From reading the Hulk, to being the Hulk

He’s one of the biggest stars, literally and figuratively, to come to Kelowna.

Lou Ferrigno, the original Hulk of movie, TV, Comic-Con, and Mr. Universe fame has been in town for a few guest appearances.

Shaking Lou’s enormous hand gives you a sense of not just his physical presence, but his larger-than-life character.

When Ferrigno was younger in Brooklyn, New York, he turned to comic books like the Hulk, Superman, Spider-Man, and Mr. Universe as inspiration to defend himself.

But he told Kelowna10 there was another hero he admired.

“My father took me to a movie called ‘Hercules’ with Steve Reeves, and I saw that, and said ‘that’s what I wanted to be.’, he recalled. “It was my antidote at the time to escape the pain. I got involved with bodybuilding because I wanted that sense of well being for myself.”

After several ear infections after he was born, Ferrigno lost most of his hearing which resulted in a lot of bullying when he was growing up.

However, last year he had a cochlear implant which restored much of his hearing. It has changed his life dramatically.

“It gave me tremendous clarity especially when you reach out to different people in conversations, and hearing different sounds,” he explained. “For me it was a life changing experience and that helped me tremendously in acting, lifestyle, my communication with people and bringing awareness to those who need an implant.”

Ferrigno, 71, said his personal drive comes from competing with himself, helping and motivating people, and maximizing his ‘power of person.’

So what brought the two-time Mr. Universe to Kelowna?

He was a promotional guest of Crown and Thieves winery in West Kelowna on Thursday evening and offered to do another event Friday so he could connect with fans and enjoy more of the city. A meet-up and photo-op was held at Kelowna Film Studio.

A steady stream of fans, young and old, were excited to meet the man himself for photos, autographs, and conversation.

Ferrigno, whose rise to fame came from playing a superhero on TV, said his show paved the way for the comic-book and superhero world we know now.

“When I was young and began the pilot for The Hulk, there was a Captain America and Spiderman TV series that failed. My show was the pioneer that opened the doors you see now,” he explained. “Now we have these actors playing different comic characters like in Avengers: Endgame. Everyone of us has a superhero connection and connection with the character.”

Among his other achievements, Ferrigno was appointed a member of former President Donald Trump’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.

He also was a personal trainer with a client list of celebrities including Mickey Rourke, Chuck Norris, and the King of pop, Michael Jackson, who Ferrigno formed a close relationship with.

“[Michael] felt safe with me. I admired his passion for music, and he admired my passion for fitness, so we collaborated together, and we were close friends,” he said. “I trained him on and off for 20 years because he couldn’t go to a regular gym so he came to me, and he knew that he could trust me.”

Ferrigno’s days in the limelight of bodybuilding, TV and movies may have slowed, but for the scores of Kelowna fans who turned up and paid between $60 and $100 for selfies and autographs Friday, he remains a very big star in every sense of the word.