. Next year, the history repeated, only this time Ferrigno got the 3rd place on the podium. The documentary film Pumping Iron was released, about this confrontation between Arnold and Lou in 1975.
A real triumph awaited Ferrigno in the late eighties. He plays Sinbad in the adventure Italian-American film Sinbad of the Seven Seas and also plays in the criminal action movie The Cell. The hero of Lou in this tape is a former officer, who went through the war in Vietnam and joined the fight with the mafia in peace.
And finally, in 1988, the new series of films about the Hulk: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990) started on television. Lou Ferrigno took part in all three movies and established himself in the status of the most charismatic performer of this role.
Since 2000, the actor played himself in the sitcom The King of Queens for seven years, this film tells about the life of a funny couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan. In 2003 and 2008, when the Hollywood films of the adventures of the Hulk were released with Eric Bana and Edward Norton in the main roles, Ferrigno was also invited for an episodic role of the guard and voiced the Hulk. Despite the appearance of other performers of this role, Lou believes his Hulk is the best.
The "branded" voice of the Hulk performed by Ferrigno sounds in such comic adaptations of the Marvel Comics as The Avengers (2012), Avengers Grimm (2015), Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarök (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
In 2017, Lou was appointed at head of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition with a mission to 'engage, educate, and empower all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.'
In 2019, Lou Ferrigno will appear in the comedy Purge of Kingdoms and the TV series Can’t Go Home. Also, the actor is busy with work in several new screen projects: Ring Ring, Cranial Sacral and Cross 3.
Not just a versatile actor, but Lou Ferrigno is also a two-time Mr. Universe title winner. A fitness freak and health enthusiast, Lou ensured that he marked his presence felt at the bodybuilding stage. Standing remarkably tall at 6’5″, the American youth icon, dominated the 70s and 80s. With his stellar performance in the Marvel cult-classic, “The Incredible Hulk,” he became a household name
However, the road to success was never easy. He did not just have to brave his professional hurdles but also his hearing problem. Nearly his whole life, Ferrigno had struggled with hearing disability. Not only he struggled with himself, but he was also bullied by other kids. Talking about the same, in the 2021 interview, he said, “I lost 85 percent of my hearing because of nerve damage.” Elaborating further, he said, “My mother and father didn’t take me to a doctor since I was like four years old because they realized when they clap their hands, I didn’t respond.” He was made to wear an old-fashioned hearing aid with buttons attached to the chest. Too young to understand Lou’s situation, the school kids, as he further mentioned, “Would make fun of” him.
Lou will say that hearing loss helped him to find his place in life, to focus on his capabilities. Resenting his peers, he found solace in reading. He reread all the super hero comics (especially Spider-Man and the Hulk), imagining himself on their place.
Soon the desire to defend himself led him to the gym. At the age of 13, the he started to train; he was inspired by the example of the main character of the film Hercules, which Steve Reeves played, who was the main icon of the bodybuilders at that time.
Bodybuilding for young Ferrigno was not a whim. He went to his goal persistently and spent all the time in hard training. In 1969, Lou won his first title, becoming "Pro Mr. America" among juniors.
In 1974, Lou took part in the competition "Mr. Olympia" but he gave in to Arnold Schwarzenegger and took the 2nd place. Next year, the history repeated, only this time Ferrigno got the 3rd place on the podium. The documentary film Pumping Iron was released, about this confrontation between Arnold and Lou in 1975.
A real triumph awaited Ferrigno in the late eighties. He plays Sinbad in the adventure Italian-American film Sinbad of the Seven Seas and also plays in the criminal action movie The Cell. The hero of Lou in this tape is a former officer, who went through the war in Vietnam and joined the fight with the mafia in peace.
And finally, in 1988, the new series of films about the Hulk: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990) started on television. Lou Ferrigno took part in all three movies and established himself in the status of the most charismatic performer of this role.
Since 2000, the actor played himself in the sitcom The King of Queens for seven years, this film tells about the life of a funny couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan. In 2003 and 2008, when the Hollywood films of the adventures of the Hulk were released with Eric Bana and Edward Norton in the main roles, Ferrigno was also invited for an episodic role of the guard and voiced the Hulk. Despite the appearance of other performers of this role, Lou believes his Hulk is the best.
The "branded" voice of the Hulk performed by Ferrigno sounds in such comic adaptations of the Marvel Comics as The Avengers (2012), Avengers Grimm (2015), Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarök (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
In 2017, Lou was appointed at head of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition with a mission to 'engage, educate, and empower all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.'
In 2019, Lou Ferrigno will appear in the comedy Purge of Kingdoms and the TV series Can’t Go Home. Also, the actor is busy with work in several new screen projects: Ring Ring, Cranial Sacral and Cross 3.
A Conversation with Lou Ferrigno
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