Privacy Policy. Dreamworks have never revealed the inspiration for Shrek, but look at him! He was a French wrestler who married a beautiful woman named Olga. Mom: Go play with your cousin. Yep, when his adversary looked finished, Tillet would lean over and practically crush the man to death. I, we solute you. Hejust kept growing. The photos circulating on Facebook do show the wrestler Maurice Tillet. Death Masks of Maurice Tillet at York Barbell Museum. My cousin: You can always tell these are made by spoiled city kids because there's a fucking reason nobody wants to live like this anymore. Thousands attended the combined funeral of both men as the two were buried side by side at the Lithuanian National Cemetery in Justice, Illinois. These life casts even come in the same color as Shrek, so you can understand why bloggers thought that they were the models for the animating sculpting. As documented by The French Angel Record Book, Maurices mother would lovingly reflect on her son: He was perfectly normal at birth, had a keen mind, an intelligent curiosity and a well-built body. French wrestler Maurice Tillet and his wife Olga, he was the inspiration for Shrek. 2023 - Africa Check - All rights reserved. He also had ambitions of becoming a lawyer with his mom sent him to the Toulouse University of Law. Most mention Maurice Tillet. 50 cents of every dollar he made went to Carl. Unfortunately, the depth of documentation and historical content on Maurice pales compared to many of the prominent names throughout the golden age of wrestling. According to research, Maurice Tillet married at the age of 19 with his Russian sweetheart. In fact, when Popeye cartoon strips went mainstream, spinach sales went up almost 33 percent. Maurice Tillet - The Angel Death Mask 693 subscribers 280K views 6 years ago Maurice Tillet, The French Angel, at the Hammond Indiana Civic Center. So Maurice Tillet was still growing these abnormal extremities well into his wrestling career. Tillet, Pojello and Morasse lived together in Chicago. So Tillet had to forget about the court room and join the French Navy. And was Shrek based on him? "it's better than drugs, jeremy. Hes white Shrek. Then, read all about Rocky Aoki, a famed Japanese wrestler who founded Benihana. His appearance is said to have inspired Shrek the cartoon ogre. to help stop the spread of false information on social media. Collectively, they set their sights on making an impact in America. In late 1953 he contracted pneumonia and was known to be suffering from a heart condition. The whole thing was a mess. Tillet and Pojello moved to Paris for training, and Tillet wrestled for two years in France and England until World War II forced them to leave for the United States in 1939. She is also the author of The Uprising Series and is the CEO of G-Force Marketing & Publicity, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has obtained film, television, radio, and print placements for blue-chip clients all over the world. Further, at the age of eight, this wrestler lost them. [3] Tillet was a leading box office draw in the early 1940s and was twice World Heavyweight Champion in the American Wrestling Association run by Paul Bowser in Boston. No information about siblings is available yet. Tillet was pissed with this one and the pair had a series of bouts; Tillet unanimously showed who was boss and the French Angel battered the Swedish one every time. St. Stanislaus, Paris and Toulouse University of Law. [Pic: Maurice Tillet and Shrek side by side - arynews.tv]. Maurice was also suffering from an enlarged heart caused by his acromegaly. 26 Apr 2023 22:38:52 In 1903 Maurice Tillet was born somewhere in the Ural mountains, a vast Russian mountain range. Maurice Tillet could pull a subway car and would perform the stunt in NYC to build up hype for his bouts. Given his huge success, it came as no surprise when a series of wrestlers started performing under the angle nickname. He had a tumor on his pituitary gland, resulting in the weird bone overgrowth. So for a new start he joined the navy, because France really has one. He was a soldier who shaved his head to look more intimidating. A Roman bathhouse still in use after 2,000 years in Khenchela, Algeria, "The infinite is ineffable. Its reported that upon Karls wife, Olga notifying Maurice of his passing, The French Angel determined that there was no reason for him to stay. Wrestling promoter Paul Boesch writes about Tillet in his autobiography: The fans crowded arenas to get a look at him and when the aberrant animal ambled down the aisle their curiosity was well satisfied.. But most interesting of all is that Shrek might be based on him. [1], In Boston, Massachusetts, in 1940, promoter Paul Bowser pushed Tillet, who was wrestling as The French Angel, as a main eventer, and he became a large draw in the area. From this and. Tillet was absolutely unstoppable in Boston and soon won the Boston version of the World Heavyweight Championship in May 1940. While Maurice Tillet will always be associated with his unmistakable appearance, his legacy should be tied to the fact he was a major box office attraction across Europe and America while also cementing himself as a proper special attraction several decades before the arrival of Andre The Giant. The French Angel lives on both through movies like Shrek and his legacy in the wrestling world. He reappeared with the Boston-based title for a short time in 1944. Furthermore, the disease doesnt stop. Further, made his debut against Luigi Bacigalupi. Africa Check is an independent, non-partisan organisation which assesses claims made in the public arena using journalistic skills and evidence drawn from the latest online tools, readers, public sources and experts, sorting fact from fiction and publishing the results. French wrestler Maurice Tillet and his wife Olga, he was the inspiration for Shrek #uyvuofficial - YouTube French wrestler Maurice Tillet and his wife Olga, he was the inspiration for. Maurice Tillet's Early Life And The Onset Of His Acromegaly Born in 1904 to French parents in the Ural Mountains of what is, today, Russia, Maurice Tillet earned the nickname "Angel" when he was a child due to his cherubic appearance. Tillet served in the submarine service of the French Navy for five years as an engineer. His signature move was the bear hug and another of his ring names was The Ugliest Man in the World. Another cartoon character based on a real historical figure is Tintin. He had a tumor on his pituitary gland, resulting in the. It's agreeable enough I suppose, for a Nord village. The cash kept reigning in as he toured the States and wowed crowds with his freakish appearance. At the only age of 51, the French Angel was buried at the Lithuanian National Cemetery at Justice Illinois, Cook country. Maurice Tillet was a World Heavyweight Champion wrestler during WWII. Africa Check is a partner in Bobby Managain, who as Bobby Managoff was a wrestling champ, asked Tillet on his death bed if he could make a plaster cast of his face. Like so many with his disorder, Tillet eventually suffered health problems and retired from the sport in 1953. He performed all over the world and was far more hairy than a human should be. Muay thai legend Buakaw Banchamek keeps Promise to Manchester Untied FC, Video of the first confrontation between Khabib and Poirier leading up to title fight, Steven Seagal Choked Out By Judo Master: Poops His Pants, These Guys Made a 106 Pound Battle Axe And Theyre Using It To Destroy Everything. It was world war two that forced him to move to America. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Welcome to Dreshare.com! Dreshare.comis an Entertainment Media Site that provides the latest News on Celebrities, Biographies, Movies, TV shows, Awards, Affair Gossip, and all other Stuff. By his late teens, he was officially diagnosed with Acromegaly. By 1946, the Sandusky Register Star reported Maurice as the highest-paid sports figure. Despite the growing fear that hed never be successful due to his increasingly monstrous appearance, Tillet successfully obtained a degree in law from the University of Toulouse, but never pursued his true dream of becoming a lawyer. Tillet is photographed posing with a series of cute chicks, although its understood that these shots were mostly for advertizing purposes. Before 13 hours of his demise, one of his friends Pojello was also dead. Afterward, his mother who was a teacher moved with him to Moscow, Russia. took a series of photos of Tillet and Leigh. Tillet's father died when he was young. "He was a French wrestler who married an extremely beautiful woman named Olga." Is Maurice Tillet in Shrek? He also lived longer than most with his condition, dying at age 50. He wasnt bitter about it. Tony Borne. Pojello had just returned from the States and established himself as one of the circuits biggest names. Some people make the world unique just by being in it. His parents were French nations drawn to Russia for work. As an adult he began to transform. Just one year later, Maurice Tillet died in Chicago, Illinois. Maurice, at the age of 19, fell in love with a beautiful Russian girl. Career & Net worth Initially, Maurice Tillet trained to be a wrestler in his beloved France. . Past records say that during their honeymoon Tigers in Africa killed his Spouse. Maurice Tillet, better known as The French Angel, was considered a major box office draw in the 1940s and a unique attraction worldwide. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother to raise him on her own. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Nobody really knows what happened to the Russian beauty. There was the Polish Angel, the Irish Angel, the Canadian Angel, the Swedish Angel, and even the Super Swedish Angel. [1], As a result of his success, several Angel imitators emerged, including Paul Olaffsen (Swedish Angel), who also had acromegaly; Tony Angelo (Russian Angel), Tor Johnson (Super Swedish Angel), Jack Rush (Canadian Angel), Wladislaw Tulin (Polish Angel), Stan Pinto (Czech Angel), Clive Welsh (Irish Angel), Jack Falk (Golden Angel), Gil Guerrero (Black Angel), and Jean Noble (Lady Angel). The Angel nickname would come from Maurices mother, which he used while wrestling throughout England in the late 1930s. Shrek was. and our In 1942, Tillet moved to Montreal to wrestle and quickly picked up the Montreal version of the World Heavyweight Championship. Tillet was a leading box office draw in the early 1940s and was twice contracted to act as World Heavyweight Champion by the American Wrestling Association run by Paul Bowser in Boston. This game helped him in gaining fame in a small interval of time. Maurice Tillet was still a normal looking boy and would remain this way into adulthood. He was a slim boy with blonde hair and an angelic face. Even in the autobiographies of 40s and 50s wrestling legends, there are few clues as to who Maurice Tillet shared his bed with. Shrek was actually based off of a real person named Maurice Tillet . Picture of Maurice Tillet and Olga. She was married to Lithuanian professional wrestler Karl Pojello. In 1954, Karl had lung cancer and Maurice had recently recovered from bought of pneumonia. Copyright 2023 The Signature Spot All Rights Reserved. Instead, he chose to enter the French navy, becoming an engineer and serving honorably for five years. References External links. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. A 1940 portrait of Maurice Tillet, better known as The French Angel and sometimes later referred to as the real-life Shrek. Maurice was officially born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 23, 1903. We acknowledge all men and woman past and present for their service of our nation. has compiled an impressive amount of information on Tillet. While he looked like a giant monster, he kept the same endearing smile hed had as a child, ensuring the French Angel nickname stuck for life. Hefought his last wrestling bout in Singapore, on Valentines Day of 1953, where he was defeated by Bert Assirati, and took home a stunning Russian blond to complete the Shrek love story*. Furthermore, Maurice was booked as unstoppable and a win for a span of 19 consecutive months. When the Russian Revolution upended the country, Tillet and his mother moved from the Ural Mountains to Reims, France. But he led a genuinely interesting life. Just one year later, Tillet caught the eye of Boston-based promoter Paul Bowser. Tillet agreed, and Bobby made three masks of his face. But he began to lose regularly and struggled to fight back once he was down on the mat. For Advertisement on our Site or to report a problem, kindly contact our team via email address. jonandgrey 3 min. Shrek was actually based off of a real person named Maurice Tillet. He later moved to the US. Karl passed away on September 4, 1954. And with a head that large, there was probably a few accidental head-buts thrown in for good measure. As the character went mainstream, Chester locals had a good idea what inspired the creation. Moreover, one of the plastic busts is in Chicagos International Museum of Surgical Science. [1] His mother was a teacher and his father was a railroad engineer. What do you do? He was a French wrestler who married an extremely beautiful woman named Olga.. Tillet would sometimes demonstrate this strength by pulling cars by himseld. Their gravestone reads: "Friends Whom Even Death Couldn't Part".[6]. He was 51 years old, according to the Human Marvels. Tillet and Pojello are buried together at the Lithuanian National Cemetery in Justice, Illinois, Cook County, 20 miles (32 km) south of Chicago. After serving for a while he met a professional wrestler from Lithuania and was inspired to give it a go himself. Hes a real character, angelic as a child, only to become brutal in appearance and savage in the ring. This is a kind of rumor as at that time none of the big cats was present there. When he was 17 and striking it lucky with Russian and French chicks, he developed a strange condition called acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that swells your feet and face. Maurice wanted to make law as his profession but acromegaly came into hid way. Maurice Tillet (October 23, 1903 - September 4, 1954) was a French professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The French Angel. Whats more, several Angel imitators had begun cropping up, diluting his brand. Heres everything you need to know abouthim. Was Maurice Tillet married? Match believed to be October 9th 1940. Note: Andre The Giant, The Big Show and The Great Khali all suffered from Acromegaly, with the latter two having the pituitary gland removed to extend their lives. He was known by his professional wrestling name, the French Angel. After finishing education, Maurice Tillet joined the French Navy and worked there as an engineer for 5 years. In fact, possibly the only inconsistency is those giant cauliflower ears. But theres no evidence Shrek was based on him. search of the first photo produces a large number of results. His appearance is said to have inspired Shrek the cartoon ogre. It's amazing what a bag of fresh clothing can do to lift the spirits of these brothers and sisters. He was ardently devoted to his wife, worshiped her. Sometime afterwards Maurice's mother moved him to Moscow Russia, where she taught at a St. Philip Neri Catholic School where Maurice attended classes. How strong and muscular can women get without steroids? At that particular time, he was well known by his ring name, The French Angel. For spectators it was like seeing a man fighting with a real life monster. In 1903 Maurice Tillet was born somewhere in the Ural mountains, a vast Russian mountain range. And so his legend managed to live on, through an animated reincarnation. Its documented that Maurice made his official American debut on January 24, 1940, at Boston Garden against Luigi Bacigalupi. Dreamworks have never admitted to this, but the images make this claim extremely credible. That woman would be the wife of one of his friends a little while after the photos were taken. The two were buried next to each other at the Lithuanian National Cemetery in Justice, Illinois. Maurice spent the later years of his career living with his manager Karl Pojella and Karls wife, Olga. With winter upon us, please remember the less fortunate and give where possible to help soften the impact felt by the most vulnerable amongst us. In 1917, Tillet and his mother left Russia due to the Revolution and moved to France, where they settled in Reims. ike Like Oh what am I saying, of course you don't. We all should get back into the kitchen. Although no one at Dreamworks has ever confirmed or denied it, rumor holds that Maurice Tillet inspired Shreks design. Bowser promoted him as the freak ogre of the ring and the French Angel a combination that won over the intrigue of pretty much every fan. It was only the Swedish Angel that dared to get in the ring with Mr Shrek Cauliflower Ears. Kala Brown's Captor Locked Her Inside A Shipping Container Then Posted Amazon Reviews About The Locks He Used, Yakov Dzhugashvili, The Tortured First Son Of Stalin Who Died After Being Captured By Nazis, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Apparently they have an army too. The most famous of theknockoffs, was the Swedish Angel who wrestled in Salt Lake City. Theyve never denied it or offered someone different. His hands, feet, and head seemed to be swelling to a greater size by the day. During his lifetime, Maurice Tillet enjoyed a relatively successful career in professional wrestling. He was the world champion and remained undefeated for over a year. In it he told of encounters with native american tribes, Japanese military officials, and other difperate cultures. In his final wrestling match, in Singapore on 14 February 1953, working The National Wrestling Alliance Mid South Area then known as Tri-State and owned by Leroy McGuirk he agreed to lose to Bert Assirati.[1].