‘André the Giant’ Trailer: The Larger-Than-Life Legend Was Gentle, but He Was Also in Pain — Watch

The phrase “larger than life” is overused to the point of cliche, but it almost feels like an understatement when referring to André the Giant. In addition to standing 7’4″ tall and weighing in at a reported 520 pounds, André René Roussimoff had an outsize personality that’s almost entered the realm of legend at this point. All of which is to say that it’s surprising it took this long to make a documentary about the professional wrestler/actor, which is what HBO Sports, WWE, and Bill Simmons have done. Watch the trailer below.

“He was stronger than all of us, he was bigger than all of us,” says Hulk Hogan as we watch footage of André dominating his opponents in the squared circle. “He kept everybody in line. He was the guy.” Several more interviewees chime in with stories both good (“He was famous on a different level — literally the biggest celebrity in the world”) and bad (“They think of him as this legendary drinker — he drank because he was in pain”), forming a picture of André that’s less lighthearted than what we’re used to seeing of the “Princess Bride” star.

Jason Hehir directed the film, which also features interviews with Billy Crystal, Vince McMahon, and Jerry “The King” Lawler. “André the Giant” will air on HBO on April 10.