16 Facts About Andre The Giant

SI Wrestling Staff | Apr 15, 2025

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Andre the Giant (Andre Rene Roussimoff) was born in France in 1946. He was a professional wrestler and actor known for his enormous size and strength. Standing over 7 feet tall and weighing over 500 pounds, he became one of the most recognizable figures in pro wrestling history.

Here are 16 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.

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2) He's was a Guinness world record holder

He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest-paid wrestler in 1974, earning a reported $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

After he joined WWE in the early 1970s, Andre went on an unprecedented winning streak which ran nearly 15 years. It came to an end in 1987 at the hands of 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

Andre earned praise for his role playing Fezzik in the film 'The Princess Bride' (1987). He also made guest appearances on shows like 'The Tonight Show' and 'The Six Million Dollar Man'.

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

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

8) Why he was so big

A rare disorder called acromegaly was the reason Andre grew to his incredible size. The disease causes bones to grow at an accelerated rate.

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?

While his passport reportedly listed him at 7 feet, 2 inches tall, during his pro wrestling career he was billed at 7 feet, 4 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.

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, Hulk Hogan claimed he once drank 108 beers in 45 minutes while waiting for a flight. Andrealso appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" in 1984 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).