An internationally famous and well respected bodybuilder / actor, Lou Ferrigno first appeared on TV screens in 1977 as the musclebound The Incredible Hulk, the alter ego of meek scientist David Banner. Ferrigno was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1951 and as a child suffered from an ear infection that resulted in permanent partial hearing loss. Undeterred by what some may have perceived as a disadvantage, Lou threw himself into athletics (predominantly weightlifting and body building) and at the age of 21 won his first Mr. Universe title. For good measure, he came back and won it again the following year!

He also played professional football in the Canadian Football League, before coming to the attention of producer Kenneth Johnson, who was seeking just the right person to portray on screen the comic book superhero, The Incredible Hulk. With his 6'5", 285-lb. frame, Lou was the biggest professional bodybuilder of the time, and had recently starred in the documentary Pumping Iron, about the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest in South Africa. He successfully auditioned for the part of the green-skinned Goliath, and that is the role with which he is most closely identified.

"The Hulk" was a huge ratings success and spawned several telemovies after the initial TV series completed its run. Lou continued to remain busy in films and TV with appearances often centered around his remarkable physique. His films included Hercules, Sinbad of the Seven Seas and Frogtown II. Lou has additionally guest-starred on several TV shows including The Fall Guy and The New Mike Hammer and had a recurring role on The King of Queens. In 1997 he was featured in the dynamic documentary about his sensational return to professional bodybuilding at age 43, Stand Tall. The film detailed how he returned to compete in the Masters category of the Mr. Olympia contest against several familiar bodybuilding foes. In more recent years, he has appeared in several films, including The Misery Brothers, Ping!, From Heaven to Hell and a cameo as a security guard in the big-budget remake of Hulk.

Big Lou is also a successful author with two books detailing his bodybuilding knowledge, and his life behind the scenes playing the Incredible Hulk on TV in the 1970s, plus he has a popular website frequented by his many fans worldwide.
Professional bodybuilder. Played professional football in Canada. Partially hearing-impaired Mr Universe [1974] Mr America [1973] Mr Universe [1973] Teen Age Mr. America [1970] Weighs 275 pounds - with 59" chest - 34" waist - 221/2" bicep - 29" thighs and 19" neck. Has three children with Carla Green: Shanna b. 1981, Lou b. 1984 and Brent b. 1990. The youngest bodybuilder ever to hold the "Mr. Universe" title (age 20). His parents (Matty Ferrigno and Victoria Ferrigno) appeared in his "Pumping Iron" documentary. In the late 80s, Lou decided to tone down his massive body so that people would be more likely to see him as a person and not just as his 'monster' alter ego "The Hulk". Growing up, Lou was a fan of the 1950s Hercules films that starred body builder Steve Reeves and a fan of the Incredible Hulk comic books. He went on to play both the Incredible Hulk (both live action and providing the voice of the Hulk for an animated series) and Hercules. There was supposed to be another TV movie after "The Death of the Incredible Hulk" showing the Hulk's return, but the death of Lou's co-star Bill Bixby ended the TV film's chance for production. Bench-pressed 560 lbs in his prime (age 25). Now, at the age of 50, he benches 400 lbs. Declares the Incredible Hulk episode "King of the Beach" (in which he played a bodybuilder, in addition to the Hulk) his favorite episode of the series. Like so many of the bodybuilders who starred in the Hercules films of the late 50s and early 60s, his voice was dubbed for his own Hercules films. Stated that his father was very critical of and negative towards him when he was growing up due to his hearing disability. Though Lou respected his father, he was very hurt when his father expressed his belief that Lou would never achieve success. Was originally cast as 'Tigris of Gaul' in Gladiator, but was replaced during production by Sven-Ole Thorsen who had been trying hard for over a year to get the part. Beat out Arnold Schwarzenegger for the role of the Hulk on the 1970s TV series. Ferrigno won reportedly because Arnold, at 6' 2", was deemed not tall enough, while Lou is 6' 5". Has appeared in three different adaptations of The Incredible Hulk. The first was the live-action television series of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in which he played the Hulk--and does not speak. In the 1990s, he played the role again in an animated series for the UPN network - this time providing the creatures voice. In Ang Lee's 2003 film, the Hulk is computer generated, so he plays a completely different part - that of a security guard (along with Stan Lee) at the lab where Bruce Banner works. With the death of Jack Colvin on December 1, 2005, he is the only surviving star of The Incredible Hulk. Bill Bixby died on November 21, 1993. Attended Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York. Same neighborhood director Spike Lee currently resides in. 13th February 2006, he was sworn in as a Los Angeles County Reserve Deputy Sheriff. He will serve for at least 20 hours each month. His duties will include helping recruit new deputies and working with the sheriff's Youth Activities League and the Special Victims Bureau.