Am I the only one who really loved Andre the Giant? His deep voice and thick French accent made his interviews very surreal. His work in The Princess Bride was just amazing. He was unbeatable at cribbage.
Most importantly, thought, he could drink a twelve-pack without so much as a buzz - in fact, they used his alcohol tolerance as a way to figure out how much anasthesia to use when they operated on him (“Because an angry giant waking up while you had his back laid open would not be good” - Vince McMahon).
Don’t forget he was a gourmet chef from Grenoble France. (I can still remember that factoid even though I haven’t heard his name or watched the WWF in over 20 years.)
He seems like he was a really cool guy. I’m bummed he died too soon. Seems like he knew it was coming, though. He was apparently a rather perceptive guy, despite what his rather hulking appearance might lead one to think.
I almost see him as a tragic figure, actually. He had fame and money, but the fame was sort of corn-pone and the money couldn’t really buy him a comfortable car or plane seat - and he spent much of his life travelling.
I think, ultimately, what defined his life was that he was very different from everyone else. (Major revelation there, eh?) And of course there’s both good and bad in that. But I think everyone who’s ever been ostracized or teased because they were different understands, a little bit, what much of everyday life must have been like for Andre “The Giant” Roussimoff.
Though I never knew him, or even met him, knowing now what I do about him, I wish I had. It would have been a real neat memory to play a hand of poker and talk about life with this underestimated man.
-Ben
I really only know him from his Princess Bride role, and he was excellent in that. I laugh at his lines every time I watch it. Especially when you compare it to the acting of other wrestlers. [sub]suburban commando[/sub] I’ve heard talk of a sequel to the Princess Bride but it won’t be the same, because I don’t think anyone else could fit in the role after Andre did it.
No more rhymes, and I mean it!
Anybody want a peanut…
I loved Andre. Yes, he was awesome in the Princess Bride, but there was nothing quite like watching him effortlessly win battle royales in the WWF.
I remember watching him wrestle Hulk Hogan years ago, and I remember saying to my friends, “Hogan’s lucky that wrestling’s fixed. Otherwise, Andre would flick him across the ring like a booger.”
I wondered for years about the origins of the “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” stickers that had appeared around my town, plastered on lightposts and drive thru windows. Then, through the magic of the Internet, my questions were answered. obeygiant tells the story about them, really an interesting examination of pop culture icons and how easily they can slip into everyday life.
Apparently, I was supposed to wonder about those stickers.
Right, it was too bad he had to go out that way since he was so well-liked for the larger part of his career.
I guess he knew his time was short both in wrestling and in this world and he was ready to pass on the gauntlet to the next big thing, namely Hulk Hogan.
You may recall that in the match where he loses the title to Hogan in Wrestlemania ?, the fans are mercilessly pelting him and Freddie Blassie with cups, debris, and lord knows what else as they enter and leave the ring. Really was a crappy way for such a great guy to go out.
yeah, I can still remember when I first saw how he turned heel and gave Ted DiBiase the title, man that was a sad day. He surely was a great man like few others in the business.
I loved Andre the Giant! He was such a neat guy, and seemed very gentle. I was very sad at his passing. He was one of those that I would have loved getting the chance to meet.
“I’m on the Brute Squad”
“You are the Brute Squad!”
I loved him in that movie. I also liked him as a youngster, watching the “rasslin’” on Saturday mornings.
When I lived in St. Louis he lived in the house at the front of our neighiborhood. I never got to meet him because he was almost never there and moved out soon after we moved in, but that’s my claim to fame!
I like the Big Show also, because he’s such a physical monster. I don’t think that the Big Show is as nice of a guy as Andre was though. I also read that they both suffered from the same problem…something wrong with the hypothryroid? Apparently they were able to “fix” the Big Show. Too bad they couldn’t save Andre also.
