Maurice Tillet was born in France and was very intelligent and spoke 14 languages. In his twenties, he developed acromegaly, a rare disease that causes bones to grow wildly and uncontrollably. Soon his whole body was disfigured as a result. Afterwards, he fled France, became a professional wrestler in the United States, and won American Wrestling Association World title. Tillet was dubbed as the "freak ogre of the ring." There are rumors that the Shrek character was inspired by Tillet’s look. Who knows but he really does have a lot in common with the character.
