The ‘actual’ Shrek: How the ‘world’s ugliest man’ grew to become a wrestling legend after turning uncommon situation to his benefit – and is believed to have impressed our favorite display screen ogre

He was the self-styled ‘world’s ugliest man’ who tore up the wrestling ring and found fame and riches. 

Frenchman Maurice Tillet’s unique appearance was caused by a rare condition where the body produces too much growth hormone.

Despite being just 5ft 8in, the gentle giant reputedly weighed an astonishing 19stone and had a chest measurement of more than 80inches.

His head swelled to the point where, from ear to ear, it measured more than seven inches. And the hands of the ‘French Angel’ were enormous too. 

Tillet fought in fights in Britain, France and elsewhere, but had the most success in the United States, where he teamed up with a Lithuanian wrestler who first spotted his talent.

And film fans have noticed how hugely popular movie ogre Shrek bears a striking similarity to Tillet, who died in 1954 after suffering a heart attack following the death of his wrestling partner earlier the same day. 

It is rumoured that the animators from the DreamWorks studio saw Tillet’s death mask and used it to fashion Shrek’s appearance for the franchise, which is based on the novel of the same name by author William Steig. 

Born in Russia to French parents in 1903, Tillet was taken back to France when the Russian Revolution broke out.

Although he initially grew normally, by the age of 17 he had begun to show the signs of a condition of the pituitary gland called acromegaly, where the body produces too much growth hormone. 

His head swelled to the point where, from ear to ear, it measured more than seven inches. And his hands were enormous too.

Tillet reportedly served for six years in the French Navy before studying for a law degree. But his appearance made a legal career impossible.

The wrestler then tried his hand at films and got an uncredited role as a bar tender in 1935 production Princess Tam Tam, which starred Josephine Baker.

Tillet said later: ‘After returning to civilian life, I attempted a variety of jobs, but I didn’t have much luck.

‘I decided to go to the theater one day after watching a friend do it. I worked on many movies, but except for two or three, I was never given a significant role. 

‘Success in the film industry requires a lot of good fortune, money and talent. I was lacking in a little bit of everything.’

Tillet allegedly got his big break when he was spotted working as a doorman in Paris by Lithuanian wrestler Karl Pojello.

By then, he had already had success in several amateur tournaments. Pojello trained him in a gym to make him ready for professional fighting.

A 1947 press report told how it took Tillet just six and a half minutes to knock out an opponent in a bout in Nottingham.

Abdul the Turk had initially gained the upper hand by putting Tillet in a leg lock, but ‘after a minute and a half of the second round he was knocked out of the ring and failed to beat the account’, the write-up in the Nottingham Journal said.

A 1948 article in a Kent newspaper described Tillet as ‘probably the ugliest individual ever to appear in a sporting arena’.

It added: ‘Unlike most wrestling freaks, the Angel can really wrestle. In some parts of the United States, athletic commissions are proclaiming him the world-champion.

‘His defeat of Steve Casey in twenty-seven minutes made his claim more secure. Billy Bartush, who held an almost unbeaten record in this country, also fell before Tillet in his climb to the top of the wrestling ladder.’ 

Tillet was said to eat a 14lb turkey with all the trimmings after a wrestling bout.

One of his signature moves was known as the ‘bear hug’, which he used to subdue opponents. 

He lost half a dozen of his front teeth after being kicked in the mouth during a fight in Birmingham.

Tillet claimed he stopped to pull them out before wrestling for another 46 minutes to win the bout. 

A 1950 report added that, when Tillet first appeared for a bout in Blackfriars, London, ‘seven women sitting in ringside seats went over like ninepins, all in a dead faint.’ 

Tillet had huge success in the United States. In his first match at the Boston Garden, he defeated Luigi Bacigalupi. 

He remained undefeated for nearly two years. Tillet and Pojello used their winnings – $1,000 a match – to buy a mansion in Chicago. 

The pair lived in adjoining rooms and rented out the rest of the house.

However, as a result of his condition, Tillet’s health declined when he reached his mid 40s. 

His bust – which is now on display at the International Museum of Surgical Science – was fashioned by sculptor Louis Linck in 1950. 

It is dedicated to ‘my old friend, Maurice (The Angel) Tillet.’ 

Tillet was devastated by the death of Pojello from lung cancer in 1954. A heart attack he suffered a heart attack from the stress killed him the same year. 

The two men were buried together at the Lithuanian National Cemetery, in Justice, Illinois. 

But, what of the rumours that Tillet’s death mask at the York Barbell Museum in Pennsylvania was used it to fashion Shrek’s film appearance? 

The film franchise, which began with Shrek in 2001 and led to four sequels (the fifth is in production), proved hugely popular. 

It tells the story of a grumpy but good-natured ogre who ends up friends with a donkey (Eddie Murphy) and falls in love with Cameron Diaz’s Princess Fiona.  

The films are based on the 1990 novel by the late author William Steig, who passed away in 2003.

However, despite frequent claims online, there is no certified link between Tillet and Shrek, who was voiced by Mike Myers.