Do you remember The Incredible Hulk? Lou Ferrigno, performer of the character, turns 70 today. An American actor and bodybuilder, he has also appeared in many U.S. television shows, movies and television dramas, including Man of Steel, Sinbad of the Seven Seas and Hercules. F

errigno was born from Matthew, a New York police lieutenant and second generation Italian American, and from Victoria, originally from Conca dei Marini, in the province of Salerno, who emigrated at a young age. The family origins start from Cava de' Tirreni, city of residence of the grandparents. According to Lou's version, her father Matthew was also a weightlifter and accompanied Lou supporting him in his career.

At birth Lou developed an ear infection, but his parents didn't notice until he was 3 years old because he spoke with difficulty and didn't like to watch television. Ferrigno saw hearing loss as an important factor in his life: "...if I hadn't lost my hearing, I wouldn't be where I am now. That forced me to maximize my potential. I had to be better than the average person to be successful."

He began weight training at the age of 13, imitating bodybuilder and actor Steve Reeves, a famous movie Hercules. After completing his studies in 1969, Ferrigno won his first trophies, the IFBB, Mr. America and Mr. Universe four years later. In 1974, he finished second in his first attempt at the Mr. Olympia title. He came in third the following year, and this attempt of his to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger was the plot of the 1977 documentary film Man of Steel.

He participated, also in that year, in The Strongest Man in the World, coming in fourth out of eight participants. After this he left the world of bodybuilding competition for many years. Although he was never able to defeat Schwarzenegger in bodybuilding, he took revenge by getting the part of the Hulk in the famous television series The Incredible Hulk of the seventies.