He was the inspiration behind the creators of Shrek. Maurice Tillet was a wrestling star

Probably everyone in childhood watched about the extraordinary adventures of a green ogre. debuted on the glass screen in 2001 and almost immediately stole the hearts of viewers. Although the plot was based on the William Steig of the same name, the main character was wrestling star Maurice Tillet. According to many, it was his unusual appearance that attracted the attention of DreamWorks filmmakers in the process of creating the character.

Intelligence and “English” appearance were his hallmarks. Who was Maurice Tillet

Maurice Tillet was born in 1903 to a French family living in a small town in the Ural Mountains. From an early age, he showed above-average intelligence, which was especially noticed by his mother, a teacher by profession. When a revolution broke out in Russia and the boy’s father died unexpectedly, the woman decided to return to her homeland. Life went on in a peaceful rhythm until, in the 1920s, Maurice was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease – acromegaly. It consists in the secretion of too much growth hormone in the body, which makes the head, hands and feet disproportionate to the rest of the body. In this way, young Tillet, who was previously called an “angel” due to his light blond hair and delicate features, was transformed into an “ogre”, as his peers used to ridicule him.

At first, Maurice was devastated by the diagnosis, and the constant taunting of his colleagues only made matters worse. The support of relatives who helped him get back on his feet turned out to be indispensable. Despite numerous co-morbidities, he decided not to give up his greatest passion, i.e. science. He first studied in Paris and later at the University of Toulouse. He had comprehensive knowledge, he was also a polyglot and was fluent in as many as 14 languages. Despite his great commitment, it turned out that he would not be able to work in his profession. Then he enlisted in the navy, where he spent almost 5 years.

First they mocked him, then they came to admire him. He lived two decades longer than doctors suggested

The turning point in his life came in 1937 in Singapore, when he met an American wrestler, Carl Pojello, by complete accident. It was he who discovered the sports potential in him and encouraged him to try his hand at wrestling. He took the suggestion to heart and the first fights he fought turned out to be a huge success. His career took off quickly. After the outbreak of World War II, the “French Angel” settled in the USA. He did not stop fighting, and crowds came to the ring for each of his clashes.

Undoubtedly, great interest was aroused by his appearance, but it was impossible to deny the successes that appeared on his account every now and then. He won, among others world title in Montreal and heavyweight champion of the American Wrestling Federation. Although he was in great shape all the time, at some point the disease made itself felt. Due to increasing ailments, he was forced to slow down, and he lost the fight that ended his career. Maurice Tillet died in 1953, just a few hours after the death of his mentor, Pjoello. He was 50 at the time, although doctors said he would not live to be 30. The official cause of death was a heart attack.