Random Behind-The-Scenes Stories About André The Giant In ‘The Princess Bride’ (15 items)

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  (#5) Christopher Guest Shook His Hand Every Day To See His Own Hand 'Disappear'

  Roussimoff didn't earn his "Giant" moniker simply because of his height - all of his body proportions were massive compared to those around him. When Christopher Guest, who played the six-fingered Count Tyrone Rugen, met Roussimoff, he shook his hand to see his own disappear in the wrestler's massive fist.

  They repeated this practice each time they met, as Guest couldn't get enough of seeing such a massive hand holding his own. He said:

  I don’t know if you know this about [Roussimoff], but he was very large. I couldn’t wait every morning to shake his hand, because that feeling was like a guy with five catcher’s mitts. Your hand would just disappear into his.
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  (#15) He Racked Up A Massive Bar Bill While Filming

  While filming The Princess Bride, Roussimoff stayed at the Hyatt in London. When the production wrapped, his bar bill totaled $40,000. Cary Elwes wrote about the wrestler's penchant for drinking in his book, saying, "According to some estimates, his average daily consumption of alcohol was a case of beer, three bottles of wine, and a couple of bottles of brandy." 

  Elwes further indicated Roussimoff's favorite drink was called "'The American,' a concoction that consisted of 40 ounces of various liquors poured into a pitcher." Roussimoff drank straight from a beer pitcher the way a smaller person would sip from a beer mug.
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  (#3) Since English Was His Second Language, He Memorized The Script From An Audio Tape

  Roussimoff was born and raised in Grenoble, France, and spoke French as his primary language. While he learned some English early in his wrestling career, he wasn't entirely comfortable speaking it. To overcome this hurdle, director Rob Reiner recorded all of Fezzik's dialogue onto cassette tapes. Roussimoff could then memorize the script by hearing, not reading, which aided his pronunciation. 

  Reiner described first meeting Roussimoff at a Paris bar: 

  I brought him up to the hotel room to audition him. He read this three-page scene, and I couldn’t understand one word he said. I go, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do? He’s perfect physically for the part, but I can’t understand him!’ So I recorded his entire part on tape, exactly how I wanted him to do it, and he studied the tape. He got pretty good!
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  (#12) He Became Very Close With His Castmates

  After each night of filming The Princess Bride, the cast ate together, usually in Rob Reiner's room. Most would bring along their respective partners, but Roussimoff would bring a case of bourbon "just to get tipsy." The cast eventually became very close, and on each ride to and from the set, they played word games to keep themselves entertained.

  The surviving stars often speak fondly of Roussimoff in interviews. Elwes recalled that, in one meeting, Roussimoff said, "We big people don't live long." He continued:

  He had that thing you come across with people who are terminally ill where they have a secret most of us don’t get: they understand that life is precious and you have to cherish every moment. He really imparted that to me. He was so filled with life and fun and [he was] so sweet, such a truly gentle soul. I mean, for a guy who could crush you like swatting a mosquito, he was so incredibly gentle. I made him tell me his whole life story. He grew up in a little village in France. He couldn’t fit into the school bus even when he was 12, and the only person in the village who had a convertible who could drive him to school was Samuel Beckett - which I think is another movie: Waiting for André.
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  (#4) His Back Problems Prevented Him From Performing His Stunts Unassisted

  Roussimoff was constantly in pain due to back problems resulting from his physical size. According to Cary Elwes, he drank to dull this pain, since no pharmaceutical pain relief could effectively combat his mass. He underwent back surgery in 1986, which made walking for extended periods particularly difficult. The resulting pain prevented him from performing any of his stunts unassisted.

  In the fight scene between Fezzik and the Man in Black, Roussimoff couldn't manage the strain on his back. This was remedied by clever camera tricks and hidden ramps for each actor to stand upon, creating the illusion that Elwes was on Roussimoff's back when, in reality, they were merely walking beside one another.

  In another scene, Fezzik catches Buttercup after she jumps down to him from a window. This stunt was equally difficult for Roussimoff, so Wright was lowered by a wire rig and safely "dropped" into Roussimoff's arms.
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  (#14) He Once Passed Out, And Nobody Could Move Him

  Roussimoff was a well-known drinker, and though he could hold his alcohol well, his size presented some problems when he did become inebriated. One evening, after the day's filming wrapped, he passed out in the hotel bar. Roussimoff weighed approximately 520 pounds, meaning no one around could move him.

  The hotel housekeepers had no choice but to leave him where he was. They placed a velvet rope around him for privacy, and he woke up the next morning.

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