# Hey Boss, it's the Andre the Giant Appreciation Thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-boss-its-the-andre-the-giant-appreciation-thread/76456>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 15, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-boss-its-the-andre-the-giant-appreciation-thread/76456 "2001-08-15T22:27:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-boss-its-the-andre-the-giant-appreciation-thread/76456/21 "2001-08-16T21:27:36Z")

</div>

Am I the only one that LOVED the Andre the Giant heel turn? His fued with Hogan was, in my opinion, one of the top two or three greatest fueds in wrestling history. Whenever he and manager Bobby the Brain were on screen together, I couldn’t get enough. I have always disliked Hogan, so when Andre squeezed and strangled the Hulkster on NBC’s Saturday Night Main Event I was cheering louder than loud. And as to the folks tossing cups and booing at Wrestlemania, it takes a real talent to play a good heel, much more so than a face.

Now when they made him afraid of Jake Roberts’ snakes, that was a low point indeed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-boss-its-the-andre-the-giant-appreciation-thread/76456/22 "2001-08-16T22:29:43Z")

</div>

As someone has mentioned, William Goldman wrote a very nice tribute to Andre after his death. I believe it originally appeared in New York Magazine (but their online archive does not go back that far).

It can be found in at least two of his books. _The Big Picture: Who Killed Hollywood? And Other Stories_ is an anthology of his _New York Magazine_ pieces. It is also reprinted in _Which Lie Did I Tell: More Adventures in the Screen Trade_.

The detail I remember most concerns the filming of the scene in _Princess Bride_ where Buttercup jumps from the tower and Andre catches her. Well, in real life they only dropped her from a couple of feet, but Andre’s arthritis and joint problems were so bad that it almost floored him and he was in obvious pain.

This just saddens me, to know that he ended up in such physical pain. The stories of him as a person, though, are really nice.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-boss-its-the-andre-the-giant-appreciation-thread/76456/23 "2001-08-17T21:42:11Z")

</div>

I thought it was an honorable break of kayfabe when the WWF totally changed their stance on Andre in his later years and after he died. Even though they had been promoting him for years as an evil, unstoppable force, toward the end they really made an effort at turning him face again and bringing back the “gentle giant” style that he carried over from his real-life persona.

Incidentally, I have both the Andre The Giant beer mug and the 11" Legends action figure sitting on top of my computer desk.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-boss-its-the-andre-the-giant-appreciation-thread/76456.md?page=1)