LOU FERRIGNO THE ORIGINAL 1970s MCA/UNIVERSAL TELEVISION BIOGRAPHY Reprinted verbatim (The Hulk in MCA TVs "THE INCREDIBLE HULK") Lou Ferrigno, an international body-building champion and the star of MCA TV's popular television series, "THE INCREDIBLE HULK, is fast becoming the most recognized of today's actor-athletes. And having established himself in a weekly series format, the six-foot-five-inch, 275-pound native New Yorker now plans to branch out, developing himself as a career actor in a field that few body builders have ever contemplated. Born in November 9, 1951, the oldest son of a hard working New York City Police Department Lieutenant, Lou grew up "street wise" with a strong interest in sports. But the inflexible patterns of team competition conflicted with his vision of heroics inspired by athletes like Jim Thorpe who excelled in individual sports. Lou indeed wanted more recognition as an individual, an ambition that led directly to the sport of body building. Encouraged by his father who knew well the advantages of body development, Lou began working out daily in a neighborhood gymnasium. Early on, he realized that body building was perhaps the toughest of all competitive sports. Determination and a perfect physique soon won over adversity, including an early hearing impairment, and by the end of his high school years, Lou was ready for the spectrum of world competition. Balancing his training program with a career in sheet metal working ("I needed a marketable skill" he says), Lou entered the Mr. Teenage America Contest in 1971 and won his first national title. The success merely whetted his competitive appetite and in the next three years, he moved quickly up the scale of international body building competition. In 1973 he won the Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles and added the Mr. International title the following year. In 1974, he and Arnold Schwarzenegger co-starred in a body-building documentary entitled "Pumping Iron," which for the first time brought Ferrigno international recognition among the non-body-building crowd. After a brief stint with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, as a defensive tackle, he traveled to California to make a bankable career in body building. Lou supported himself by giving seminars, participating in monthly exhibitions and promotions and occasionally entering a contest. He was working toward the Super Bowl of Body Building ("The Mr. Olympia" contest) when MCA/Universal Television asked him to test for the part of the "Hulk." Competition for the part in the new television series was fierce, but once Lou doffed his robe and donned his Hulk's green wig, the producers had their star. Practically overnight, Lou's entire future was rewritten. Acting soon replaced body building as his passion and route towards becoming the great American hero. As a television performer, Lou was comfortable in front of the cameras and equally determined to give the best possible performance, even though his part was devoid of dialogue. Says Ferrigno, "Since I have to portray emotion without speaking, my part can be difficult at times. It's Rudolph Valentino time. But I make it work. Also, at first I thought my size was going to become a handicap, but I now realize that I can use my size to develop a unique presence." Because of this unique presence, Lou has escaped the typical superhero mold. Consequently, his many fans know him as Lou Ferrigno, actor. A frequent guest on television talk shows, Lou has adjusted easily to the pressures of television stardom. However, a recent trip to his home in Brooklyn was still quite an experience for the young actor. "There were about two hundred people in the street outside my house," he recalled. "It got to the point where I had to work out in my basement. I felt like a visiting dignitary. Cousins I had never seen before came over for visits and people who lived down the street, and who had never said a word to me, came over and brought gifts." When Lou isn't performing or working out in the local gym, pursuits that take up nearly all of his waking hours, he likes to work with his hands, using much of the skill he once employed as a full-time sheet metal worker. Recently, he turned his three car garage into a fully electrical industrial shop where he toils on weekends as a custom furniture builder. As to his future, a major career shift has not altered Lou Ferrigno's lifestyle. In fact, he is bringing to the acting profession the same skills that led to his outstanding success as a body builder. If such a positive attitude is any indication, it won't be long before Lou becomes one of his profession's finest performers. He and his wife Carla have one child. VITAL STATISTICS Date of Birth: November 9, 1951 Eyes: Brown Place of Birth: Brooklyn, N.Y. Hair: Brown Weight: 275 lbs. Height: 6' 5" Bill Bixby | Lou Ferrigno | Jack Colvin | Cast/Crew