When did Arnold Schwarzenegger meet Andre The Giant?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is often regarded as one of the greatest body builders of all time along with Ronnie Coleman. Arnold was a close friend of the famous wrestler Andre The Giant.

Andre The Giant was a professional wrestler and was nicknamed 'The Eighth Wonder of the World' due to his considerable size. He wrestled in WWE, New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling. Both Arnold and Andre crossed paths in their careers and immediately a friendship blossomed between them.

However, people often wonder when Arnold Schwarzenegger met Andre.

Arnold Schwarzenegger met Andre when they worked together on the movie Conan The Destroyer. They quickly became friends after this encounter. Arnold, along with Andre and Wilt Chamberlain (basketball player), would often go to restaurants and bars during the filming of Conan The Destroyer. From their days working on the movie until Andre's sudden demise in 1993, they were good friends.

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Who is Andre The Giant?

André René Roussimoff, often known by his ring name, Andre The Giant is a French professional wrestler and actor. Andre was born on May 19, 1946 in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, France. He was the son of Boris Roussimoff and Mariann Roussimoff Stoeff.

Andre showed signs of gigantism at a very young age, and at 12 years old, he was already 6 ft 3 in.

He spent several years working on his father's farm and on an engine manufacturing factory. Andre relocated to Paris aged 18 and learned professional wrestling from a local promoter. He was only able to train during the night because he worked as a mover during the day to pay for his living expenses.

Andre was advertised as 'Geant Ferre' when he first started his wrestling career in Paris and nearby areas. His reputation gradually grew across the world which led him to wrestling in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, United Kingdom and Africa.

Andre The Giant (Image via WWE)

At 24, he made his debut for International Wrestling Enterprise (a professional wrestling promotion) based in Japan. This time Andre was advertised as Monster Roussimoff. He wrestled in both singles as well as tag team competitions.

He wrestled in Montreal for quite some time during the 1970s, but his popularity wore out there.

In 1973, Andre caught the eye of World Wide Wrestling Federation founder Vincent J. McMahon. Vincent suggested changes to Andre's wrestling schedule. McMahon is often credited for advertising Andre under his famous in-ring name 'Andre The Giant.'

Andre Roussimoff debuted for WWF on March 24, 1973. He defeated both Frank Valois and Bull Pometti in his debut match for WWF. His stint at WWF was a successful one across the years. In 1980s, his feud with Hulk Hogan was a famous one.

On February 5, 1988, Andre Roussimoff defeated Hulk Hogan and won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship title. This was Andre's first singles title. Andre and Big John Studd fought across the world to determine who was the true giant of the wrestling world.

Andre Roussimoff (Image via Bleacher Report)

Simultaneously, Roussimoff acted in several movies, but his favorite role was in the movie The Princess Bride, where he played a character named Fezzik. In the movie Conan The Destroyer, he acted alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. This led to a wonderful friendship between Andre and Arnold.

Andre The Giant passed away in sleep at the age of 46 due to heart failure. In March 2014, Hulk Hogan announced a battle royal match named "Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal" in honor of Andre.

Although Andre Roussimoff is no more, he is still remembered as the fan favorite Andre The Giant by wrestling fans and wrestlers across the world.