Lou Ferrigno

Actor / Bodybuilder

Lou Ferrigno played the raging green monster The Incredible Hulk on the TV show of the same name. He got the part thanks to his glossy credentials as a bodybuilder: Ferrigno was named Mr. Universe in 1973 and again in 1974. Ferrigno appeared as himself (alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the 1977 bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron. The next year he began his five-season run as The Hulk (1978-82), paired with Bill Bixby as The Hulk's mild-mannered alter ego, David Banner. After The Incredible Hulk ended, Ferrigno went on to other musclebound roles, including Hercules in Hercules (1983) and Sinbad in Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989).

Extra credit: Ferrigno lost much of his hearing after suffering an ear infection as an infant... The pilot movie for The Incredible Hulk aired late in 1977, but the series didn't begin running until March of 1978... Ferrigno and Hulk creator Stan Lee had cameo roles in the 2003 feature film The Hulk... Ferrigno was sworn in as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office reserve officer in February of 2006.

Other actors who've played comic book heroes include George Clooney as Batman, Yvonne Craig as Batgirl and Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man... Both Ferrigno and Craig appear in the colorful loop Green Is Good.