André René Roussimoff, a giant of a man, was born in a small farming community in Grenoble, France to Boris and Marian Roussimoff, his parents and four siblings all of normal size, yet André's fate was sealed with acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that results from an excess of growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland. As he grew up, literally, at an alarming rate, reaching the height of 6' 3" by the age of 12, he began to clash with his parents, his rapid growth causing tension in the household.
At 14, André left home, seeking a life beyond the confines of his family's farm, and obtained a job with a furniture-moving firm, where he discovered a passion for rugby. His athletic prowess didn't go unnoticed, and at 17, he was spotted training at a gym by several professional wrestlers, who were impressed by his size and taught him the basics of wrestling.
A friendship blossomed between André and the wrestlers, and when one of them was injured, André stepped in to fill the void, marking the beginning of his nearly thirty-year wrestling career. By his early twenties, André had wrestled in Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, England, Scotland, and most of non-Communist Europe, but it wasn't until 1971 that he arrived in North America, adopting the name Jean Ferre and achieving mild popularity in Canada.
It was then that he met Vincent J. McMahon, a New York-based booker, who rechristened him "Andre the Giant," billing him as 7' 4" (though André was actually closer to 7'). André's new persona quickly catapulted him to national fame, making him a highly sought-after wrestler. He also dabbled in television, movies, and commercials, using his wealth to purchase a ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina, where he would reside during his rare time off and after his retirement from wrestling in 1990.
Tragically, André's life was cut short when he passed away in France after attending his father's funeral. His ashes were spread across his beloved ranch, where he is survived by his only daughter.
