Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. He won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the documentary film Pumping Iron (1977). As an actor, he is best known for his title role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk (1978–1982) and vocally reprising the role in subsequent animated and computer-generated incarnations. He has also appeared in European-produced fantasy-adventures such as Hercules (1983) and Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989), and as himself in the sitcom The King of Queens and the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.
The Universe Championships are annual worldwide bodybuilding events organised by the British National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA). Originally promoted as the Mr. Universe contest, the event was expanded to include women's classes in 1968. Notable previous winners include bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and bodybuilder and actor Steve Reeves (1926–2000).
Henri Christophe Dickerson was an American professional bodybuilder.
Frank Zane is a retired American professional bodybuilder and author. Known as "The Chemist", Zane is a three-time Mr. Olympia winner, having won the competition every year from 1977 to 1979. He previously reigned as Mr. Universe in 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1972, and Mr. America in 1966, 1967 and 1968. Typically competing at a bodyweight of less than 200lbs, he regularly placed higher than people much bigger than him. His physique is considered one of the greatest in the history of bodybuilding due to his meticulous focus on symmetry and proportion. With one of the smallest, tightest waists in bodybuilding, he was renowned for his vacuum pose.
William Arnold Pearl was an American professional bodybuilder and athlete. During the 1950s and 60s, he won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World's Best-Built Man of the Century". He later became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.
Samir Bannout is a Lebanese former professional bodybuilder and commentator. Nicknamed 'The Lion of Lebanon', he won the 1983 Mr. Olympia, defeating Mohamed Makkawy and Lee Haney. He is the first Middle Eastern bodybuilder to win a Mr. Olympia title.
Roy "Reg" Park was an English bodybuilder, businessman, and actor. His first title was Mr. Britain in 1949. He then won Mr. Universe in 1951, 1958, and 1965. He went on to star in five films, all of which featured him playing Hercules. Later in life, he received renewed interest for being the first inspiration to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The National Amateur Body-Builders' Association, more commonly referred to as NABBA, was founded in the United Kingdom in 1950 by the Health & Strength League to promote bodybuilding. Although the original intention was to promote physique contests in the UK, the popularity of the Mr Universe contest, and later Ms Universe contest, drew interest from competitors around the world. Today NABBA International maintains affiliations with around 60 countries.
Serge Nubret was a French professional bodybuilder, actor and self-published author. He won numerous bodybuilding competitions, including 1976 NABBA Mr. Universe (1976). Nubret was nicknamed "The Black Panther."
Lee Andrew McCutcheon , known professionally as Lee Priest, is a competitive bodybuilder. He is a former International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) professional bodybuilder and a current National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA) professional athlete.
Bertil Fox is a British former International Federation of BodyBuilders professional bodybuilder and convicted murderer. He was pardoned for that crime by the Governor General of Saint Kitts and Nevis on 4 August 2022.
Earl Maynard is a bodybuilder and professional wrestler as well as a film actor, producer and director from Barbados.
John Lees was an English bodybuilder and later a professional wrestler who won Mr. Universe in 1957.
Kamal Abdulsalam El-Gargni is a Libyan professional bodybuilder residing in Tampa. He won the 212 Mr. Olympia in 2019.
Lisa Cross is a professional British female bodybuilder.
Leo Robert was a Canadian bodybuilder. At one time, he was billed as "America's most muscular man". He won the 1955 Mr. Universe.
Jack Delinger was an American professional bodybuilder. He won the 1949 AAU Mr. America and the 1956 Mr. Universe.
Dennis Tinerino was an American bodybuilder, most prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s. He won the Mr. Universe title four times in 1968, 1975, 1980 and 1981 and Mr. World in 1971 in the tall man's category, and Mr. America in 1978. After becoming involved in a life of crime, running one of the biggest escort services in California, he became an international evangelist. The 1983 edition of The Gold's Gym book of bodybuilding cited him as "one of the most successful bodybuilders of the past decade or two". He is an inductee of the National Fitness Hall of Fame, IFBB Hall of Fame and National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Roy Callender is a Barbadian Canadian IFBB Hall of Famer retired professional bodybuilder, professional wrestler and actor.
Douglas Paul Brignole was an American bodybuilder, fitness coach, and author. He was a multiple-time winner of the AAU Mr. Universe and Mr. America titles. Brignole is said to be the oldest man to win the title of Mr. Universe.
