“We All Have a Little Hulk Inside”: Lou Ferrigno Once Made a Strange but Reasonable Comparison To Prove a Valid Point in Life

Lou Ferrigno is an enigmatic personality, who has donned many hats over the course of his career. This former bodybuilder starred in Pumping Iron alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, won an IFBB Mr. America title and 2 consecutive Mr. Universe Titles. However, he is still most fondly remembered for playing the titular role in CBS’s The Incredible Hulk. 

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created The Hulk in the early 1960s, and it became one of America’s most beloved characters. It became widely accepted by its readers despite its violent tantrums, intense rage, and destructive abilities—all of which were considered unsavory for a superhero at the time. Lou Ferrigno says, he knows why we connect to this character so deeply. He believes that the deep-seated anger that resides in us, knocking on our interior doors to gush out at society, finds its symbolic representation in the form of Hulk. 

Lou Ferrigno’s connection to Hulk is more personal than it meets the eye

Ferrigno states, “When I did the Hulk series, I had never acted before”. Lou cites the reason behind Bill Baxby, who played David Banner in the show, becoming his mentor. Ferrigno suffered from hearing loss at a very young age and would, thus, be bullied by kids everywhere throughout his life. His foray into bodybuilding was mainly a challenge to overcome that childhood hurdle. He states, “I got involved in bodybuilding because I was bullied my whole life. Kids would make fun of me because of my hearing aid”. 

Ferrigno was a huge Hulk fan from his childhood. Collecting and reading Hulk comics gave him a chance to escape reality for a short while. His dream to become a bodybuilder further emboldened his love for the character, due to its large muscles, power, and strength—all of which Lou wanted in his life. Lou stated, “I used to read Hulk comics all the time because it gave me a chance to escape. I was like a real-life Walter Mitty”. More importantly, Hulk became an idol-like figure for Lou, since it gave him the power to defend himself against bullies. 

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The everlasting legacy of Ferrigno’s portrayal of The Hulk

Lou urges victims of bullying, online or otherwise, to not internalize it and deal with it by standing tall against bullies. Lou states, “You see all comic characters, but when I see the Hulk, it just stands out”, pitching Hulk above every other superhero. Many actors have portrayed the character since. Eric Bana and Edward Norton played the titular character and later on the baton was passed on to Mark Ruffalo under Marvel Cinematic Universe. He most recently reprised the role in Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ in 2022.

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Which superhero character do you connect with the most? Let us know in the comments section!