Let’s start with the obvious: Andre the Giant, subject of a new documentary from HBO, was huge. The wrestler seemed almost to have stepped out of legend or myth. Billed at a whopping 7-foot-4 and 477 pounds, he was a veritable Grendel, with deep-set eyes, frizzy hair, and a protruding jaw. Dubbed by promoters the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” he wore size-24 shoes and a size-24 ring, and his wrists were nearly 12 inches in circumference. In addition to the incredible diet necessary to sustain such mass, he could consume, according to some estimates, up to 7,000 calories of alcohol a day. In a career spanning 27 years, six continents, and over 5,000 matches, he became a cherished icon of professional wrestling—and was arguably among the most influential athletes of the 20th century.

André Roussimoff was born in 1946 in Molien, a small commune north of Paris; at 11 pounds as a newborn, he was larger than average but not abnormal. His parents, both Slavic immigrants, were farmers. His early years were unexceptional; “Dede,” as he was called, loved soccer and mathematics.