When we think of bodybuilding in the film industry, most people automatically think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. People of my generation and older will also think of Lou Ferrigno in his role as “The Hulk”. However, few will know that Sean Connery, before stepping into the role of James Bond, placed third in the 1953 Mr. Universe contest.
Hollywood always needs action heroes, and while Arnold starred in the movie “The Last Action Hero,” he certainly won’t be the last bodybuilder to take on such a role. Nowadays, former wrestler Dwayne Johnson, better known as “The Rock,” is often called upon for such roles, currently filming for Hercules.
Steve Reeves (1926-2000)
Dwayne isn’t the first strongman to play the role of Hercules. American Steve Reeves played this role in 1957 in Pietro Francisci’s “Hercules.” This Italian production became a blockbuster, and two years later, the sequel “Hercules Unchained” followed. Steve was also cast for the role of Samson in “Samson and Delilah” (1949), but declined because he would have to lose 15 kilograms (arguing that the camera adds pounds). Steve turned down the role because losing weight would hinder his career as a bodybuilder. Steve’s major achievements as a bodybuilder include first places in:
- 1947 Mr. America
- 1948 Mr. World (video)
- 1950 Mr. Universe
Details of the last Mr. Universe:
- It was Steve’s final competition. There was hardly any money to be earned in bodybuilding at the time, and at the age of 24, Steve decided to quit bodybuilding and focus entirely on acting.
- Part of the prize was a bronze statue of Eugene Sandow, the unofficial father of modern bodybuilding. It was the first time the “Sandow” was awarded to a winner. Nowadays, it is presented to the winner of the Mr. Olympia and is the most coveted trophy in bodybuilding.
- Because it was a tie in points with the eventual runner-up, a “pose-down” had to be held, which Steve won. The runner-up was the rapidly rising star Reg Park, the next on our list.
Movies with Steve Reeves (source wiki):
- Athena (1954) Hollywood film directed by Richard Thorpe
- Jail Bait (1954) Hollywood film directed by Ed Wood
- Hercules (1957) (Le fatiche di Ercole / The Labors of Hercules) released in Italy in 1958, released in U.S.A. in 1959
- Hercules Unchained (1959) (Ercole e la regina di Lidia / Hercules and the Queen of Lydia) released in USA 1960
- Goliath and the Barbarians (1959) (Il terrore dei barbari / Terror of the Barbarians)
- The Giant of Marathon (1959) (La battaglia di Maratona / The Battle of Marathon)
- The Last Days of Pompeii (1959) (Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei / The Last Days of Pompeii)
- The White Warrior (1959) (Hadji Murad il Diavolo Bianco / Hadji Murad, The White Devil) directed by Riccardo Freda
- Morgan, the Pirate (1960) (Morgan, il pirata)
- The Thief of Baghdad (1960) (Il Ladro di Bagdad / The Thief of Baghdad)
- The Trojan Horse (1961) (The Trojan War)
- Duel of the Titans (1961) (Romolo e Remo / Romulus And Remus)
- The Slave (1962) (Il Figlio di Spartaco / Son of Spartacus)
- The Avenger (1962) (La leggenda di Enea / The Legend Of Aeneas) this was a sequel to The Trojan Horse (a.k.a. The Last Glory of Troy or War of the Trojans)
- Sandokan the Great (1964) (Sandokan, the Tiger of Mompracem) directed by Umberto Lenzi
- Pirates of Malaysia (1964) a.k.a. Sandokan, the Pirate of Malaysia, a.k.a. Pirates of the Seven Seas; this was a sequel to Sandokan the Great, directed by Umberto Lenzi
- A Long Ride from Hell (1967) (I Live for Your Death!) spaghetti western directed by Camillo Brazzoni, produced and co-written by Steve Reeves
Reg Park (1928-2007)
British Reg Park got into weight training at the age of 16. When he came out of service in 1948, he saw his first bodybuilding competition, Mr. Universe. The Mr. Universe of 1948 is not listed in the above list of Steve Reeves’ victories because Steve placed second after the controversial win of (another legend in the sport) John Grimek. Watching this competition inspired Reg to compete himself. After just one year of preparation (though, he had been training before), he entered and won the Mr. Britain.
Thanks to a gift from his parents, he was able to train in the U.S. for six months where he met Joe Weider. If you know a bit about bodybuilding, you know that the late Weider brothers, of Weider publications, have been the biggest sponsors of bodybuilding. Support from the Weiders means your photos appear in the renowned bodybuilding magazines, and your chances of winning competitions are directly or indirectly increased.
In the 1950 Mr. Universe for amateurs, won by Steve Reeves, Reg Park placed second. The following year (after Steve had retired), Reg won the Mr. Universe for amateurs. He had trained for another year, and this proved enough to break the American dominance in bodybuilding up to that point. In 1958 and 1965, he won the Mr. Universe for pros.
Bodybuilding Achievements (source: wiki)
- 1946 Mr Britain 4th
- 1949 Mr Britain 1st
- 1950 Best Developed Athlete in America – IFBB, Tall, 1st
- 1950 Best Developed Athlete in America – IFBB, Overall Winner Mr Europe
- 1950 Overall Winner Mr Universe – NABBA, Tall, 2nd
- 1951 Mr Universe – NABBA, Tall, 1st
- 1951 Mr Universe – NABBA, Overall Winner
- 1958 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Tall, 1st
- 1958 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Overall Winner
- 1965 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Tall, 1st
- 1965 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Overall Winner
- 1970 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Tall, 2nd
- 1971 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Tall, 3rd
- 1973 Mr Universe – Pro – NABBA, Tall, 2nd
As an actor, he appeared in no less than five Italian Hercules films. (source: wiki)
- Ercole Alla Conquista Di Atlantide (1961) Italy. aka Hercules and the Captive Women (1963)
- Ercole Al Centro Della Terra (1961) Italy. aka Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) co-starring Christopher Lee
- Maciste Nelle Miniere Di Re Salomone (1964) Italy. aka Maciste in King Solomon’s Mines (1964)
- Ursus, Il Terrore Dei Kirghisi (1964). Italy. aka Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964)
- Sfida Dei Giganti (1965) Italy. aka Hercules the Avenger (1965)
Sean Connery
Of all the names mentioned so far, Sean Connery achieved the least in bodybuilding, but much more as an actor. Sean started bodybuilding at the age of 18. Sources about his achievements differ. Some claim he placed 3rd in the 1950 Mr. Universe, while most sources state that he competed in 1953 and either placed 3rd in the junior class or competed in the “Tall class” where he did not place (Bill Pearl won that class). Sean (full name Sir Thomas Sean Connery) realized he couldn’t successfully compete with the Americans who had larger muscle mass and were dedicated to bodybuilding.
Bodybuilding in Bollywood
Not only Hollywood or the Italian film industry relies on muscular men. Salman Khan (photo on the right), a well-known Bollywood actor, has also participated in bodybuilding competitions. His successful work as an actor, often performed shirtless, is said to be responsible for a huge increase in gym memberships and the sale of dietary supplements.
Now, I have nothing to do with Bollywood except annoyance when hundreds of those movies appear at the top of the search results on YouTube when searching for “Full movie.” I can’t say anything about the quality of the films. However, I hope Salman Khan’s physique is not illustrative of it because then even Sean Connery would look better.
The same goes for another Bollywood star known for his “muscular” appearance, Saif Ali Khan. By European and American standards, this cannot be considered impressive, but everything is relative, I suppose. The average American is 20 kilograms heavier than the average Indian, for Europeans, it’s a difference of 10 kilograms. Such muscle mass as that of Bollywood stars will impress more in India than in America or Europe.
Changing Ideal Body Types
And that brings me to an important point. Hollywood and Bollywood reflect societal ideals, but also impose them. If you look at the photo of Sean Connery and think, “I could have been there too,” it’s partly thanks to these men who made a good physique an ideal. Their appearance at the Mr. Universe back then wouldn’t make much of an impression at a local gym’s bodybuilding competition now. However, because they showcased their physique to the world, men worldwide wanted to look like them. Thus, each year, more people with good physiques emerge, raising the standard enormously. Additionally, it’s worth considering that anabolic steroids were not available during those times, so a comparison with today’s top bodybuilders is even less valid.
Steve Reeves is seen as one of the last natural bodybuilders to win a major competition because the era of steroids began thereafter. Reg Park and the men who followed, like Schwarzenegger, kept getting bigger. Arnold became world-famous with roles like The Terminator after his introduction in “Pumping Iron.” We saw Lou Ferrigno painted green to portray an unnaturally large and muscular creature. As a result, thousands of men hit the gym to look like that, with or without steroids and green paint.
After the 80s and 90s with Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, and Stallone, we saw the rise of the metrosexual. Not that the action hero in the film suddenly started wearing a pink scarf around his neck or talked about his emotions every five minutes after shooting someone, but that the muscle mass of a Schwarzenegger, Reg Park, and Steve Reeves became less desirable. Instead of being very large and muscular, men were supposed to be lean, with slightly less muscle mass. I remember my surprise at seeing Arie Boomsma on the cover of magazines like Men’s Health so often. To me, he just had a healthy physique, not the physique of someone who had trained for years and could be seen as an example to strive for. Perhaps the attention to his figure was also a reaction from a society that was getting fatter, making a normal, slim figure suddenly admirable. My taste buds were already ruined by the truly muscular men, men who have achieved more than I ever can (and want) and set the bar higher.
For example, I was disappointed in the new version of Conan the Barbarian. Originally, this role was, of course, filled by Schwarzenegger, and his muscle mass was a role in itself. In the new part, the role was played by Jason Momoa. Not that he played the role badly or is a bad actor (he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role as Khal Drogo with the Game of Thrones cast). I just wanted to see a real bodybuilder again, a mass monster, a supernaturally muscular person in that role, not an actor who trains for a role.
Unfortunately, it seems that the action hero from the 80s and 90s has been replaced by today’s “Superhero.” Who needs muscle mass to shoot a spider web from his hands or stick to a wall? Thus, you get actors like Tobey Maguire, who you wouldn’t exactly be afraid of if you met him in a dark alley. The old action hero seems to not have found its replacement yet. Hence, it’s not surprising that old horses like Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Vandamme, Willis, and Lundgren are still being trotted out to show their old tricks.
Dwayne Johnson, “The Rock” (b. 1972)
Fortunately, we still have “The Rock,” Dwayne Johnson. Dwayne earned his stripes in (American) wrestling, you know, the staged form of wrestling where it’s all about the show. In his youth, he excelled in American football, even playing for the University of Miami. However, the blood will always find its way, and he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both professional wrestlers.
As an American wrestler, your appearance is crucial, and your body is an important part of it. Many of the great American examples of a good physique come from this form of show wrestling, as John Cena’s physique is also known through wrestling. Strength training is a very important part of the preparation, so some of these guys have the physique of bodybuilders or powerlifters. Also, in the documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” mentioned earlier, you can see someone using steroids to be muscular enough to succeed as a professional wrestler.
Dwayne’s first starring role was in The Scorpion King. Currently, he’s filming for the latest rendition of “Hercules,” bringing the circle full circle.
Arnold not Hercules?
Few people know that one of Arnold’s first roles was that of Hercules in “Hercules in New York,” released in the year he won his first Mr. Olympia in 1970. Over seven years before “Pumping Iron,” which brought him more fame, allowing him to play his first major role in Conan in ’82. His last name was considered too long, so it is listed as “Arnold Strong” in the early releases.
Don’t expect high-level acting from a young Arnold who clearly had yet to learn the craft.
References
- An Interview with Steeve Reeves The Perfect Vision Magazine Volume 6 Issue #22 July 1994
- Wills, Dominic. “Sean Connery – Biography”. Tiscali. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
- “1953 Mr. Universe – NABBA”. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
- http://bodybuilding.elitefitness.com/bollywood-bodybuilding-india
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_weight
