Maurice Tillet, The French Angel: Facts

Story:

Meet Maurice Tillet – The French Angel Wrestler Rumored to have Inspired Shrek.

Analysis:

Various pictures of a strange and hugely built man are in circulation online claiming to show that it is Maurice Tillet, the French Angel Wrestler rumored to have inspired the famous character Shrek. Yes, it is a fact, but Maurice Tillet was simply nicknamed ‘The French Angel’ and he attained the appearance because of a rare hormonal disorder.

About Maurice Tillet

Russian-born Frenchman, Maurice Tillet was completely normal as a child. Friends nicknamed Maurice Tillet as “The Angel” because of his perfect angelic face. Reportedly, he also spoke as many as 14 languages. But at the age of 17, doctors diagnosed him with Acromegaly – a rather rare hormonal disorder that occurs when the pituitary gland produces extra growth hormone (due to pituitary tumor), resulting in increased bone growth, including in the hands, feet and face. Because of this, Maurice Tillet’s whole body was disfigured.

Picture of Maurice Tillet, The French Angel — Maurice Tillet, The French Angel

As Professional Wrestler

Maurice Tillet used his spoiled appearance to craft a new identity for himself – a rough and villainous professional wrestler in America, renamed as ‘The French Angel’ and was often dubbed the ‘freak ogre of the ring’. He became a wrestling star and rose to prominence in the 1930s and ’40s. It is also rumored that Maurice Tillet’s appearance served as the basis for the famous animated character Ogre from the Shrek film series. But unfortunately, Maurice died from heart disease in 1954, at the age of 51.