16 Facts About Andre The Giant

SI Wrestling Staff | Jan 2, 2025

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André the Giant, born André René Roussimoff on May 19, 1946, in Coulommiers, France, was a professional wrestler and actor renowned for his immense size and strength. Standing over 7 feet tall and weighing over 500 pounds, he became one of the most recognizable figures in wrestling history.

Here are some notable facts about his life.

1) His career began in France

André began his wrestling career at 18 years old in France before gaining international fame in Japan, Canada, and the United States. The United States was where his fame truly skyrocketed, joining the WWE (then WWWF) in 1973.

WWE.com

2) He's was a Guinness world record holder

In 1974, he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest-paid wrestler, earning $400,000 annually.

3) He left school early

André left school at just 14 to work on his family's farm. His size and strength made made him invaluable for labor-intensive tasks.

4) Legendary undefeated streak

Upon joining WWE in the early 1970's, André went on an unprecedented winning streak which lasted almost 15 years. It would come to an end in 1987 at the hands of another wrestling icon, Hulk Hogan.

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5) His childhood nickname was Dede

As a child, Andre was called "Dede" by members of his family. This was due to his sister being unable to pronounce his name.

6) He was a movie star

André earned critical acclaim for his role as Fezzik in the 1987 cult classic film, The Princess Bride. He also made guest appearances on shows like "The Tonight Show," "The Six Million Dollar Man" and others.

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7) And was also in an 80's music video

André also featured in a music video for a Cyndi Lauper. The 1985 song called "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" was part of the soundtrack for the classic film The Goonies.

8) Why he was so big

André grew to his incredible size because of a rare disorder called acromegaly, which causes bones to grow at an accelerated rate. By 12 years old he was 6 foot, 3 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds.

9) He had another nickname

During the height of his pro wrestling career, André had another nickname: The Eighth Wonder of the World.

10) He loved to play cards

In his free time, André loved to play cards, specifically "Britain's national card game" which is called Cribbage.

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11) How tall was he?

During his pro wrestling career, André was billed at 7 feet, 4 inches tall. However, his passport reportedly listed him at 7 feet, 2 inches tall. Regardless, he towered over just about everyone around him.

12) He has a daughter

André has one daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, who was born in France in 1979 and grew up in Seattle, Washington.

13) He betrayed Hulk Hogan

In one of the more shocking moments from his career, Andre turned heel on Hulk Hogan in 1987, aligning with the infamous Bobby Heenan instead. The move would lead to a championship match against Hogan at WrestleMania, which The Giant would lose to end his 15 year winning streak.

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14) He's a Hall of Famer

In 1993 André the Giant was the very first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.

15) He could drink a beer or two

There are several stories through the years about his legendary drinking habits. Back in 2014, wrestling legend and friend of Andre, Hulk Hogan, claims he once drank 108 beers in 45 minutes while waiting for a flight. In 1984, Andre appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman," where he confirmed he drank 117 beers in one sitting. Watch below.

16) He was loved and hated by wrestling fans

During his time in WWE, André was both a babyface and heel, scoring him PWI wards for both the most popular wrestler (1977, 1980) and the most hated wrestler (1988). André the Giant also won PWI's match of the year award (1981) and a posthumous editor's award (1993).