View source for Lou Ferrigno

==Acting career==
===1977–2008===
In 1977, Ferrigno was cast as [[Hulk|the Hulk]] in ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''. Though they were rarely on camera together,<ref name=RetFan1/> Ferrigno and {{nowrap|[[Bill Bixby]]{{tsp}}{{mdash}}{{tsp}}}}who played the Hulk's "normal" alter {{nowrap|ego{{tsp}}{{mdash}}{{tsp}}}}became friends; Ferrigno has described Bixby as a "mentor" and "father figure" who took him under his wing. Ferrigno also singles out the instances in which Bixby directed him in some episodes as particularly memorable.<ref>Murphy, Matt. [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12922 "WWLA: "The Incredible Hulk" Retrospective with Lou Ferrigno"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015170537/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12922 |date=October 15, 2012}}. [[Comic Book Resources]]. March 16, 2008</ref> Ferrigno continued playing the Hulk role until 1981, although the last two episodes were not broadcast until May 1982. Later, he and Bixby co-starred in three ''The Incredible Hulk'' [[TV movie]]s.

In November 1978 and again in May 1979 Ferrigno appeared in ''[[Battle of the Network Stars]]''.<ref>{{citation|title=Battle of the Network Stars V|date=November 18, 1978|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375590/|author=Jacque Lueth |others=Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Richard Hatch|access-date=November 9, 2017|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208043302/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375590/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/battle-network-stars-photos-tvs-432750/1-lou-ferrigno-and-billy-crystal|title='Battle of the Network Stars': Photos of TV's First Reality Competition|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=November 9, 2017|archive-date=November 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110013437/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/battle-network-stars-photos-tvs-432750/1-lou-ferrigno-and-billy-crystal|url-status=live}}</ref> He portrayed the titular character in the 1983 science fantasy adventure film ''[[Hercules (1983 film)|Hercules]]'', and received mixed-to-negative reviews for his performance. He was, however, praised by Marylynn Uricchio, a film critic for the ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/Gnf11|title='Hercules' is just ludicrous|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|publisher=[[Block Communications]]|first=Marylynn|last=Uricchio|date=August 27, 1983|access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref> and Andy Brack of ''Charleston City Paper''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://charlestoncitypaper.com/chatting-with-a-childhood-hero-lou-ferrigno/|title=Chatting with a childhood hero, Lou Ferrigno|work=Charleston City Paper|publisher=City Paper Publishing, LLC|first=Andy|last=Brack|date=May 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305134024/https://charlestoncitypaper.com/chatting-with-a-childhood-hero-lou-ferrigno/|archive-date=March 5, 2022|access-date=March 5, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> Gary Allen Smith, author of the book ''Epic Films'', complimented Ferrigno's physical strength and aesthetics in the film: "At 6' 5" and 286 pounds, he is a massive and thoroughly convincing Hercules".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ihaBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA114|title=Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on More Than 350 Historical Spectacle Movies|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|author=Smith, Gary Allen|date=2009|page=114|isbn=9781476604183 |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref> In 2014, ''[[New York Post#Website|Decider]]'' named Ferrigno the tenth "hottest onscreen Hercules ever".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://decider.com/2014/07/24/who-is-the-hottest-hercules-of-them-all/|title=Who Is The Hottest Hercules Of Them All?|work=[[New York Post#Website|Decider]]|publisher=[[News Corp|NYP Holdings, Inc.]]|first=Meghan|last=O'Keefe|date=July 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305180455/https://decider.com/2014/07/24/who-is-the-hottest-hercules-of-them-all/|archive-date=March 5, 2022|access-date=March 5, 2022|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

In 1983, Ferrigno appeared as John Six in the short-lived medical drama ''[[Trauma Center (TV series)|Trauma Center]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present|year=2003|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn=0-345-45542-8|pages=1227}}</ref>

[[File:Trauma Center 1983 Promo (cropped).webp|thumb|upright=1.1|Ferrigno (right) with [[James Naughton]], [[Alfie Wise]] and [[Katia Christine]] in ''Trauma Center'', 1983]]
Ferrigno played himself during intermittent guest appearances on the [[CBS]] [[sitcom]] ''[[The King of Queens]]'', beginning in 2000 and continuing until the program's conclusion in 2007. He and his wife Carla were depicted as the main characters' next-door neighbors, enduring their jokes about him being the Hulk.

He made cameo appearances as a security guard in both the 2003 film ''[[Hulk (film)|Hulk]]'' and the 2008 film ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'', in which he also voiced the Hulk.<ref name=dh>Jeff Otto (May 27, 2008). [https://archive.today/20120728165322/http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080527a.php Special Report: "Hulk" Edit Bay Visit]. ''[[Dark Horizons]]''. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref> In the latter film, Bruce Banner ([[Edward Norton]]) bribes him with a pizza to gain entry into a university building. He voiced the Hulk in other [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] films, uncredited.<ref name=RetFan1/><ref name="avengers">{{cite web|last=Messer|first=Ron|date=October 10, 2010|title=NY Comic Con: Lou Ferrigno Interview – Opens Up About The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, and Chuck|url=https://collider.com/lou-ferrigno-interview-the-hulk-the-avengers-nycc/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011193655/http://www.collider.com/2010/10/10/lou-ferrigno-interview-the-hulk-the-avengers-nycc/|archive-date=October 11, 2010|access-date=October 10, 2010|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref><ref name="IGN.com">{{cite web|last=Collura|first=Scott|date=May 8, 2012|title=So Ferrigno *Is* in The Avengers|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/08/so-ferrigno-is-in-the-avengers|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527180010/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/08/so-ferrigno-is-in-the-avengers|archive-date=May 27, 2019|access-date=May 27, 2019|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Lou Ferrigno voiced the Hulk until 2015's ''[[Avengers: Age of Ultron]]''.<ref name="nukethefridge">{{cite web|date=April 22, 2014|title=Exclusive: Lou Ferrigno Says He's Back To Voice the Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron|url=http://nukethefridge.com/2014/04/22/exclusive-lou-ferrigno-says-hes-back-voice-hulk-avengers-age-ultron/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140425234059/http://nukethefridge.com/2014/04/22/exclusive-lou-ferrigno-says-hes-back-voice-hulk-avengers-age-ultron/|archive-date=April 25, 2014|access-date=April 22, 2014|publisher=Nuke The Fridge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=April 22, 2014|title=The Avengers: Age Of Ultron To Bring Back Lou Ferrigno As Hulk's Voice|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Avengers-Age-Ultron-Bring-Back-Lou-Ferrigno-Hulk-Voice-42697.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415045147/https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Avengers-Age-Ultron-Bring-Back-Lou-Ferrigno-Hulk-Voice-42697.html|archive-date=April 15, 2021|access-date=April 15, 2021|website=CINEMABLEND}}</ref> Mark Ruffalo has voiced Hulk in subsequent films.<ref>{{cite web |title=Avengers: Endgame (2019) - IMDb |website=[[IMDb]] |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/characters/nm0749263 |access-date=October 20, 2022}}</ref>

===2009–present===
[[File:Lou Ferrigno at 2009 Dragon Con Parade.jpg|thumb|Ferrigno 2009 [[Dragon Con]] Parade]]
He trained [[Michael Jackson]] intermittently beginning in the early 1990s, and in 2009, he helped Jackson get into shape for a planned series of [[This Is It (concert residency)|concerts]] in London,<ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Michael David |title=Lou Ferrigno: Michael Jackson Was Energetic and Happy in Training |url=http://www.aolnews.com/2009/07/01/lou-ferrigno-michael-jackson-was-energetic-and-happy-in-trainin/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719081831/http://www.aolnews.com/2009/07/01/lou-ferrigno-michael-jackson-was-energetic-and-happy-in-trainin/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 19, 2012 |publisher=AOL News |access-date=June 19, 2009}}</ref> which were ultimately cancelled after [[Death of Michael Jackson|Jackson's death]].

Ferrigno took part in a [[Smosh]] sketch, titled "I Love Lou Ferrigno", in which he is tracked down by one of Smosh's members, [[Anthony Padilla]], in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]. The skit ends with Ferrigno knocking Padilla unconscious in response to [[Ian Hecox]]'s claim that Padilla stole Ferrigno's [[Butterfinger]].

Ferrigno has his own line of fitness equipment called Ferrigno Fitness. In January 2009, he provided equipment to ''[[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' for use as a [[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)#One Bid|One Bid]] prize and demonstrated the equipment himself.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lou Ferrigno Biography and Bodybuilding Stats|url=http://www.about-muscle.com/profiles/lou-ferrigno.php|website=About-Muscle.com|access-date=June 2, 2015|archive-date=October 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001064852/http://www.about-muscle.com/profiles/lou-ferrigno.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, Ferrigno appeared as a playable Lego version of himself in ''[[Lego Marvel's Avengers]]''.<ref name="behindthevoiceactors_com">{{cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Lego-Marvel-Avengers/Lou-Ferrigno/|title=Lou Ferrigno|publisher=Behind the Voice Actors|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527201530/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Lego-Marvel-Avengers/Lou-Ferrigno/|url-status=live}}</ref>