20 Photos Showing Just How Big Andre The Giant Was
Before social media showed us what our favorite celebrities were having for dinner tonight, our parasocial relationships with popular figures were very different. That meant that the people who reached the status of celebrity or even icon were at the peak of their careers, and that could last for as long as they kept working. And that's exactly what André the Giant did.
He was a 7’4” machine that starred in some movies and TV shows when he wasn't wrestling Hulk Hogan on some Wrestlemania event. And while he lost a couple of inches after his back surgery, he was always considered the tallest man in Hollywood by far.
He had friends in all places and would, of course, get all the looks whenever he entered a room. Mostly because it was hard for him to get through most doors or get out of the taxi that took him there. But in case you cannot fathom it, here are photos showing just how big André the Giant was.
Arnold Schwarzenegger for size
And you thought Arnold was big.
André's hand
André's hand holding a 12oz beer can alongside a “normal” human being.
At the bar
André drank a lot due to his metabolism. He holds the record for the amount of beers drunk in one sitting: 119 over 6 hours.
On The Princess Bride's set
It was impossible to get a stunt double of the same height.
The Six Million Dollar Man
Lee Majors (5′ 11″) uncovered the secret of Bigfoot on TV, and there was no better man for the job.
On a plane
André could barely fit in two airplane seats.
With NFL quarterback Joe Theismann
Everybody thought they were big until André lifted them in the air.
Average Kid Reaction
André had to be careful not to step on his fans.
The Princess Bride
Fred Savage wanted a picture with the giant.
Wrestling days
That's Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, in 1970.
Christmas Time
André the Giant posing with his giant Christmas sock and his friend Jackie.
Early days
André the Giant posing alongside 10 mildly uncomfortable dancers.
Absolute unit
He was sometimes treated as an attraction, with people gathering around him, asking to be lifted.
Medical treatment
A nurse checking André's development at the hospital.
Wrestlemania
One of Hulk Hogan's (6'7") most memorable moments as a wrestler.
WCW
Here's André the Giant alongside Giant Haystacks and the Big Show.
Work Family
Adrian Adonis, André the Giant, Dick Murdoch, Bob Backlund, and King Kong Bundy in the 80s.
Eating with family and friends
Being a giant didn't run in the family.
With his mom
This is one of André's last pictures. He's posing with his mother during his father's funeral. He died just a few days after this.
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy
Even his trophy is massive.
