Interview: Lou Ferrigno

With the New York Comic Con taking place this weekend in NYC. I decided to post some memorable interviews from the Chicago Comic Con that I attended. I spoke to the original HULK one on one and we discussed the Avengers, Celebrity Apprentice, and the original television series.

JIM: Lou, obviously you are a veteran of these conventions, what draws you to Chicago in particular?

LOU: Chicago is a huge fan base of the Hulk and comic heroes. I enjoy the interaction with our fans. Every year the fans are excited, it makes me want to come back again. Makes me feel very appreciated.

JIM: Why do you think the original Hulk still resonates with the fans today? I wasn’t even born when the series was running on television!

LOU: It’s all about power. It’s real. Not like the Avengers where you are looking at costumes. With me you are looking at the real deal, my muscles after years of competing. I kept the name alive, doing the voice. When people see me they know what the Hulk is, it’s about that power connection. That’s what gets me and the people excited. It’s that connection.

JIM: How much makeup did you have to go through, to get that Hulk look?

LOU: Well I hated the makeup! No wonder why I was so pissed. When the makeup was completed I would look in the mirror and the character was beautiful. Every time I did a scene the crew would clap. They were excited, because they were part of the show.

JIM: It was really well done, today it would be all CGI.

LOU: There is nothing like the real deal.

JIM: I’m a huge fan of Celebrity Apprentice. Enjoyed watching you on the show. How was your experience on the show and did it open up doors for you?

LOU: Yea it was great. Everyone expected to see the Hulk coming in, but they didn’t realize how smart I was and how well I handle myself. It opened a lot of doors. It gave a lot of respect to me. I also raised a lot of money for MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) and ALS and it brought it a lot more attention.

JIM: Did you make any friends on the show or people you still remain in contact with?

LOU: From time to time George Takei, I enjoyed him. There was a young guy on the show(Clay Aiken?), funny how I forget the name. Also, the guy from the motorcycle show (Paul Teutul Sr.), the whole cast are nice people.

JIM: Still interact with Donald?

LOU: I do. I admire what Donald does. He’s having such a hard time with Atlantic City, dealing with the economy. He’s a strong, confident businessman, and I respect him for that. He’s also raised a lot of money for charity on the show.

JIM: You mentioned raising money for ALS. There is a huge movement now for ALS going on with the ice bucket challenge. What are your thoughts that ALS is not being brought to the forefront?

LOU: I will the ice bucket myself. Especially to educate people about ALS, and make more people aware of it. I think the ice bucket is a phenomenal campaign, everyone is doing it. I can’t even go on Facebook without seeing someone do the ice bucket challenge.

JIM: People don’t realize how though and life-altering disease that is. You brought a lot of attention to it on the show, so that’s outstanding.

LOU: Thank you.

JIM: As far as the Avengers, lot of people have already played the Hulk. Eric Bana, Edward Norton, and now Mark Ruffalo. You will be having an involvement in The Age of Ultron. Tell me more about it and your involvement?

LOU: Well, I will be involved with the voice and everything. I really like Mark Ruffalo, because he’s a very sensitive person and brings great character to his acting. All the actors were great, Edward Norton and Eric Bana. I think Ruffalo is a great choice, he understand the character and what the Hulk means to the entire franchise.

JIM: How do you feel about the franchise?

LOU: I think it’s great because the children love it, and they get to see the power connection also. They can talk about superheroes, they can pretend to be superheroes, it’s a postie influence on them.

JIM: I’ve been seeing an event on your Twitter that you were holding with your daughter on Santa Monica beach, what’s it all about?

LOU: Yeah, it was huge. It’s called Lou Ferrigno Fit. I am having a big contest, a bodybuilding show in Santa Barbara at the end of November. It’s the Ferrigno legacy, a body building exhibit, and it all started with Ferrigno Fit. It’s about giving back and reminding people about fitness. People see the Avengers with all their muscles and power, and it motivates people to do fitness. You only have one life and one body.

JIM: Even your family and daughter is passionate about it.

LOU: It’s the whole family, everybody.

JIM: Any other projects on the way coming up for you?

LOU: Yes, the Scorpion King 4 next month. Then I have The Bandit Hound, a comedy from Warner Bros with Judd Nelson, and that will be out in about 6 months.

JIM: Thanks for your time Lou.

LOU: Thank you.